New Dearborn photo?

[Tim T Swan]

Found  this photo of a long MONON departing Dearborn as the Photo of the Day on Classic Trains website.  Though similar to many others, I don't believe I've ever seen this one before.  Note no "Lee" ad on the background building, but black roofs on the F3's with letter suffixes on their numberboards.  I would say it's around 1950 or 1951.

The Classic Trains caption says it's the "Thoroughbred" but I wonder, given its unusual length and "foreign" cars mid-train.  Any ideas?  Maybe the day before the Derby?   /Tim

[Tom Kepshire]

What about a baseball special? I know the Monon ran an occasional baseball special. I have no specific data to support this, but just thinking out loud. It is a great photo. Thanks for posting it.

[George Lortz]

Almost all of the Dearborn photos appear to be taken from an elevated position over the tracks just outside the terminal entrance.  Was there an overpass or a pedestrian walkway across those tracks where photographers could stand?  If there was, I've never seen a photos of it.

George L.

[Robert Gibson]

Roosevelt Road overpass was a great place to watch trains Dearborn, Lasalle, and Union Station.

[Stew Winstandley]

There is an article in the July 2013 issue of TRAINS Magazine titled "Chicago's Legendary Roosevelt Road", pages 24 - 33.  There's a 1973 photograph of an empty Dearborn Station on page 29.

Stew

[Robert Wheeler]

Other observations on dating.

In additition to the black roofs and suffix on engine numbers are the two shades of grey instead of the later single grey top & bottom.

The multiple head end cars would indicate the Louisville train short shadows indicates an early afternoon departure such as #5 had in the late '40s-early '50s departure times. (roughly 1-2 pm).