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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Us 36 In Western Indiana


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Congrats and welcome to the club. I assume you'll be buying drinks at the next moderators meeting.

 

Actually Denny, if there was anything such as a moderators’ meeting, it would be an honor to buy you a drink. I’ve enjoyed your writing in AR, you and Becky made Route 66 come alive when we took it last winter, and I enjoy each of your road adventures. You are the model Road Voyager!

 

That and two bits used to buy a cup of coffee, but no more! :P

 

Keep the Show on the Road!!

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KTSOTR,

 

Wow! Thanks for posting those images, Your Moderatorship! They will be very helpful as we make this trip. I'll be interested to see whether we cross the railroad at all the places indicated as we drive what I believe to be the old road.

 

I had heard that the Indiana and Illinois portions of the National Road were never very good as funding ran out. I chuckled when I read on these images that this road was considered poor, with one section full of chuckholes!

 

I can see that my life is not going to be complete until I get myself some of these guide books.

 

BTW, I did a more detailed review of the satellite maps this weekend and saw lots of places where the current US 40 appears to be just yards away from the old Natl. Rd. (also labeled the Cumberland Rd.). Some of it appears to be officially drivable, some of it does not. Here's an example.

 

40example.jpg

 

Moderating would be fun, but I am pretty new around here and I do have a plate that's 120% full already; things keep rolling off it. (Like now. Because I chose to answer this post now, I will be 15 minutes late to work.) So let me continue to enjoy this ride for now. I'm so glad you enjoy my contributions. I'm more glad to find others of like mind.

 

jim

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It looks like you should have a great trip! Seeing a strip that ends at a river or stream like you show is always inviting. Maybe the remnants of a bridge, a dugway, or even a bridge are still there.

 

One reason Searight didn't treat the National Road west of the state line was he said it just disappeared into the prairie. He attributed that to the rise of the railroads, and therefore a lack of need for the road. That, by the way, is a common historical footnote.

 

I have to go off topic a second and reflect on your software testing. In my immediate post college days I worked for IBM and was a marketing rep and a systems engineer. This was in the days of the “big iron,” the 700 series, 1401, 1440, and the first 360’s (that tells you how ancient I am!). Software testing back then was run it, debug it, patch it, and do it again, and again, often with your source code in a card deck. I spent a whole summer trying to get a payroll program to run in the 8K core memory of an 1130! Heck, one of your alignment photos alone would take up 10 times that much memory today!

 

I have somewhere around a great older book on US 40, but like all my other stuff, it is a voyage of discovery to find it. If I do, I’ll see what it has to say about the section you are traveling on the 7th.

 

Keep the Show on the Road

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  • 5 months later...
...What this suggests to me is that this is directing drivers to branch off at where Rockville Ave. branches off, since it involves going under the RR, not at Rockville Road, which avoids it altogether. Maybe Rockville Road didn't exist then? That idea excites me. It looks kind of "tacked on," after all, on the satellite map....

I think you've got it. Have you been on Rockville Avenue under that bridge? Pretty cool. One of the pages you linked to earlier at the FHWA shows this to be correct:

PPOO - Indianapolis to Chrisman You can see that this map shows both the PPOO and the railroad. You can watch Washington Street cross the railroad and then Rockville branch off and cross the railroad back again. You can even see the stub at that intersection of Holt Road. Pretty cool.

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I think you've got it. Have you been on Rockville Avenue under that bridge? Pretty cool. One of the pages you linked to earlier at the FHWA shows this to be correct:

PPOO - Indianapolis to Chrisman You can see that this map shows both the PPOO and the railroad. You can watch Washington Street cross the railroad and then Rockville branch off and cross the railroad back again. You can even see the stub at that intersection of Holt Road. Pretty cool.

 

Chris,

First of all, :welcome: Looks like we have yet another Hoosier and Indy metro member on here! Thanks for bringing this post back up. After I re-read the thread from the beginning, it clicked. I must've slept through part of this, because this is a very cool find. I drive through this section daily on Holt Road. I think a little side trip on my way home tonight is in order to check out this Rockville Ave. alignment. After looking at the PPOO map and a current satellite image, I put it all together (yeah, I'm a little slow that way!).

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Thanks for the welcome! I'll write something up in the near future to add to the "introductions" thread...

 

I did enjoy your photos of sites along the old highway alignments inside 465 in the "In The Loop" gallery. I did want to ask you further about the photo taken at what looks like Southeastern Avenue looking Northwest at the intersection with English and Rural... Your comment said "Old US 421: Intersection approaching downtown from the southeast. 421 angles left at this point and shares pavement with old US 52 (coming in from the right)." I wasn't sure what you meant by "421 angles left". Did that mean that 421 turned off of Southeastern onto English? I had always thought 421 kept straight up Southeastern until it hit Washington.

 

Also, that traffic light is horrible because of the 6-way intersection. I came through that way yesterday morning during the "big" snowstorm and it took 3 or 4 cycles to get through that stop light. Other than that, Southeastern isn't such a bad way to get downtown.

 

Chris

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I think you've got it. Have you been on Rockville Avenue under that bridge? Pretty cool. One of the pages you linked to earlier at the FHWA shows this to be correct:

PPOO - Indianapolis to Chrisman You can see that this map shows both the PPOO and the railroad. You can watch Washington Street cross the railroad and then Rockville branch off and cross the railroad back again. You can even see the stub at that intersection of Holt Road. Pretty cool.

