Monon Railroad

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}{{Infobox rail

|railroad_name = Monon Railroad

|logo_filename = Monon Railroad_logo.png

|logo_size = 200

|logo_alt =

|system_map =

|map_caption =

|map_size =

|map_alt =

|image = Monon Railroad The Thoroughbred.JPG

|image_size =

|image_caption = A postcard depiction of the Thoroughbred, with an EMD F3 in the lead.

|image_alt =

|marks = CIL, MON

|locale = Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky

|start_year = {{Start date|1847}}

|end_year = {{End date|1971}}

|predecessor_line =

|successor_line = Louisville and Nashville

|gauge = {{RailGauge|ussg}}

|old_gauge =

|electrification =

|length =

|hq_city = Chicago, Illinois

|website =

}}

The Monon Railroad {{reporting mark|MON}}, also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway {{reporting mark|CIL}} from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1971, and much of the former Monon right of way is owned today by CSX Transportation.Historic Marker in Monon, erected by the Monon Historical Society, 1982 In 1970, it operated {{convert|540|mi}} of road on {{convert|792|mi}} of track; that year it reported 1320 million ton-miles of revenue freight and zero passenger-miles. (It also showed zero miles of double track, the longest such Class I railroad in the country.)

Timeline

File:Monon Connection Museum interior.png

1847: The New Albany and Salem Railroad (NA&S) is organized with James Brooks as president.
1854: The NA&S trackage stretches from the Ohio River (at New Albany) to Lake Michigan (at Michigan City).
1859: The overextended and struggling NA&S is renamed the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad (LNA&C).
April 30, 1865: The LNA&C becomes one of twenty railroads to haul Abraham Lincoln's funeral train, its portion being from Lafayette to Michigan City, Indiana.
1873: The LNA&C Railroad is reorganized as the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railway.
1881: The LNA&C consolidates with the Chicago and Indianapolis Air Line Railway, and the trackage of the new division is soon extended to reach into its namesake cities.
July 1, 1897: The LNA&C is reorganized as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway.
1932: The 300 pound (136 kg) Monon Bell is first presented as the trophy of the annual football game between DePauw University and Wabash College.
1946: John W. Barriger III becomes president of the Monon, bringing aggressive plans for modernization.
June 29, 1949: Final day of steam locomotive service, as the Monon becomes one of the first Class I railroads to fully convert to diesel motive power.{{cite web| url=http://www.monon.org/dieselization.html| title=One of the first| publisher= Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, Inc.| year=2012| access-date=June 29, 2015}}
January 11, 1956: The CI&L officially adopts its longtime nickname, Monon, as its corporate title.
1959: The Monon's passenger service between Chicago and Indianapolis is discontinued. By 1965, only the Thoroughbred remained, with its single daily roundtrip from Chicago to Louisville.
September 30, 1967: Final day of regularly scheduled passenger train service on the Monon.
March 21, 1968: Merger with Louisville and Nashville Railroad announced to placate the Monon's fear of lost business due to L&N's acquisition of a competing route, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad.{{cite web |title=Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1968/03/22/page/71/article/monon-l-n-roads-act-to-merge |url-status= |access-date=April 5, 2018 |website=Chicago Tribune}}
July 31, 1971: The Monon is merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
1972-1979: Amtrak operates the Floridian Chicago-Miami service over the former Monon Railroad's tracks in Indiana. With the termination of this service in 1979, Bloomington, Indiana, and the rest of southern Indiana lose passenger railway service.
1999: Portions of the line around Indianapolis are converted to a bicycle and pedestrian trail known as the Monon Trail.
2004: CSX Transportation stops using the former Monon Railroad's tracks through Bloomington, Indiana. Over the next decade, Bloomington sections of the tracks are converted to the B-Line Trail (within the city proper) and the Rail-Trail (south of the city).{{Cite web |title=Site Highlight: B-Line Trail in Bloomington |url=https://www.in.gov/ifa/brownfields/files/Bloomington_B-Line_Trail_Success_Story.pdf |url-status= |publisher=Indiana Brownfields Program}}
After 2009, the tracks between Munster and Hammond, Indiana, are removed and the line converted into another section of the Monon Trail.

Colleges served

File:Monon Caboose Monon Indiana.jpg

The Monon served seven colleges and universities along its line:

Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana
Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana
Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana
St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana
West Baden Northwood Institute/College in West Baden Springs, Indiana.

