Historical reasons...

Griffith’s nickname -- The Town that Came to the Tracks -- is
testament to the importance of railroads from the very beginning of our town’s history.

Three years after Griffith was founded, its developers abandoned the
fledgling town. The railroads helped provide the stability and jobs
needed for the town to continue to grow. This is shown in our 65-page “Old
Railroaders Log,” listing hundreds of Griffith residents who worked on the railroads.

The Griffith tower and the bravery of towerman Joe Miller were recognized
nationally in 1947 on the Paul Harvey radio show. A fire had broken out in
the tower -- which in 1947controlled the passage of more than 150 trains a
day. After leaving the tower to summon help, Miller returned to the burning
building to set the interlocking controls to prevent a train crash. He lost his life as a result.

Preservationist reasons...

At one time, more than 5,000 towers stood guard at railroad crossings in
the United States. Today, only 177 are still standing in North America and
many of these face the same fate as the Griffith tower.

In Northwest Indiana, only six towers now remain in operation and
application has been made to the Interstate Commerce Commission to close two
of them. In the rest of the state, only one tower remains and its future
is uncertain.

Only a handful of towers have been saved and few of these are open to
the public.

Watchman’s Shanty

Before the advent of modern railroad signaling equipment, a watchman, much like today’s school crossing guards, controlled pedestrian and automobile traffic round the clock at the Broad Street crossing. The small building, nicknamed a “shanty,” provided warmth and shelter in inclement weather for the watchman between trains. The Shanty was moved to the site around the time of the Depot move and was renovated in 1993 by Jeff Bingham as his Eagle Scout project.

Caboose 503

Built in the mid-1950's, The 503 is an Elgin Joliet & Eastern road caboose that carried train crews on long freight runs. It was equipped with, among other things, a cupola where the brakeman kept watch for trouble on the train, equipment to monitor the train's airbrake system, emergency equipment and spare parts and red lights mounted on the back to warn oncoming trains at night.  When technological advances rendered the caboose obsolete in the 1980's, cabooses were phased out of operation. The 503 spent several years out of service at Kirk Yard, in Gary, before being donated to the Park in 1995. The caboose is restored to its original state and contains photos, historical displays and artifacts.

Pullman Troopsleeper 8731

This car was built in 1943 by the Pullman Standard Company to transport troops throughout the country. The car was equipped with bunks for sleeping, stacked three-high, which converted into seating for daytime travel. After the war, the car was purchased by the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway and used as a maintenance-of-way car, primarily to transport men and equipment to wrecks and derailments. In its final years with the “J”, it was used to store tools and equipment before being donated to the Park in May, 1996. Displayed inside the car are many of the tools used by section crews and other railmen.

Transfer Cabooose 197

One of the last of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern transfer cabooses at Kirk Yard, the car was used to transport railroad workers around the yard or on runs of less than 20 miles. Originally, the car was equipped with a heater, benches, storage lockers and the equipment that monitored the train's airbrake system. The car, stripped of its equipment, was donated to the Park in May, 1997 and renovated by Tom Marshall as an Eagle Scout project. It is now used for historical displays and at Christmas families can have a private visit with Santa in the car during our Santa in the Caboose activities.

C&O Speeder

The small vehicle, equipped with a kerosene-powered engine, was also donated around the time the Depot was moved and rehabbed. It was used to transport section crews and other railroad personnel along the Chesapeake & Ohio tracks in the Griffith area.

Railroad Telephone Booths

Originally located along the Erie Railroad right-of-way in the Griffith area, the two concrete phone booths were relocated to the Park in 1996 by Matt Michels as his Eagle Scout project. The booths, which were kept locked, were used by section crews and train crews in the days before on-train communication devices and cell phones came into use.