At Porter/CP 482 (MP 482.2), is the junction where the erstwhile Michigan Central line heads away northeast, with a flat crossing as well as the northwest quadrant connector, and the erstwhile Pere Marquette line also turns away east-northeast and then northeast, east of the MC line. East of the industrialized area, ending at Porter/Michigan City, the remainder of Indiana and into western Ohio is farmland that, while very similar to that west of Chicago, in Illinois, is also subtly different in ways that I can't quite put my finger on.
From Porter, the Double Track, Rule 261 (current-of-traffic) line heads just south of due east, past a 5,270 ft. siding at Chesterton (MP 481.1), with speed limit rising from 70-60-50 to 79-70-60-50 at MP 480.9, a grade crossing, a restaurant incorporating heavyweight passenger cars on the north side, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 479, dual road bridges overhead, two grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 477, detectors at "Burdick" (MP 476.8), three grade crossings, a grade crossing just west of Intermediate Signals at MP 474.1, a speed limit reduction to 75-70-60-50 between MP 474 and MP 470.4, a dirt track grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at Otis (MP 473.4), where the original Monon line once crossed at grade and the line turns curvily east, a grade crossing, a bridge over a road, a grade crossing just west of Intermediate Signals at MP 471, dual road bridges overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 469, detectors at "Pinola" (MP 468.7), two grade crossings, Pinola (MP 467.5), crossovers at CP 466 (MP 466.6), a speed limit reduction to 70-60-50 at MP 465.5 (Intermediate Signals MP 465.x), two grade crossings, a bridge over a road, and a 13,475 ft. siding at Judd (MP 463.8), where a Pere Marquette line once crossed at grade.
The line turns northeast, past two grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at La Porte (MP 463.4), an old brick depot on the south side, a connector, leaving at La Porte, in the south quadrant of a flat crossing with NS (former Lake Erie & Western), and crossovers at CP Wire (MP 462.4), with three grade crossings in between, signals to the east of the flat crossing, a return to 79-70-60-50 speed at MP 462, two road bridges overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 460.x, a bridge over a stream, detectors at "Rolling Prairie" (MP 458.2), a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, two grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, silos on the north side, Intermediate Signals at MP 455.x, a grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 452.x, a grade crossing, and a bridge over a road.
The line turns due east along the south side of the South Shore line, past New Carlisle (MP 450.1), a grade crossing, spurs on the south side serving I/N Tek Steel, crossovers at CP 448 (MP 448.6), with a bridge over a road in between the crossovers, rail-served silos on the north side, Terre Coupee (MP 448.4), Intermediate Signals at MP 448.1, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 446.x, a former crossing with the Michigan Central, two grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, a former bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 444.1, Lydick (MP 443.7), two grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 442.1, detectors at "Lydick" (MP 441.9), a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 440.1, a grade crossing, a wide road bridge overhead, a road bridge overhead, a reduction in speeds to 70-60-50 at Intermediate Signals at MP 439, the South Shore line still alongside to the north (but about to move away), and a curve east-southeast to the passenger station (depot below on the north side) up on an embankment at South Bend (MP 438.5), that also once served the South Shore line.
There is a speed limit of 35 mph starting at MP 438, a former Michigan Central spur on the north side that now serves the Notre Dame University Power Plant, two grade crossings, a bridge over a road, the former GTW line trails in from the west-southwest, at the west end of the 6,000 ft. siding at Bend (MP 436.9), with two bridges over road within the siding, the former Union Station (on the north side of the line), four bridges over roads, and High Street (MP 435.x), where the former GTW line departs to the northeast with the main line turning east along the south side of the St. Joseph River, past a bridge over a road just east of the junction, a signal bridge, a grade crossing, a bridge over a road, four grade crossings, and a bridge over a divided road.
The speed limit reverts to 70-60-50 at MP 434.6, past Mishawaka (MP 432.7), and to 79-70-60-50 at MP 432, past a grade crossing just west of Intermediate Signals and dragging equipment detectors at "Mishawaka" (MP 431.1), three grade crossings, a grade crossing just west of Intermediate Signals at MP 429.1, Osceola, three grade crossings, a fall of speeds to 70-60-50 at MP 427,crossovers at CP 426 (MP 426.4), a road alongside to the north, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, the west end of the huge Elkhart Yard now lying along the south side of the line, a return to speeds of 79-70-60-50 from MP 426 to MP 422.7, speed limits of 60-50 between MP 422.7 and CP 421, a curve east-northeast, a road alongside to the north, a bridge over a road, crossovers at CP 423 (MP 422.5), with a single pole carrying three searchlights at the east end, the east end of the yard, where there is a 7,920 ft. siding, a bridge over a road, Intermediate Signals at MP 422, the passenger station (brick depot on the north side) at Elkhart (MP 421.6), for a city which is the home of musical instrument manufacturers, a viewing platform on the south side, a signal bridge, a grade crossing with a north-south street, and the crossovers, with a grade crossing over a north-south street between the crossovers, at CP 421 (MP 421.5), at the east end of which a spur of the former Big Four line heads north, a line to Kalamazoo and to Fort Wayne Junction continues ahead, and the main line turns south-southeast.
Eastbound passenger trains pass though this area in evening twilight or darkness, with only portions of the industrialized zone and far western Indiana seen in daylight, if at all.