MONON BOARD
MONON Trains => Diesel Locomotives => Topic started by: George Lortz on January 05, 2013, 10:36:44 am
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I have been assembling a list of all the road numbers that the Monon assigned to its F3As over time. I realize that all the wrecks created a renumbering problem for them.
I've got photos of F3s numbered without an A or B designation. I'm assuming that the A and B were added after delivery from EMD. So far I've seen numbers 51, 63, 81, 82, 83 and 85. Were there engine numbers 52, 61, 62, 64, 65 and 84 also?
George L.
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George -- I have about 350 Monon diesel shots and I went thru them. I found some that may be of interest -- 51A&B as well as 81 thru 85 A&B. I will e-mail you direct with some of the photos but it will take some time.
Sharon
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George,
I have photos of #52;61;62;64;&84. #65 is listed in both Hilton and Dolzall as a "B unit" (65C). I also have 64A & 84, A&B. I think the A&B was added later in the 50's.
Roger Nulton
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Monon F3's #52A & 52B were delivered in 12/46 as a 3000 horsepower A-A locomotive set. In 11/47 the two A units were renumbered 65 A & B and married up with a F3 B-unit numbered 65C to become a 4500 horsepower A-B-A set. The B-unit, which was the Monon's only B-unit equipped with a steam generator, was orginally part of the EMD 754 A-B-A F3 demonstrator set. The two A-units from the demonstrator set became Monon 85A & 85B.
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Thanks for the clarification, Steve. Here's one of the shots that I have of #52
Roger
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Thanks, Roger.
In summary, it looks like the only locomotive number in question is #65. I'll continue to look for a photo of that particular (B) unit.
Thanks everyone,
George L.
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George,
I hope that you can find a #65 in black and gold, because I have one on my layout, and I don't know how I came up with the number, because now all that I can find is 65A!
Roger
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Y'all have just been looking in the wrong place. ;D I have an M.D. McCarter photo of the #65 in the Archives. Unfortunately it's an Archive Only print and I can't post it. Mr. McCarter is alive and well in Arizona the last I heard, and no doubt still has the photo for sale for anyone interested.
/ Ron
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Roger, the photo you just posted of F3 set #52 at South Hammond IS of the two units that would become #65A and B later in the year. Neat photo BTW--hadn't seen it before. Also beautiful model of #65.
Immediately after the disastrous Ash Grove wreck, EMD loaned an A-B-A demonstrator set to the MONON, which MONON bought sometime later (fall or winter 1947-48) to replace some of the totaled units. The A-units became dual-purpose set #85 (they had steam generators) and the B-unit #65C, (it also had a steam generator). It was teamed with the #52 set to become the new A-B-A set #65. Actually, it's even more complicated/confusing that that, but this is how it ended up.
George, until at least the last half of 1949, none of the A-units carried "A" or "B" on their numberboards, since the MONON up until about that time treated each A-A or A-B-A consist as single 3,000 or 4,500 hp locomotives. The was a common practice among railroads that were dieselized early, partly to get around the Brotherhood's manpower requirements back then. Plus, by then, it had become obvious that for better flexibility it was much more economical and efficient to break up such "sets" into their induvidual units and mix-and-match them as needed.
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Tim,
Yes it is confusing! I did think that the letters appeared on the numberboards after my era (1947-49) though. Apparently I got that part right. And Ron saved me once again re my #65 model.
Thanks guys, Roger
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Roger, here's a 1949 photo of A-B-A set #65 hauling a northward freight onto Bedford street trackage.
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It should be noted that while originally the numbers on the numberboards of the F units didn't designated an A or B designations, they had small numbers on the side of the unit near the rear with the number with an A or B designation (or C on the B units). I would supposed that would be for maintenance use as well as the accounting department.
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Thank you, Tim. I didn't have this one. The red nose herald was gone by 1949?! I have it on my model: that's why I'm now pegging my modeling era as '47-'49. I can include more things that I like <g>.
Roger
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Yeah, that red-and-white "lozenge" herald went away sometime in 1949 also, replaced by the black speed-lettered "MONON". The gold script The Hoosier Line" on the carbody sides also began disappearing around 1952, replaced by gold speed-lettered "MONON"'s. The Dolzall book had a great two-page photo showing a mix of the two in 1952.