The university traffic was important enough to the Monon that the railroad used the schools' colors on its rolling stock. The red and white of Wabash College (and similar to the colors of Indiana University) was used on the railroad's passenger equipment, and the black and gold used by both DePauw University and Purdue University adorned the railroad's diesel freight locomotives and later replaced the red and white on passenger equipment as well.

Genealogy

Monon Railroad{{Cite web |last=Hallberg |first=Milton C. |title=Railroads in North America: Their Evolution and Family Structure |url=http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/m/c/mch/railroad/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-07-07 |website=www.personal.psu.edu |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512015033/http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/m/c/mch/railroad/ }}
Chicago and South Atlantic Railroad 1879
Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railroad 1956
Chicago and Wabash Valley Railroad 1914
Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad 1916
Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad 1898
Bedford and Bloomfield Railroad 1886
Chicago and Indianapolis Air Line Railway 1883
Indianapolis, Delphi and Chicago Railroad 1881
New Albany and Salem Railroad 1873
Crawfordsville and Wabash Railroad 1852
Orleans, Paoli and Jasper Railway 1886

Monon route

File:1903 Poor's Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway.jpg File:The Hoosier Monon.JPG departing Chicago.]]

File:Rail line from west (CLight).jpg BNSF power waits for yard clearance in Monon, Indiana.]]

The railroad got the name Monon from the convergence of its main routes in Monon, Indiana. From Monon, the mainlines reached out to Chicago, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Michigan City, Indiana. In Chicago the Monon's passenger trains served Dearborn Station. Branches connected the Louisville mainline to Victoria and French Lick in Indiana.

The Monon's main line ran down the middle of streets in several cities, notably Lafayette, New Albany, and Bedford. It also installed an unusual "home grown" warning signal at many grade crossings; these used a green signal light (similar to and adapted from a standard highway traffic signal) that stayed lit at all times, except when a train was approaching. A sign below or to the side of the signal read, "STOP When Signal Is Out" or "DANGER when light is out cross at your own risk".{{Cite web|title=PH MT&C -MONON Grade Crossing Signal|url=http://www.ikemeyer.com/phmtc/monon/|access-date=2021-07-07|website=www.ikemeyer.com}} This design was fail-safe, in that when the signal bulb was burned out, approaching vehicle drivers would assume a train was coming — until they eventually realized there was no train and just a burned-out signal.

The Monon had seven sections. Beginning in the north, Section One was from the Indiana line to Lafayette, passing through the Monon switch in Monon. As a primary passenger route, it connected to Section Four running between Lafayette and Bloomington. This route reached the Ohio River over Section Five from Bloomington to New Albany. From this southern route, Sections Six and Seven were spurs to the west. Section Six served the coal fields between Midland and Clay City, connecting to the main line at Wallace Junction, just south of Cloverdale. Section Seven provided passenger service to the resort hotels in West Baden and French Lick, through a connection at Orleans.

The other primary line, mainly a freight line, included Section Two from Michigan City on Lake Michigan to Monon and then Section three from Monon to Indianapolis. Although each route had its primary traffic type, freight and passengers were carried over all parts of the line.

=Section #1=

Chicago to Lafayette:Monon, the Hoosier Line and connections; undated, predates, 1970s The Chicago to Lafayette route is used by Amtrak for the Cardinal and was used by the Hoosier State before that train was discontinued.Amtrak Route Guide, 2008

Chicago – Dearborn Station{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Englewood{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Hammond, here, the Monon entered Indiana and track ownership belonged to the Monon line. From Chicago to Hammond, the Monon utilized trackage rights via the Chicago and Western Indiana.{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Maynard{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Strathmore{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Munster{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Dyer{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} on the Joilet division of the Michigan Central Railroad in 1880 and {{convert|28|mile|km}} south of Chicago,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=661|loc=Dyer}} with a post office from 1857-02-11{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=119|loc=Dyer}}
St. John{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Cedar Lake{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|8|mile|km}} south-south-west of Crown Point,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=417|loc=Cedar Lake}} whose original post office established in 1839 moved to Creston, and with a second post office named Cedar Lake from 1885-05-06 until 1905-08-14, changing name to Armour mid-lifetime on 1899-07-28{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=90|loc=Cedar Lake}}
Paisley{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with a post office from 1890-04-25, whose name changed to Cedar Lake on 1899-08-29{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=90|loc=Cedar Lake}}
Creston{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with a post office named Cedar Lake originally {{convert|0.5|mile|km}} distant in 1842 but moved to the station in 1875 and renamed to Creston on 1882-05-12, to finally close on 1935-09-15{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=105|loc=Creston}}
Lowell{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|10|mile|km}} south-south-west of Crown Point,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1287|loc=Lowell}} with a post office named Outlet from 1843-12-30, renamed to Lowell on 1864-06-15{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=204|loc=Lowell}}
Grassmere{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Edgemoor{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Shelby{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with a post office from 1882-08-25{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=300|loc=Shelby}}
Thayer{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with Kenney post office (William M. Kenney postmaster) from 1880-09-07, renamed to Thayer post office on 1881-11-18{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=322|loc=Thayer}}
Roselawn{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with Rose Lawn post office from 1881-12-05, renamed Roselawn on 1893-06-17{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=286|loc=Roselawn}}
Fair Oaks{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with a post office from 1884-02-11{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=129|loc=Fair Oaks}}
Surrey,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} named after Surrey, England with a post office from 1882-03-01.{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=317|loc=Surrey}}
Rensselaer, home of St. Joseph College{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}

