Motive Power and Equipment
In 1967 the Monon employed a unique mix of Alco, EMD and repowered FM locomotives. Although the diminutive SW1s and the single FM H10-44 had been retired, they will be included in this model railroad for variety. The C628s had been on the property for just a few years, and the C420s were just a year old.
The big C628s would be returned to Alco later that year as trade-in for the second order of C420s. A handful of F3s and most of the BL2s were still running in and around South Hammond. While the switch jobs were the domain of the NW2s, the transfers were handled by whatever unit was available, from the NW2s to BL2s and F3s to single C628s running long hood forward. The passenger train was handled by high-hood steam generator-equipped C420s 501 and 502, which were often swapped for a BL2, RS2 or pair of F3s at South Hammond for the short run to Dearborn Station.
Monon Diesel Locomotive Roster, May 1967
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By 1967, all locomotives were painted in the black and gold scheme.
There was significant variety among lettering and numbering patterns,
particularly on the NW2s. The model roster will bend history a bit,
allowing the sole H10-44 to come out of retirement for and make a guest
appearance at South Hammond.
Monon Northern Division Model Locomotive Roster
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In addition to the Monon locomotives listed here, there are a liberal amount of IHB, B&OCT, EL, C&O and N&W/NKP locomotives and cars represented on the model roster for variety and operating interest. Anyone who visited Hohman Avenue Tower in Hammond during the 60s or 70s knows that this was certainly the case!
Freight Equipment
A prevailent car type on the Monon was the hopper car, primarily 50-ton and 70-ton twin- and triple-hoppers. Other car types represented were 40-foot and 50-foot boxcars, two-bay and three-bay covered hoppers, flatcars, gondolas and insulated boxcars.
Monon Freight Car Roster, April 1969
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1 - 500, 501-533,
541-565, 601-851,
865-994, 9500 - 9999, 10000 - 10099 |
40-foot plain boxcar, 6' door |
XM |
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1226 - 1288 |
40-foot equipped
boxcar,
6' door (appliance loading) |
XL |
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10100 - 10421 |
40-foot roof hatch
boxcar,
6' door (grain loading) |
LC |
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15000 - 15099 |
50-foot roof hatch
boxcar,
10' door (grain loading) |
LC |
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855 - 861
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40-foot plain boxcar,
7' door
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XM
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1301 - 1350
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50-foot equipped
boxcar, 7'9" door
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XL
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1351 - 1360, 1370
- 1374,
1380-1385, 1390 - 1399 |
50-foot equipped boxcar, 8' door |
XL |
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1400 - 1550
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50-foot equipped
boxcar, 15' double door
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XL
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1601 - 1690, 1701
- 1750
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50-foot plain boxcar,
8' door
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XM
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1950 - 1959
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50-foot equipped
boxcar, 8' plug door
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XL
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2000 - 2012, 2500
- 2505
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50-foot equipped
boxcar, 10' door
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XL
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1900 - 1925
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50-foot insulated
boxcar
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RBL
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1800 - 1805
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Company tank cars
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TM
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3001 - 3300
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42-foot plain gondola
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GB
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3301 - 3317
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42-foot coke container
cars
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LG
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3500 - 3601
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50-foot
plain gondola
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GB
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3625 - 3650
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50-foot covered coil
gondola
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GBSR
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3801 - 3850
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65-foot
plain gondola
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GB
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3900 - 3902
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65-foot equipped
gondola
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GBS
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4001 - 4150, 41500
- 41699
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33-foot twin hopper
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HM
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4500 - 4600
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41-foot triple hopper
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HT
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5001 - 5020
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33-foot ballast hopper
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HK
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4201 - 4390
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29-foot covered hopper,
1958 cu. ft.
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LO
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30600 - 30649
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29-foot covered hopper,
2007 cu. ft.
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LO
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45000 - 45044
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29-foot Airslide
covered hopper, 2600 cu. ft.
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LO
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50000 - 50039
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29-foot covered hopper,
2600 cu. ft.
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LO
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54211 - 54360
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29-foot company sand
hopper, 1958 cu. ft.
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LO
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4401 - 4450
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41-foot covered hopper,
2893 cu. ft.
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LO
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4451 - 4499, 43000
- 43099
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41-foot covered hopper,
3219 cu. ft.
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LO
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44000 - 44099
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46-foot covered hopper,
4000 cu. ft.
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LO
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52000 - 52099
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35-foot center-flow
hopper, 2970 cu. ft.
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LO
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6006 - 6075
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89-foot trilevel
auto rack
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FA
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7000 - 7059, 7201
- 7250
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52-foot plain flatcar
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FM
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7061 - 7070
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52-foot bulkhead
flatcar
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FMS
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7600 - 7621
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52-foot piggyback
flatcar
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FC
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7701 - 7750
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54-foot piggyback
flatcar
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FC
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7800 - 7805
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89-foot piggyback
flatcar
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FC
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Most freight cars were painted boxcar red with white lettering, many covered hoppers were gray with black lettering, some open-top hoppers were black with safety yellow lettering, and Monon-assigned Fruit Growers Express insulated boxcars were painted in the standard reefer yellow scheme.
The model roster resembles the composition of the prototype fleet, with a large number of boxcars and hoppers, and smaller numbers of flats, gons and specialty cars. As with the prototype, there is also a large proportion as well as a large variety of off-line cars. The current roster consists of 162 freight cars, 60 of which are Monon and 102 off line. Of the Monon cars, 21 are boxcars, 17 hoppers, 12 covered hoppers, 4 flats and 3 are reefers. Of the foreign line cars, there are 7 ACL, 1 ATSF , 3 B&O, 3 CB&Q, 1 CP, 1 C&O, 1 C&EI, 2 C&NW, 1 CGW, 16 Clinchfield (refugees from the old layout), 2 EJ&E, 1 EL, 1 FEC, 1 GN, 2 GM&O, 1 IC, 1 Interstate, 1 L&N, 2 MILW, 3 MKT, 1 NKP, 6 N&W, 1 NP, 1 Peabody Short Line, 3 PRR, 1 Peoria & Eastern, 1 Reading, 11 SAL, 1 SLSF, 3 Soo, 1 SOU, 1 SP&S, 1 UP, 1 Virginian, 1 Wabash, 1 WP and 11 private cars.
The Northern Division will, like the prototype, host the single trainset of the Thoroughbred on its daily trek between Chicago and Louisville. The HO version relies on a troop kitchen car converted to a baggage storage car, two standard baggage cars, and three coaches. I have two models of Monon's unique "quasi-cupola" cabooses on order from Overland, and plan to add a rider car and two ICC cabooses as well.
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