1964 Monon #6 in Dyer

[Chuck Stewart]

Just watched a Top Frog Volume 4 video on passenger trains.  They had a short clip of northbound Thoroughbred #6 going through Dyer.  Lead unit was #204 but the second unit was a B unit with an F7 style grille.  I’ve been told the Monon never owned any B units and no F7’s.  Any ideas on what was going on?

[Justin Asbery]

Chuck,

They did have B units. I believe the one you are referring to was one of the units that was rebuilt after the Ash Grove wreck with F7 type grilles.

Justin

[Ron Marquardt]

I don't know about the grills, but this may be the only photo you'll ever see with all five B units lined up in a row.  Dated June 1964, this is after the Ash Grove wreck.  This is a crop from a photo in the Terry Hand collection, photographer unknown.  / Ron

[Mike Albert]

The only Monon F units that had F7 style grills, were numbers 202 (ex 81B) and 203 (ex82A), which received them after the September 17, 1951 wreck at Monon. 

[Chuck Stewart]

Thanks guys and great photo, Ron.  I watched the video clip again last night and immediately noticed the F3’s three round windows.  And just to clarify, all of Monon’s B units were rebuilt A units…no B units purchased new from EMD?

[Ron Marquardt]

No Chuck, they were all purchased as B units, and I believe as part of A-B-A sets.  Steve can give us more particulars on how the sets were purchased.  / Ron

[Steve Dolzall]

Orginally, the Monon purchased four F-3B units, nos. 61C, 62C, 63C, and 64C. The 64C was wrecked at Ash Grove on 6/3/47 and scrapped. A replacement unit, 64C 2nd arrived in 9/47.  Following the Ash Grove wreck, the Monon acquired the EMD F-3 A-B-A Demonstrator set number 754. The A units became  85A & 85B while the B-unit became 65C. The 65C was the only Monon B-unit equipped with a steam generator for passenger service. All of the F-3 B-units were renumbered into the 300 series in October, 1962.

Steve

[Robert Gibson]

85A and 85B were painted in the gold and black when acquired and only had one headlight.

[Chuck Stewart]

Thanks, again, guys.  Allow me one more stupid question.  All the B units pictured here are in the black and gold freight colors.  Steve stated only one B unit had a steam generator.  Were any B units in the passenger colors?  Steve: the painting on the cover jacket of your most excellent book, and the photo on page "202", sure show what appears to be a passenger B unit.
I guess my next project will be to find an HO passenger B unit to go with Atheran Genesis A units....

[Steve Dolzall]

All the Monon F-3B units were painted in the black and gold scheme for their entire lifetimes on the railroad. The trailing unit in the photo on page 202 is also an F-3A. The set is 81A & 81B. At the time of the photo, the A-units did not carry their A or B prefix in the numberboards. If you look at page 135 of the book, the 5th locomotive back in the photo at the top of the page is the Monon's lone steam generator equipped F-3B.  Stewart, now Bowser, makes a HO scale F-3B like those purcased by the Monon.

Steve

[Chuck Stewart]

Thanks, Steve.  I am jealous of your knowledge!  In the photo on page 202, and even more so on the painting, there doesn't appear to be enough room for the cab!  But, upon further examination, I can see the longer handrails leading to the cab.
When I was looking earlier, I did find a DC Intermountain Monon F3 B in stock at Walthers but the sound unit (85-49611S) was unavailable.
Hope to meet you someday...perhaps at the convention in Indy....
Thanks again to everybody!

[Robert Gibson]

This might be the demonstrator set of F-3 units that the Monon purchased and numbered 85A, 85B and 65C.

[Steve Dolzall]

Yes, that is the 754 EMD demonstrator set aquired by the Monon. The A-units were numbered 754A1 & 754A2 both were built in 9/46. The B-unit was numbered 754B1 and was actually built in 7/45. The B-unit was orginally part of an EMD A-B-B-A preporoduction F-3 demonstrator set numbered 291A1-291B1-291B2-291A1. On [not allowed]mas Day 1946 the 291A2 & 291B2 were involved in a head on collision at Randolph, Minn. while on the CGW. The A-unit 291A2 was scrapped while the B-unit, 291B2 was rebuilt to become EMD 754B1 and later Monon 65C.

Steve

[Mike Aufderheide]

My latest issue of Classic Trains magazine arrived yesterday with the entire issue dedicated to F units.  There is a small photo Monon #107 and quite a bit of coverage on the EMD demonstration units.  The ones they show are earlier, from 1945, so not the Monon units.  Very interesting articles, especially about the delivery to the railroads and the instruction for the crews.  It is easy to understand why accidents like Ash Grove happened.  Completely different animal.

Mike Aufderheide