A Transformational Year Reviving Indiana's Electric Railway Heritage
Your support makes history accessible for future generations
Dear Friends,
This has been an exceptional year.
At the start of 2025, we anticipated celebrating Union Traction No. 429’s 100th anniversary as we continue the top-down revival of this rare and noteworthy Hoosier icon. We did not expect the remarkable support, recognition, and momentum that would bring us so close to completing one of Indiana’s most significant transportation preservation projects for future generations to learn from and enjoy as part of Indiana’s electric heritage railroad project.
A $100,000 Grant Changes Everything - Reviving One of Indiana’s Last Interurbans
In September, the Indiana Historical Society awarded the Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company a $100,000 Heritage Support Grant, the largest in our organization's history.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for our organization. Made possible by Lilly Endowment, Inc., this transformative investment will bring No. 429 to 95% completion, funding the critical interior and structural work we've been working toward for years: windows, seats, flooring, lighting, roof restoration, and exterior paint in the original Union Traction red livery with gold lettering and a green canvas roof.
This grant is more than financial support. It affirms that Indiana’s electric railway story is essential, that preserving the technology that once served nine million Hoosiers each year, along with the stories of their lives changed for the better, is valuable, and that our dedicated team can deliver impactful results for the community.
When passengers board No. 429 for its first public rides, they will experience the same elegance and innovation that connected Indiana’s cities and rural communities a century ago. They will sit on period-appropriate seats restored and recreated 1920s light fixtures, look through the windows at rolling Indiana landscape, and gain a unique understanding of how electric railways advanced our state’s transition from pioneer life to industrialization, all while bringing Hoosiers together to support local communities and small businesses - much like they did a century ago. No detail spared, the experience will be truly authentic in recreating an everyday scene from 1920s and 1930s Indiana.
That moment is now within reach, and your support can help us achieve it.
Heritage Support Grants are provided by the Indiana Historical Society and made possible by Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Your Gift Goes Further This Giving Season
To unlock the full power of the IHS Heritage Support Grant, we need to raise $15,000 in matching funds.
Thanks to this matching opportunity, your gift will be amplified more than sevenfold.
Give $50 → $384 Impact
Give $100 → $767 Impact
This level of leverage is rare in philanthropy. Your generosity not only supports our work but also unlocks significant investment in preserving Indiana’s heritage.
Give today to help preserve Hoosier history for education, placemaking, and community development.
2025 - A Year of Momentum
The IHS grant capped a year of milestones that demonstrate Indiana’s readiness to embrace its electric railway heritage:
Record-Breaking Community Response:
This October, more than 150 guests from multiple states attended our fall open house, setting a new attendance record. Visitors explored No. 429's partially restored interior, witnessed the car move under its own power, and celebrated the interurban's centennial birthday. They also discovered other treasures from our collection, like our 1898-built wooden Singer sewing machine locomotive from South Bend.
100 Years of Union Traction Interurban No. 429:
Built in 1925 by the St. Louis Car Company, Union Traction No. 429 "Noblesville" turned 100 this year. After serving Hoosiers on high-speed routes between Indiana cities and spending decades as a gravel pit office, this interurban has endured against the odds. As we approach the completion of its restoration, No. 429 is poised to introduce new generations to what was once the world’s most extensive electric railway network.
Heritage Grant from the National Railway Historical Society:
Earlier this summer, the National Railway Historical Society awarded a nearly $5,000 grant to complete the woodwork on Union Traction interurban no. 429, including window sills, doors, and trim. While much of the wood has been preserved, this grant will provide us with the tools and materials for long-term woodworking, seal the interurban’s interior, and complete the final steps required before windows, flooring, and seats.
Indiana Takes Notice:
WFYI PBS featured our organization in their Across Indiana series, sharing our mission with viewers across the state. "Before the internet, cars, and interstates, trains and trolleys were the kings of connection," the program noted, highlighting how we are revitalizing these historic trolleys as an interactive museum. Watch the documentary here.
Watch the feature on Across Indiana.
A New Exhibit at the Indiana History Center:
The Indiana Historical Society opened The Electric Railway: Indiana’s Interurbans at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center this year, and we were honored to collaborate. We contributed expertise, artifacts, and production support for an immersive experience that includes a recreated interurban station and a multi-sensory "ride" aboard a recreated interurban car. The exhibit demonstrates why Indiana, with more than 1,800 miles of interurban railroad, was central to our state’s industrialization. Experience the exhibit yourself in Downtown Indianapolis through August 2026.
Hoosier Heartland Trolley Co. collaborated with the Indiana Historical Society and Illinois Railway Museum to bring the virtual interurban ride to life.
Growing Our Volunteer Team:
New volunteers joined us this year, bringing fresh energy, skills, and passion to our restoration and outreach efforts. From refinishing century-old mahogany trim to supporting community events, our volunteers are the driving force behind our organization.
Holiday Magic at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt:
We have returned to the German holiday market, bringing holiday joy to more than 475,000 visitors through Christmas Eve. Our volunteers created a German LGB garden railroad display that has become a cherished regional tradition. Located across from the Palladium, children and families can learn about the history of Carmel and Central Indiana’s electric interurban trains while enjoying the festive season.
Make Your Year-End Gift Today
We are very close to completing this monumental restoration. The $100,000 IHS Heritage Support Grant has opened the door. Now we need $15,000 in matching funds to move forward.
Amplify your impact to complete the revival of Union Traction interurban No. 429 more than 7x thanks to matching grants! Make a year-end, tax-deductible gift!
Give $50 → $384 Impact Give $100 → $767 Impact
Give today online or by mail to revive Hoosier history for education, placemaking, and community development.
You may also mail a check to Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company or visit us at Christkindlmarkt, where a donation of $3 or more activates the model Holly Jolly Trolley train display for families.
Donation Mailing Address:
PO Box 185
Russiaville, IN 46979
Thank you for supporting our mission and for investing in Indiana’s history - we’re making sure but steady progress, and we hope our work makes you as proud of our Hoosier heritage as it does us.
Together, we will #Electrify429.
With gratitude,
Cameron Nichols, President
Austin Mace, Vice President
Lavonne Stage, Collections Chair & Secretary
Jakob Stage, Chief Mechanical Officer & Treasurer
Matthew Kertes, Director
Michelle Yerkeson, Volunteer Services Manager & Safety Coordinator
Aaron Hutchinson, Community Engagement Coordinator
The Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company Team