The Argos Branch Railroad is a CSS&SB subsidiary that operates the (owned by Warren County, Indiana) Walkerton to Rochester section of the ex-NKP’s Michigan City to Indianapolis line. The CSS&SB purchased the operating rights on this line in 2018, and has been operating it as a diesel-powered shortline since then.
In 2027, though, the decision was made to electrify it and start operating it as an extension of the CSS&SB’s line through La Porte (also part of the x-NKP’s Michigan City to Indianapolis line) and work is now being done to relay track on the unused section of line between Walkerton & the end of the CSS&SB’s line east of the old Kingsbury Ordance Plant, while line crews are installing line poles on the rest of the 40 mile branch.
Argos Branch motive power
When the CSS&SB started operating the Argos Branch, the TdM shops provided two rebuilt RS-3 that had been rescued from a scrapper years before, but which had been set aside as parts units. These two units retained their original Alco 244 prime movers (remanufactured to 244H specs when the CSS&SB requested power for this separated branch) but have their old DC transmission replaced with a more modern AC drivetrain.
Initially, only one of the RS-3s operated at a time, with the other being kept as a backup unit for when the first one needed to be serviced, but by 2023 traffic levels had come up to the point where both units were needed at all times.
| ABXR number | type | builder | built | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | RS-3 | ALCO-GE | 1952 | ex-Penn Central #5539 |
| 1001 | RS-3 | ALCO-GE | 1953 | ex-Penn Central #5488 |