Description: The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum has successfully saved Grasselli Tower in East Chicago, Indiana and is now working on refurbishing the old railroad tower.
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The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Indiana was given the opportunity by the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company to acquire a very unique piece of railroad history - Grasselli Tower in East Chicago. The IHB decommissioned the tower during the later part of 2007 and promptly offered the tower to the HVRM. Grasselli was one of the last remaining railroad towers in Northern Indiana.
The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum worked quickly to preserve this piece of American history and we couldn't have done it without the help of museum volunteers and many monetary donations! The total cost to move Grasselli Tower to North Judson and preserve this amazing example of early railroad technology was just over $55,000 (slightly above our original budget estimates of $50k).
Nickel Plate Road 765 rolls past Grasselli Tower with an members-only excursion train at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson on Friday, May 22, 2009. The tower is currently being refurbished by museum volunteers and will become the jewel of the HVRM Signal Department. Photo by Fred Boyer