File:Monon Line Battle Ground Indiana.jpg

Pleasant Ridge{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|4|mile|km}} east of Rensselear and on the Indianapolis, Delphi, & Chicago Railroad in 1880{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1764|loc=Pleasant Ridge}} with a post office from 1878-04-01 until 1923-08-15{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=267|loc=Pleasant Ridge}}
Marlboro{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
McCoysburg{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Lee{{Citation |last = Rund |first = Christopher |title = The Indiana Rail Road Company: America's New Regional Railroad |publisher = Indiana University Press |year = 2006 |pages = 218–219 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0xciRjGU1PsC&q=Anita |isbn = 9780253346926}}{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Monon, the central switching yard for all trains, and company namesake{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Reynolds{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} with a post office from 1853-09-19{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=278|loc=Reynolds}}
Wheelers{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Chalmers{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|17|mile|km}} north of Lafayette and on the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad (LNA&C) in 1880,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=432|loc=Chalmers}} with a post office named Mudge Station (alternatively Mudge's Station, after a local storekeeper) from 1854-04-21{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=92|loc=Chalmers}}
Brookston{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|13|mile|km}} north of Lafayette and on the LNA&C in 1880,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=305|loc=Brookston}} named after the president of the LNA&C James Brooks and with a post office named Prarie Ridge from 1851-09-19 that was renamed to Brookston on 1853-10-16{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=77|loc=Brookston}}
Ash Grove{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} {{convert|9|mile|km}} north-north-east of Lafayette and on the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad in 1880,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=119|loc=Ash Grove}} with a post office from 1864-06-14 until 1910-10-31{{sfn|Baker|1995|p=55|loc=Ash Grove}}
Battle Ground{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Lafayette,{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} rail station of Purdue University, located across the Wabash River in West Lafayette{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}

=Section #2=

File:Monon Trestle near Ockley Indiana.jpg

Monon to Indianapolis. Section #2 was a freight route between Monon and Indianapolis. The section of the line between Monon and Monticello is still in service and owned and operated by the Elkhart & Western Railroad, a Pioneer Railcorp subsidiary. The rest has been completely abandoned and the rails removed. Much of the right-of-way has been returned to neighboring landowners. Where farm fields surround it, evidence of the route has nearly been obliterated as the land has been returned to farming. From 10th Street in Indianapolis, through Carmel and up to State Road 47 in Sheridan, the Monon Trail is now a bike and walking route following the right-of-way.Google Earth

Guernsey{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Monticello{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Yeoman{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Tioga{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Patton{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Lennox{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Delphi,{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} where the Monon High Bridge still stands over Deer Creek Gorge.{{cite web|url=https://www.indianalandmarks.org/endangered-property/monon-high-bridge/|title=Monon High Bridge|publisher=Indiana Landmarks|access-date=2017-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315175613/https://www.indianalandmarks.org/endangered-property/monon-high-bridge/|archive-date=2017-03-15|url-status=dead}}
Radnor{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Ockley,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} south of Ockley station, the viaduct over Wildcat Creek still existed until 2013. It was just north of Owasco and was visible from US 421/SR 39. In 2004, it was damaged by heavy run-offs in Wildcat Creek, which moved the legs of the steel piers out of alignment. It was still standing until the summer of 2013 when it was dismantled by CSX.{{cite web|url=http://bridges.midwestplaces.com/|title=Bridgehunter.com: Historic Bridges of the United States}}
Owasco{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Rossville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Cambria{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Frankfort{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Kirklin{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Terhune{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Sheridan{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Horton{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Westfield{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Carmel;{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} see Carmel Monon Depot
Nora{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Broad RippleIndianapolis Map, AAA, 2006
Boulevard Station{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Indianapolis,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} home of Butler University. The Monon used the Indianapolis Union Station in downtown Indianapolis.

