NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — BP’s Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Ind., has donated a sanding tower once used by the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, solving the museum’s problem in sanding four larger locomotives recently added to its collection.
The tower had been built in 1954. Museum member John Eagan contacted the refinery and requested it be declared surplus equipment and donated in furtherance of the museum’s mission to educate the public on how railroads operate.
“Whiting Refinery turns 134 in June,” said Donnie Brown, vice president, refining, for the Whiting Refinery. “It isn’t surprising to find antiques spanning the last century. It’s great to be able to preserve a pice used to support our refining business.”
The tower will be dismantled, with its parts marked to aid in reassembly, then transported more than 60 miles to North Judson to be cleaned, painted, and reassembled in working order.
The museum offers diesel and steam train excursions. It is about 90 minutes from downtown Chicago and two hours from Indianapolis. More information is available at its website.
