Track Chart Showing Industries Pennsylvania Railroad Company Southwestern Region Louisville Br.

From Indianapolis to Louisville, along the tracks of the Pennsy.

This lengthy and informative 1964 chart highlights the notable industries located along the Louisville Branch of the Southwestern Region of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The rail line connecting Indianapolis to Louisville passes through Greenwood, Seymour, and Jeffersonville in southern Indiana before crossing the Ohio River. A small key map near the front offers a simple overview of the statewide rail network south of Logansport.

Following that, the lengthy diagrammatic image identifies a wealth of infrastructure along the approximately 120-mile route – bridges, trestles, water stations, engine houses, towers, watch boxes, and more. Rail weights (140 lb. to < 85 lb.) are noted using different styled lines. Elevation grade data is provided along the lower edge, while mile markers are listed across the top. Scores of named businesses are serviced along the route, many of which have specialized spurs or team tracks. Notable examples include Eli Lilly, Standard Oil, Farm Bureau, Van Camp Canning, Brown-Forman Distilleries, and the National Biscuit Company.

Published as Plan No. 33002 by the Engineering Department of the Pennsylvania Railroad and corrected to January 1, 1964. The complex composition and regular updates of these track charts reflect the complicated nature of railroad operations. Just a few years after issue, the cash-strapped Pennsy would merge with its rivals, the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford, to form the short-lived Penn Central Transportation Company.