=Section #3=

Michigan City to Monon: This line runs parallel to U.S. 421 as far as Brookston. The Indiana Rail to Trails group is developing a bike route from Michigan City to La Crosse, using the Monon right-of-way, where it still exists. A section south of Michigan City by I-94 has been consumed by a landfill and the bridge over the I-94 and I-80/I-90 have been removed.

Michigan City{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Beatty's{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Otis{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Westville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Alida{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Haskell{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Wanatah{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Schimmel's{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
South Wanatah{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
La Crosse{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Riverside{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Wilders{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
San Pierre{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Medaryville.{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} North of Medaryville the tracks have been abandoned and removed. The line is still in service from Medaryville to Monon.
Francesville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Monon{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}

=Section #4=

Lafayette to Bloomington: From Lafayette southward, the Monon follows along U.S. 231 to Crawfordsville. At Crawfordsville, the right-of-way moves eastward of the highway several miles, but continues south to Cloverdale, returning closer to U.S. 231 at Greencastle. Amtrak uses this route south to Crawfordsville and then the old New York Central/Conrail tracks into Indianapolis.

Lafayette,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} home to Purdue University
Lafayette Junction{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
South Raub{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Romney{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}} {{convert|0.5|mile|km}} from Corwin nd {{convert|13|mile|km}} south of Lafayette{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1890|loc=Romney}}
Corwin{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Linden,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|18|mile|km}} south of Lafayette{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1246|loc=Linedan}} now hosts a museum of the Monon Line in the old station.
Cherry Grove{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|5|mile|km}} north of Crawfordsville{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=452|loc=Cherry Grove}}
Crawfordsville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} home of Wabash College{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=559|loc=Crawfordsville}}
Crawfordsville Junction{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Whitesville{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Ladoga{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|39|mile|km}} south of Lafayette{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1173|loc=Ladoga}}
Roachdale{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Carpentersville{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|18|mile|km}} south of Crawfordsville
Bainbridge{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|50|mile|km}} south of Lafayette

File:Old Piers on White River Gosport Indiana Monon RR.jpg

Greencastle,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|38|mile|km}} west-by-south of Indianapolis,{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=899|loc=Greencastle}} and home of DePauw University
Greencastle Junction{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} where the LNA&CR crosses the I&SL and the TH&IR{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=899|loc=Greencastle}}
Limedale{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Putnamville{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Cloverdale{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|70|mile|km}} south of Lafayette and {{convert|10|mile|km}} south-southeast of Greencastle.{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=499|loc=Cloverdle}} The tracks from Lafayette end here.
Oakland{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|14|mile|km}} south of Greencastle{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1625|loc=Oakland}}
Wallace Jct provided access to the coal fields of Midland, Howesville and Clay City along Section Six of the Monon line.
Quincy{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|17|mile|km}} south of Greencastle{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=1825|loc=Quincy}}
Gosport{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} – South of Gosport, the Monon crosses the White River.
Stinesville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} is the northern edge of quarry country. From here, south through Bedford and Mitchell, quarries of fine Indiana Limestone exist.
Adams{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Ellettsville,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} {{convert|7|mile|km}} north-west of Bloomington.{{sfn|Lippincott|1880|p=702|loc=Ellectsville}} Tracks end here from Bloomington
Bloomington,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} home of Indiana University

=Section #5=

File:Salem IN Courthouse.jpgBloomington to New Albany

Bloomington,{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} home of Indiana University. Tracks from south of the junction with INRD have been removed and converted into a trail within the Bloomington city limits.
Clear Creek{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Smithville{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Harrodsburg{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Guthrie{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Salt Creek{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Murdock
Bedford{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Juliet{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Mitchell{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Orleans{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}} is where the junction to Section Seven used to be. It headed southwest towards West Baden and French Lick

File:Culbertson Mansion 1.jpg

Lancaster{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Leipsic{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Satillo{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Campbellsburg{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Hitchcock{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Salem{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Harriwtown{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Norris{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Farabee{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Pekin{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Providence{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Wilsons{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Smiths Mills{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}
Borden{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
New Albany{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}{{sfn|Allen|1883|p=365}}

=Section #6=

Wallace Jct. to Midland (coal fields): With the exception of a short stretch from Midland Junction to Vicksburg, this section has been completely abandoned and the tracks have been removed.

