Folks -

There was a photo recently on the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society discussion website showing a train wreck on the Monon back in the 1920/1930 period. One of the cars pictured was a heavyweight combination baggage/coach with TWO baggage doors on one side, both of the same size. Offhand, I can't recall seeing any other cars so configured. But maybe my memory is just going in my old age. The question is, does any museum or display site have such a combine on their roster?

Thanks.

Les

There has been some additional photos and info on the MRHTS discussion websites about the car in the photo. Apparently the car was either Monon 316 or 317. The cars were 75' 10" over ends and had a 49' baggage section, a 22' 3" passenger car section and seated 32 passengers. Although the baggage car doors appeared to me to be the same width, one was slightly larger than the other. Both cars ran on 6 wheel trucks and MAY have been built in 1912. One of the cars was used as the temporary depot in Monon, Indiana after the wreck destroyed the depot there and at least one of the cars ended up in MofW service.

Again, I think this was a rare type combine and the fact that no examples exist in museums or on display may prove it. Thanks.

Les

Les,

There was an x IC MOW combine that was in a scrap yard north of Memphis, that possibly had two doors. I can't remember off the top of my head, though. I do remember it being one of the IC combines that had a separate smoking section. Heritage on the car was possibly Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific or Alabama and Vicksburg. If dad were still here, he would know. It was with two other MOW cars. One was originally a sleeper if I remember right and the other was a coach. The scrapper also had a car that was converted to a lounge from a coach by the IC. It was a neat car as it was still mostly in it's IC converted lounge configuration.

Stuart

I woudn't be suprised if the 4 baggage door combine was a Monon exclusive. The Monon really had a rag tag assortment of passenger cars in the pre-Barringer era.

I remember reading that by the time he became president, the Monon's passenger fleet included an express car that dated from the 1880s, a lot of steel-sheethed wooden cars, up to some relatively modern heavyweight coaches.

While I'm sure they were all well-maintained, I bet the rebuilt hospital cars were a major improvment for the patrons of the CI&L.