 

Great catch, Chris! And welcome to the AR forum! I've driven through that area any number of times but not with my eyes open, if you kwim. I sure will next time.

 

jim

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Great catch, Chris! And welcome to the AR forum! I've driven through that area any number of times but not with my eyes open, if you kwim. I sure will next time.

 

jim

 

Chris,

 

WELCOME! You have joined a group of "roadies" with varied interests and many talents. Just about any subject dealing with two lane travel is covered.

 

We look foward to your continued participation!

 

Would the 1916 turn by turn directions for the Rockville alignment be useful or interesting? Mobilene probably has some from that period in his Automoblie Blue Books and I have the TIB Route Book info. Boy, there were lots of covered bridges described, and one at or very near the site you are discussing!

 

Anyway, WELCOME!

 

Keep the Show on the Road! Dave

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Thanks for the welcome! I'll write something up in the near future to add to the "introductions" thread...

 

I did enjoy your photos of sites along the old highway alignments inside 465 in the "In The Loop" gallery. I did want to ask you further about the photo taken at what looks like Southeastern Avenue looking Northwest at the intersection with English and Rural... Your comment said "Old US 421: Intersection approaching downtown from the southeast. 421 angles left at this point and shares pavement with old US 52 (coming in from the right)." I wasn't sure what you meant by "421 angles left". Did that mean that 421 turned off of Southeastern onto English? I had always thought 421 kept straight up Southeastern until it hit Washington.

 

Also, that traffic light is horrible because of the 6-way intersection. I came through that way yesterday morning during the "big" snowstorm and it took 3 or 4 cycles to get through that stop light. Other than that, Southeastern isn't such a bad way to get downtown.

 

Chris

 

You are correct! My editor had the day off that day. :lol: Once I read the description and looked at the satellite image, I realized what I was trying to say, but it didn't look that way! I think I chose that wording "angle left" so one wouldn't "angle right" and head north on Rural Street.

 

Just out of curiosity, is that a red Matrix in your avatar??

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Just out of curiosity, is that a red Matrix in your avatar??

Yes! It's our 2003 Matrix on US 16 heading west through Tensleep Canyon, west of Buffalo, Wyoming on our way to Yellowstone. This canyon is beautiful. My wife still talks about how amazing it was to drive through.

 

We've got 102K miles on the Matrix now--on different trips we've taken it from Indianapolis as far as Portland, Oregon; San Antonio, Texas; Key West, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's been a great little car.

 

Chris

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My little red 03 Matrix just rolled over 70k. I'm hearing the noise of a throwout bearing that is nearing the end of its life, which usually means it's time for a new clutch, too. Whee. Oh, and I have lost six wheel covers now. Toyota charges $80 apiece for them. I've finally decided I should just put $80 rims on the car and be done with it!

 

But the car has been great for my road trips because it's easy to maneuver in tight spaces, and believe me on some old alignments the spaces get mighty tight. It also holds whatever gear I need to take, including a small step ladder for those times when I want to get some elevation to take a photo.

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Wow, you guys have real Matrices. I've just got a Sears Matrix and it's not even the right color. :(

 

But I still like my Vibe just fine. 60,000 miles and it's been nowhere near Yellowstone or Oregon but it has seen Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Missouri, and a few points in between. And I have slept in it.

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Wow, you guys have real Matrices. I've just got a Sears Matrix and it's not even the right color. :(

 

But I still like my Vibe just fine. 60,000 miles and it's been nowhere near Yellowstone or Oregon but it has seen Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Missouri, and a few points in between. And I have slept in it.

Haven't had major trouble with the Matrix yet--it's hard to start some of these cold mornings, though. I had to replace the brakes around 90,000. The rubber gasket on the driver's window is worthless--had it replaced under warranty and it's all torn up again. Never lost a wheel cover, though!

 

I do wish it had a larger trunk though. For my family of four to travel, I have to install the roof rack to hold our suitcases. That cuts the gas mileage quite a bit.

 

My other car is a 2000 Echo. I'm addicted to Toyotas, having also had over the years 3 Corollas, a Tercel and a pickup.

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What commonality! Very interesting information on US 36. When I bought my first brand new car, a 1966 Corvair, the first thing I did was drive straight west from Indianapolis to Rockville and stumbled onto the covered wooden bridges that I knew nothing about. It was a pleasant surprise. I ended up chasing around the whole day trying to find them all in Parke County. :D

 

Last October we picked up US 36 east of Rockville and stayed on it till Springfield, IL. It couldn't be straighter and flatter east of Decatur. The corn harvest was going full blast and grain elevators can no longer hold it all. Corn was spread out in huge cones. Some exposed and some under cover.

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  • 1 month later...
My little red 03 Matrix just rolled over 70k. I'm hearing the noise of a throwout bearing that is nearing the end of its life, which usually means it's time for a new clutch, too. Whee. Oh, and I have lost six wheel covers now. Toyota charges $80 apiece for them. I've finally decided I should just put $80 rims on the car and be done with it!

Why did you have to say that about wheel covers! We hadn't lost any until my wife lost our first one this week. I hope your premonition about your clutch is not contagious, also. I don't want any problems like that. As far as the wheel cover, I don't think I'm ready to shell out $80... not sure what I'll do yet, if anything. Hey, if you get those rims, I might be in the market for some "used" wheel covers from you.

 

Chris

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