Station Map – Tracks and Structures Indianapolis Union Railway

Consolidating rail lines in downtown Indianapolis. `

This rare and ephemeral blueprint highlights track updates made in downtown Indianapolis by the Indianapolis Union Railway during the early 1960s. The company was organized over a century prior to help facilitate the transfer of passengers and freight between different operators in Indiana’s capital. In 1888, Union Station was completed, greatly enhancing the terminal railroad’s capacity and prestige (the station still operates today).

The image shows about a .5-mile portion of the trackage in operation between Delaware and West Streets. Union Station is included, as well as several large industrial firms (John Deere, Indiana Refrigerating Co., etc.), the massive I.U. train shed, and a few hotels. Handwritten notes and colored pencil indicate numerous changes to the tracks and turnouts, explained by the legend in the lower left. The closure of several spurs perhaps reflects the company’s contemporary financial difficulties.

The earliest date on the image is 1927, the same year as a major reorganization of the participating railroads. This example has been updated with revisions through 1962, according to a signed engineer’s rubberstamp in the lower center. Just six years later, the Indianapolis Union Railway would become the property of the newly organized Penn Central (a merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads).

Sources: Indiana State Library; Historic Indianapolis;