MRHTS October 2014 calendar photo

[Stew Winstandley]

On Wednesday, when you change your Society's calendar to the October photo of GM 103 FT in Bloomington, one of the A & and one of the B units are now in the St. Louis museum, as recently delivered from Chattanooga by the Norfolk Southern.  Attached is an official NS photo taken after painting in Chattanooga, and ones I took this past May in Spencer, N.C.  It looked pretty good to me before it went into the paint shop. The Monon photo is from 1940, and the FTs were first built 75 years ago.

Stew

[Stew Winstandley]

The November 2014 issue of TRAINS magazine has a map on pages 66 and 67 showing the railroads on which the FT 103 was demonstrated.  The Monon between Chicago and Louisville is on the map, but with no comment about the trips on the line.  Among the interesting facts: "In 1940 diesel fuel was $.0436 per gallon",  and "FT side window crank handles were the same as those used on most General Motors automobiles."

Stew

[Steve Dolzall]

The August 2012 issue of The Hoosier Line has a detailed article covering the demonstrators tour on the Monon.

Steve

[Ron Marquardt]

Yes, and the only known picture of the demonstrators on the Monon, N/B at Bloomington, through the lens of Joe Bennett.  / Ron