For a number of years, a sad looking 40' steel boxcar numbered SBD 976080 sat on an old Monon Railroad siding in Salem, Indiana. Salem is where the old Monon Railroad got its start, a replica Monon depot was erected there, a 1929 Monon wood cupola caboose (#81402) was put on display and where the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society has its "World Headquarters" in the depot. Despite all this connection to the Monon, the previously mentioned box car was not ex-Monon but formerly Louisville & Nashville. Apparently, L&N #11528, the car was recently "rescued" and moved to what is to be the trailhead for the "Monon South Trail". The car has had some bad spots fixed and was sandblasted and a new coat of "freight car red" paint applied. Not sure if the car will be given authentic L&N lettering, but very nice to see a steel 40-footer from "The Old Reliable" formally preserved.

Les

They had a GoFundMe for this a year ago. I don't know if it is still active - but I think it's great that a freight car is being preserved at such a location. i.e. far away from any other railroad action. I hope to get out and see it someday soon - and contributed to their cause.

I've looked at that car a couple times on Google Street View. I think it's an L&N blue car? It was mostly a patina of rust besides a little blue. I'll leave it to the model railroaders of the group to identify what kind of car it is but it is modernized with a larger door and running boards removed.