Wallace Jct
Cataract
Jordan
Patricksburg
Clay City
Howesville
Midland, east entrance to the Indiana coal fields. The active mines are between Linton, Jasonville, and Sullivan.Google Maps, Victoria, Indiana
Vicksburg
Victoria has disappeared as a community.

=Section #7=

File:French Lick RR 352 Station.JPG

This section has been completely abandoned. Tracks remain only in French Lick and are used as an excursion route. French Lick to Cuzco. A portion of the original track in French Lick and West Baden (between the West Baden Hotel and the Indiana Railway Museum) has been altered and expanded for a trolley service serving various locations of the French Lick Resort and the museum.

Orleans{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Paoli{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Glass Rock{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
West Baden{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
French Lick{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}

=Switz City branch=

From Bedford to Switz City:{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}

Bedford{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Bedford Junction{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Dark Hollow{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Reed{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Avoca{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Springville{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Armstrong{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Owensburg{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Koleen{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Rockwood{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Mineral City{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Bloomfield{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Elliston{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Fairchild's{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}
Switz City{{sfn|Allen|1897|pp=442,444}}

Mid-20th century passenger trains

Thoroughbred, train 5 southbound / train 6 northbound, daily from Chicago, Illinois (Dearborn Station) to Louisville, Kentucky (Union Station), via Monon, Indiana and Lafayette, Indiana.
Bluegrass, nos. 3/4, night train, with sleeping car service for the above Thoroughbred route.
Tippecanoe, nos. 11/12, daily from Chicago to Indianapolis' Union Station, via Monon and Frankfort, Indiana.
Hoosier, nos. 15/16, same route as the Tippecanoe.
Nos. 49/48, 57/56, daily Michigan City, Indiana to Monon, Indiana service.

The line today

File:CIL 1620 20050710 IN Linden.jpg CIL 1620 at the Linden Railroad Museum in Linden, Indiana. The former Monon mainline is in the background.]]

The remains of the line are operated by CSX Transportation. Large segments have been abandoned in recent years: most of the line from Monon southeast to Indianapolis, the line north from Monon to Michigan City, and the line segment between Cloverdale and Bedford (this segment was abandoned due largely to a washout). A portion of the French Lick branch is now home to a railroad museum.

Between Bedford and Mitchell, CSX owned the line but did not operate any of its own trains. Until 2009, the only service came from trains of the Indiana Rail Road, which in 2006 purchased the former Latta Subdivision of the Canadian Pacific Railway that connected with the former Monon at Bedford. INRD operated over the old Monon from Bedford to Louisville through trackage rights negotiated by the Latta Sub's original owner, The Milwaukee Road, when the L&N took over the Monon. Those trackage rights went from the Milwaukee Road to its buyer, The Soo Line Railroad; a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 2009, INRD ended service and removed trackage from the former Monon junction in Bedford to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division west of Bedford. Consequently, CSX placed the ex-Monon line from Bedford south to Mitchell out of service.

CSX operated trains between Louisville and St. Louis, Missouri, over the Louisville-Mitchell segment; these trains had to make an unusual reverse movement to go from the Monon to the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line to St. Louis, owing to an unfavorable track arrangement at the crossing of the lines in Mitchell. As of 2009, CSX has stopped making regular movements over the line, with trains being shifted to the nearby Louisville and Indiana Railroad via a trackage rights agreement.

File:White Hoagland Ditch CSXT (Clight).jpg

Amtrak's Cardinal train traverses the former Monon thrice weekly from Crawfordsville to the Indiana state line near Chicago. Station stops along the former Monon include Lafayette, Rensselaer, and Dyer.

The line through Lafayette was relocated in 2000 to an alignment along the Wabash River, parallel to the similarly relocated Norfolk Southern Railway line. Previously, the Monon Line ran down the middle of Fifth Street, with a hotel serving as its passenger station well into the Amtrak era.

