I will be riding Amtrak's Cardinal from Chicago to DC next week. Last time I rode this route was in 1974. It was an Amtrak train then, but it had a different name--I think it was the George Washington. East of Cincinnati the route is, and always has been, the old C&O mainline to Washington DC. Between Chicago and Cincinnati, the route has varied over the years. When I rode it in 1974 it took an old C&O route via Richmond, Indiana. Now it runs via Indianapolis. The stops between Chicago and Cincinnati are Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville.

Now my question: what is the history of this route? Using a 1967 Official Guide of the Railways, I believe the route between Chicago and Crawfordsville is the former Monon Railway. Next segment, Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, is the former Peoria & Eastern Ry, a subsidiary of New York Central. Can anyone confirm if those two designations are correct?

The section between Indianapolis and Cincinnati is harder to figure out. The best I can determine is that this line through Connersville is an old B&O line that was freight-only in 1967. Does anyone know if this is correct, or if not correct, what the heritage of the Indianapolis-Cincinnati segment is?

Much gratitude in advance to anyone who can shed light on this question.