Fire Damages NKP Roundhouse in Indiana

A former Nickel Plate Road roundhouse in Indiana was damaged by fire on Sunday.

Firefighters in Frankfort, Indiana, were called about 10 a.m. to the roundhouse, which is on property owned by Norfolk Southern and was reportedly unused.

Fire Chief John Kirby said firefighters initially had the blaze under control before a second fire broke out.

The department had to bring in 15 off-duty firefighters to battle the blaze as well as protect the rest of the city.

The fire was finally brought under control after six hours. One firefighter was treated at a local hospital for dehydration.

Fire Investigator Jeremy Ward said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“Firefighters were able to get the fire under control quickly and were hitting hot spots when a second fire erupted in another area of the Roundhouse,” Kirby said. “The second fire rapidly got out of control and took several hours to knock down.”

Still Standing Though Fading

The Nickel Plate Road became a fallen flag in 1964 when it was acquired by the Norfolk & Western.

Yet a vestige of the Nickel Plate continues to stand in Frankfort, Indiana, although the affects of weather and age have faded it.

Shown is the former coaling tower in the yard, which has been out of service since the late 1950s but continues to bear the NKP herald.

Coaling towers are massive structures and the cost of razing them has probably ensure that some continue to stand decades after they ceased to serve a useful function.

Frankfort once hosted two former components of the Nickel Plate, the Lake Erie & Western and the Clover Leaf.

Lines of both railroads are still in place east of Frankfort, but the former Clover Leaf route to St. Louis has been abandoned west of town.

The tracks in Frankfort are now part of the Frankfort District of Norfolk Southern.

Railroad Photo Exhibit Set at Indiana Library

An exhibit of railroad photographs is being hosted by the Frankfort, Indiana, public library Jan 4 to 29^th.

Titled Workin’ on the Railroad, the exhibit will feature 30 images. A reception to celebrate the exhibit will be held on Jan. 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The library is in downtown Frankfort at 208 W Clinton St., about a five minute drive from Interstate 65.

Frankfort once hosted a substantial yard and shops operated by the Nickel Plate Road, which intersected in town the Pennsylvania Railroad line between Chicago and Indianapolis.

The Monon route between Chicago and Indianapolis also once passed through Frankfort but has been abandoned.

Both rail lines are still in place although the former PRR line is a CSX industrial track that is abandoned a few miles north of town.

Norfolk Southern operates the former NKP line.