MONON BOARD
MONON Trains => Freight trains => Topic started by: Kevin Ruble on August 22, 2016, 03:19:51 pm
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Attached is a photo I've viewed probably a dozen times without ever noticing the obvious visitor in the consist. According to the caption, this is train 73 at the ballast switch in May of 1969 with three Monon C420s and L&N GP30 1019 in the consist. How common was this practice of having L&N units on Monon freights in the late 60s, well before the L&N merger? Did units ever show up from Southern, or perhaps L&N affiliates like SCL?
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Was this at the south end of McDoel?
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No Bob, Ballast was just south of Lafayette Jct. / Ron
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Kevin and all, photographic evidence from the files of both Ron Flannery and Steve Dolzall indicate that some mixing of Monon - L&N units before the merger did happen (although rarely), and of course after the merger was commonplace, particularly in the coal fields. I personally never remember running or seeing any of the mixed consists, so this photo was new to me. Thank you for posting it. Another interesting piece added to the historic Monon archives. / Ron
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I have train movement sheets from Haskells and L&N GP30s came up the Michigan City Branch several times in 1969.
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Is Ballast north of the Wabash RR underpass? I grew up in Lafayette, but never heard of Ballast. Thanks!
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Bob, the S/E of Lafayette Jct. siding is MP 122.4, Wabash bridge 122.7, Ballast spur switch 125.0 and N/E Taylor 126.5. Please see attached profile sheet. In my lifetime there was a short spur track there. I had heard that at one time there was either a small crushed stone quarry there, or at least a facility where they loaded crushed stone. The name would imply that this stone was used on the Monon RR for Ballast. / Ron
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Thanks guys, great info! Actually, I had already purchased my HO scale GP30 in L&N colors on eBay before I saw your answers. ;)
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I searched my archives and found on March 16 through March 19, 1969 L&N 1018 & L&N 1024 worked Trains 56/57 on the Michigan City Branch.