The Monon Line has been abandoned in Hammond and Munster north of the junction with the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, but the corridor is planned to be rebuilt as the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District West Lake Corridor. Initially running as far south as Munster/Dyer Main Street, long-term plans would see services extend as far as Lowell and Valparaiso, Indiana.{{cite web|title=West Lake Corridor New Start Studies|url=http://www.nictd-wlc.com/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607072922/http://www.nictd-wlc.com/|archive-date=2009-06-07|access-date=2010-03-26}}

Museums

The Indiana Railway Museum in French Lick operates trains south from French Lick to Cuzco, Indiana, out of the former Monon (Union) depot in French Lick, Indiana.{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the French Lick Railway |url=http://www.indianarailwaymuseum.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712092451/http://www.indianarailwaymuseum.org/ |archive-date=July 12, 2014 |website=French Lick Scenic Railway}}

The Monon Connection, which opened in 2005. is on U.S. 421 north of Monon.{{cite web |title=Monon Connection |url=http://www.mononconnection.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408031540/https://mononconnection.com/ |archive-date=April 8, 2019}}

File:Monon Museum Linden Indiana Station.jpg

Located in a disused Monon railroad station, the Linden Railroad Museum is owned and operated by the Linden-Madison Township Historical Society. In 1852, the Michigan City, Salem and New Albany Railroad cut through Montgomery County. The old stage road between Crawfordsville and Linden was given to the railroad as an inducement to get it to build through Linden. 1852 also saw the building of the first Linden depot, on a site behind the present day post office. The building was moved to the current location in 1881 when the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad was built through Linden, crossing the Monon at this location.{{Cite web |title=The Linden Depot Museum |url=https://lindendepot.com/history.html |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Linden Depot Museum}}

The John Hay Center in Salem has the Depot Railroad Station Museum, honoring the Monon.{{Cite web |title=MONON Railroad Historical-Technical Society |url=https://monon.org/bygone_site/bygone/salem.php |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=monon.org}} It has also been the home of the Monon Railroad Historical/Technical Society since summer 2012.{{cite web|last=|first=|title=The Depot Railroad Museum -- Home Page|url=http://www.salemdepot.com/index.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225080240/http://salemdepot.com:80/index.asp|archive-date=December 25, 2018|access-date=April 5, 2018|publisher=The Depot Railroad Museum}}{{Cite web|title=MONON Railroad Historical-Technical Society|url=https://monon.org/bygone_site/bygone/salem.php|access-date=2021-07-07|website=monon.org}}

The Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky, displays Monon's Diesel Engine No. 32, an Electro-Motive Division (EMD) BL2 model, in its original black and gold paint scheme.

The French Lick West Baden Museum in French Lick acquired a major Monon Railroad Artifact collection in 2021 that is on display from November 2022 through mid-2023.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-16 |title="Up and Down the Monon" Town Gallery |url=https://www.flwbmuseum.com/single-post/up-and-down-the-monon-town-gallery |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=FL/WB Museum |language=en}}

There is one surviving Monon steam locomotive, a Mikado type locomotive #504, which was sold to the Soo Line Railroad in the early 1940s and became number #1024 on the Soo. This locomotive is on display at the depot in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.{{Cite web |title=Monon 2-8-2 Mikado |url=https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=monon |access-date=April 18, 2025 |website=Steam Locomotive.com |language=en}}

References

= Bibliography =

{{cite book|title=Travelers' Official Railway Guide for the United States, Canada, and Mexico|issue=11|date=April 1897|editor1-first=William Frederick|editor1-last=Allen|publisher=National Railway Publication Company}}
{{cite book|title=Travelers' Official Railway Guide for the United States and Canada|issue=2|date=July 1883|editor1-first=William Frederick|editor1-last=Allen|publisher=National Railway Publication Company}}
{{cite book|last=Baker|first=Ronald L.|title=From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History|date=October 1995|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-32866-3}} ({{Internet Archive|id=fromneedmoretopr00bake|name=From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History}})
{{cite book|title=Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World|publisher=J.B. Lippincott & Company|year=1880|location=Philadelphia|ref={{harvid|Lippincott|1880}}}} ({{Internet Archive|id=lippincottsgazet00phil|name=Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World}})

External links

[http://www.monon.org/ Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society]
[http://laurent.aublette.free.fr/histo/monon_hist.html List and Family Trees of North American Railroads]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100328192157/http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/main.html Tom Kepshire's Bygone Places Along the "Hoosier Line" site]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100328192157/http://www.monon.monon.org/bygone/main.html Bygone Places Along The Monon]
[https://archives.isl.lib.in.us/repositories/2/resources/201 Monon Railroad Company collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library]

Category:Predecessors of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad

Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

Category:Defunct companies based in Chicago

Category:Defunct Illinois railroads

Category:Defunct Indiana railroads

Category:Defunct Kentucky railroads

Category:Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area

Category:Transportation in Louisville, Kentucky

Category:Transportation in Indianapolis

Category:Michigan City, Indiana

Category:Railway companies established in 1956

Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1971