# Beech Grove Tour



## MrFSS (Nov 12, 2006)

In celebration of the City of Beech Grove’s 100th anniversary, Amtrak opened their repair facility for public tours on 11/11/06. The place was originally built in 1906/07 and was the New York Central Engine Repair facility.

NYC paid $5 Million for 640 acres of land about 6 miles SE of downtown Indianapolis, IN. They say there was a large stand of trees nearby and hence the name, Beech Grove.

As happens, the city sprang up around the repair shops which were built to handle 48 engines inside at the same time. It was once known as the “Largest Locomotive Hospital in the World.”

Today it is the repair facility for Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) and the size is down to about 100 acres.

More information about the history of the shops is in with the pictures at the site mentioned below.

There are several different buildings where various types of repairs are carried out. We were only allowed in the engine shop. They had brought in a recently renovated coach that everyone could walk through, but we weren't’t allowed in any of the other buildings where cars are repaired, trimmed and painted. Several of us were interested in seeing a new diner-lounge, but they wouldn’t even talk about them.

We were able to see a Parlor Car sitting inside the main gate area and it was completely stripped of all paint and markings. Again, no word on how many others of these were on the property.

Here are a few pictures. All of them I took can be seen at this *LINK*

If anyone has a question, I’d be happy to try and answer.












Plugs at every seat!































Jim is the Beech Grove Safety Manager and our Tour Guide


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## battalion51 (Nov 12, 2006)

Great pictures Tom!


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## MrFSS (Nov 12, 2006)

battalion51 said:


> Great pictures Tom!


Thanks!!


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## CA Amtrak (May 20, 2007)

It is possible to get a tour of the Beech Grove Repair Facility? My family makes a yearly trip to South Bend, IN, and this time, we are driving from the Southern part of Illinois going north through Indiana. If we can get this tour, we can loop down to Beech Grove via I-465 and take a tour.

Thanks.


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## MrFSS (May 20, 2007)

CA Amtrak said:


> It is possible to get a tour of the Beech Grove Repair Facility? My family makes a yearly trip to South Bend, IN, and this time, we are driving from the Southern part of Illinois going north through Indiana. If we can get this tour, we can loop down to Beech Grove via I-465 and take a tour. Thanks.


Not usually. They have only opened the place to special groups. NARP got in last year and I was there when Beech Grove was celebrating its centennial. I have been there a few times by myself and they allow me to take pictures from outside the fence, but that's about it.
I suppose if we had a large group of folks from this forum and asked, they might give us a tour, but trying to get a bunch of us to Indy would be a chore.


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## Sam Damon (May 20, 2007)

Maybe what we should do is to make the gathering of AU forum members at Indianapolis... which would give us an excuse to have a tour of the Beech Grove shops!

I agree, however, with Mr. FSS's assessment of trying to get a bunch of us to Indy. If only we had the money to charter a train...


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## CA Amtrak (May 20, 2007)

MrFSS said:


> CA Amtrak said:
> 
> 
> > It is possible to get a tour of the Beech Grove Repair Facility? My family makes a yearly trip to South Bend, IN, and this time, we are driving from the Southern part of Illinois going north through Indiana. If we can get this tour, we can loop down to Beech Grove via I-465 and take a tour.
> ...


Thanks for telling me.


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