anyone need a turntable? This is up for grabs apparently! Citizens Energy desperately wants this off their property and would be more than happy to either donate it to a rail preservation organization that could repurpose it

this is the last of the train turntables in Indiana. Its 90' long, 7' wide and weighs about 50 tons. 

It came from a piece of property in Indianapolis, that might’ve been the former B&O State Street from Indianapolis, as they intended to save the whole property but it was purchased by Ashland Oil Co.

They were going to put an asphalt plant on the property and had no use for the turntable.

The Indiana Transportation Museum said it is an important part of history,  as it is needed to turn around the steam engine it was designed to service, the 587, and kept it  but never ended up using it. 

They were wanting to put the turntable by Union Station. This turntable (of B&O heritage I believe) was purchased by former ITM member Craig Presler and was supposed to be installed near the Fairgrounds, to allow for 587 to be turned.

Also, a turntable was also going to be installed in Forest Park, so 587 could be turned at both ends of the line. The turntable to be installed in Forest Park was to be the NKP Frankfort Roundhouse turntable (purchased by ITM in the 1990s.) 

The reason it was never installed (supposedly) was it was deemed too short to fit 587 on it. Nevertheless, it was left by the Fairgrounds to be installed (which never happened.) It has been down by the Fairgrounds since at least 1998 or so. 

So as I understand matters, the Fairgrounds turntable and the NKP Frankfort Roundhouse turntable, are both in the same boat at this point.

part of the reason why ITM bought the NKP Frankfort Roundhouse turntable was because they intended on moving their museum to the Frankfort Roundhouse in the 1990s. However, those plans were never realized.

The museum is now defunct, administratively dissolved by the Indiana Secretary of State in 2023, and the turntable was stored around Fall Creek. 

Unsure whose ownership it actually fell into after the seizure of their equipment and dissolution of the nonprofit, however according to the public notice it’s yet to be claimed by any entity.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2321915561565328&set=pcb.24952457387789743

This might be the strangest thing you read this week. 

I am not wasting your time on boring stuff!

the latest rumor is that it's involved in a court case because it was abandoned on Indianapolis water companies property, and the rest of the track was pulled for a rails to trails project, cement was poured, this flatbed rail car it's on can't roll anywhere, so a 100 ton capable crane will need to be paid for to move this onto a heavy oversized load semi provided by a trucking outfit with a large enough trailer and all the permits for over the road transport. 

The actual rail car the turntable the railcar it's on, more than likely, would have to be scraped and then who ever would buy it probably would be required to remove the remaining rail, ties and ballast and possibly repair the land all of it's currently sitting on.