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Munster, Indiana Page Two.
Tower at the Grand Trunk crossing.
 
More Simmons Plant. Left: Circa 1990's. Photo taken from the plant looking northwest toward mainline. Right: Circa 2002, taken from the abandoned mainline. Mark Stanek photos, courtesy of Kevin Ruble.
This shot is looking north from the mast of the signal protecting the GTW crossing to the photographers rear. The train, #15 judging by the low sun in the west, has just crossed the PCC&StL (the line of telegraph poles visible across the background). The distant treeline further to the rear is the built-up area along Ridge Road (US 6). -Bruce Meyers Photograph, courtesy of Tim Swan-
Munster Nike Missile Base 2006 Nike, named for the mythical Greek goddess of victory, was the name given to a program which ultimately produced the world's first successful, widely-deployed, guided surface-to-air missile system. During the first decade of the Cold War, the Soviet Union began to develop a series of long-range bomber aircraft, capable of reaching targets within the continental United States. The mission of Nike within the continental U.S was to act as a "last ditch" line of air defense for selected areas. The Nike system would have been utilized in the event that the Air Force's long-range fighter-interceptor aircraft had failed to destroy any attacking bombers at a greater distance from their intended targets. A typical Nike air defense site consisted of two separate parcels of land. One area was known as the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) Area. This site contained the Nike system's ground-based radar and computer systems designed to detect and track hostile aircraft, and to guide the missiles to their targets. The second parcel of land was known as the Launcher Area. At the launcher area, Nike missiles were stored horizontally within heavily constructed underground missile magazines. A large, missile elevator brought the Nikes to the surface of the site where they would be pushed (manually) by crewmen, across twin steel rails to one of four satellite launchers. The missile was then attached to its launcher and erected to a near-vertical position for firing. The near-vertical firing position ensured that the missile's booster rocket (lower stage) would not crash directly back onto the missile site, but, instead, would land within a predetermined booster impact area. During 1974, all remaining operational sites within the nationwide Nike air defense system were inactivated. Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) which administered this system was closed down shortly thereafter. The deactivation of the nationwide Nike missile system signaled the end of one of the nation's most significant, highly visible and costly Cold War air defense programs. end.
Maynard Junction 2002. Left: Abandoned diamond, looking southbound along former Monon. Right: Circa 2002, looking to the north from signal tower at former Maynard Junction. Mark Stanek photos, courtesy of Kevin Ruble.
Looking southbound from signal tower north of Maynard Junction. Mark Stanek photos, courtesy of Kevin Ruble.
Left: Monon mainline at the Grand Trunk crossing. July 13, 1978. Looking toward the north. Right: May 20, 1982. Looking south along the mainline from just south of the PRR crossing. Note westbound freight on the GTW. Both photos courtesy John Eagan.
Left: Southbound Amtrak passes remains of a derailment 1976. Right: Southbound at Munster 1977.
 
Grand Trunk Junction 2002. Left: Abandoned mainline, looking northbound towards Hammond. Right: Looking north from signal tower at 45th Street. Current CSX mainline curves off to left. Mark Stanek photos, courtesy of Kevin Ruble.
 
August 30, 2003. Northbound Cardinal rounding the curve at Maynard Junction to continue its trip into Chicago. Nice to see passenger action on the Monon. Too bad it is not still headed through Hammond. Munster/Maynard area 2019 Pictures by Nathan
Miles
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