It's "fertilizer time" :)

Corn pickin' time

The road is open!!

Just in time for the 4th of July Holiday, the new road is open. Here we see some of the traffic while a SBS work train crosses in the backgound. Stay tuned for a new feature called Lunchtime at the SBS for more photos of traffic taken from this great rail/truck fan location.

Crane time!

Are we doing this right?

CSX on SBS

Several railroads have trackage rights on the SBS. This empty CSX coal train heads home to Kentucky behind a pair of GE Dash-8s for another load of low-sulphur coal for mid-western electric power plants.

The industrial mid-west these days is corn and cars. Auto maufacturers have moved south into Indiana, Kentucky and points south. Here we see a SBS long-distance local moving auto parts boxes south from Michigan to assembly plants in Kentucky.

corn, corn and more corn...

At harvest season, anything that can haul grain is pressed into service...

Lunchtime at the combine!

Track Maintenance Time...

SBS up close and personal...

Welcome to Lunchtime at the South Bend Southern.

Based on the popular Lunchtime at the Overpass series of photos at the great truck website operated by Hank Suderman, here is the first in a series of truck photos taken from the same truck watching spot on the SBS. Enjoy... and check out Hank's site at http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/bc_truck_pix.htm#lunchtime

Pete lowboy w loader

One of life's essential services...

The hook strikes again!

Just add water!!

Those of you who live near inland rivers will recognize this river towboat with 2 empty barges on it's way to get a load of grain from the nearby elevator. All that's missing is the river... (and that will be a while)

Based on the popular Lunchtime at the Overpass series of photos at the great truck website operated by Hank Suderman, here is the first in a series of truck photos taken from the same truck watching spot on the SBS. Enjoy... and check out Hank's site at http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/bc_truck_pix.htm#lunchtime

more lunch!

Lunchtime #3

Lunchtime photo #2

Lunchtime at the South Bend Southern!

Based on the popular Lunchtime at the Overpass series of photos at the great truck website operated by Hank Suderman, here is the first in a series of truck photos taken from the same truck watching spot on the SBS. Enjoy... and check out Hank's site at http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/lunchtime_jun15_2006.htm

What is the South Bend Southern?

This is the story of the South Bend Southern Railroad, a fictional regional railroad between South Bend Indiana and Fulton Kentucky. The line is now majority owned by the Canadian National Railroad, which uses it as a alternate route to bypass the congested rails of Chicago.

From its connection with the former Grand Trunk Western in South Bend, SBS trains head south through Indiana farm land on the old Nickel Plate line to Kokomo, Indianapolis, and through southern Indiana on the old Conrail/LIRR line into Louisville Kentucky. From there trains head west on the former ICG/Paducah and Louisville through the rolling Western Kentucky coal fields onto Fulton Kentucky where they connect to the IC/CN for points south and west.

The building of the SBS started out showing a highway under construction, with a progression of photos of 1/87th construction equipment in action.

Progress has slowed a little due to family stuff, so feel free to browse through past photos from previous months that are listed on the left panel.

Coming soon!

Central Indiana is ag country and trackside grain elevators are a common industry. Stay tuned for more photos as this portion of the layout is developed.

Grain haulers are a common sight too.

CN/IC grain train on the SBS

Coming and going...

Bigger equipment moving out and smaller equipment moving in.

Busy day on the SBS

Up close and personal...