Photo by NOYB #1, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Whitewater Valley Railroad
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About Whitewater Valley Railroad
Riding historic diesel switchers along a 32‑mile heritage line between Connersville and Metamora offers panoramic views of southeastern Indiana’s restored canal corridor, historic aqueducts and lock structures. Weekend round trips run May through October, featuring ex‑New York Central and Chicago, Rock Island equipment, with special dinner trains and a seasonal Polar Express. Ticket sales are handled through FareHarbor, and the operation is supported entirely by volunteers.
History
The Whitewater Valley Railroad traces its roots to 1863, when the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad secured the former Whitewater Canal right‑of‑way and, through its subsidiary the White Water Valley Railroad, reached Connersville in the spring of 1867 and extended to Hagerstown in 1868. The line was absorbed by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis (the “Big Four”) in 1890, which later became part of the New York Central system; the Big Four abandoned the Connersville‑Hagerstown segment in 1931, ended all passenger service in 1933 and removed the abandoned track in 1936, while local freight continued under steam until 1957 and under diesel until the Penn Central discontinued service in 1972. That same year, volunteers incorporated the Whitewater Valley Railroad as a not‑for‑profit corporation, launching weekend passenger excursions on 25 mi of leased Penn Central track in 1974; a washout later that year closed the Metamora‑Brookville section, and Penn Central lifted four miles of track in 1976. Freight operations on adjacent segments shifted to the Indiana and Ohio Railway in 1979, and the remaining 18 mi from Connersville through Metamora were formally purchased by the nonprofit in 1983, followed by an additional one‑mile acquisition from Indiana Hi‑Rail in 1984 after that company had bought the Connersville‑Beeson’s Station stretch in 1981. Since 1994 the railroad has received more than $1.6 million in matching grants for track upgrades, and in 2012 it completed a 150 × 60‑foot restoration shop on the north end of the Connersville Yard.
The Trains
The Whitewater Valley Railroad runs a 32‑mile standard‑gauge heritage line between Connersville, Indiana, and Metamora, Indiana, offering weekend round‑trip excursions from May through October and special dinner‑train and Polar Express services. Its roster includes vintage diesel switchers and road switchers, ex‑New York Central and Chicago, Rock Island and New York, Chicago & St. Louis (CNW) equipment, open‑window Erie, New York Central and Rock Island passenger coaches, and a collection of cabooses, while the most recent steam donation is New York Central B‑10W 0‑6‑0 locomotive #6894. Trains frequently operate the Valley Flyer or the Metamora Local, the latter covering a 2‑mile canal‑side excursion that passes a restored lock, aqueduct and canal‑boat dock.
Nearby
Indiana's Whitewater Valley Railroad is a long, unhurried ride — plan your day around the round trip.
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