Body Snatchers get Monon Caboose

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:59 am

Monon 234 retrieved last fall from life as a lakeside cabin. The Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society is otherwise known as the Hammond Nickel Plate 624 group.

http://www.nwirps.org/NWIRPS_Restoration_Monon%20C-234_recovery.htm

Howard P. · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:35 am

Very cool!! Looks like a lot to work with on that car, lots of good original material. Archbar trucks shouldn't be too hard to find. Keep sending updates and pics!

And what's the story with that Monon hi-rail service truck? Looks a bit too modern to have been an "original" (by about 40 years).

Howard P.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6485

Howard P. wrote:

Very cool!! Looks like a lot to work with on that car, lots of good original material. Archbar trucks shouldn't be too hard to find. Keep sending updates and pics!

And what's the story with that Monon hi-rail service truck? Looks a bit too modern to have been an "original" (by about 40 years).

Howard P.

Howard -

The hi-rail truck is owned by a member of the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society.

Les

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

Very well done article. I think the family history tied in with the caboose makes this a great piece. Back when family cottages or camps were not trying to mimick a resort motel or spa. Cozy little camp they had. Not to mention the RR historical end of things. Thanks for sharing this. John

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

I drove truck for years and hauled a lot of things, never a caboose! I used to run the Chicago area for years and remember all the low bridges that lay hidden around every turn you made. Todays drivers have it much easier there now. So....my question is, "was there a height problem with the coupla sticking that high over the cab? Not that the cab has much to do with anything, but wires, bridges, tree limbs. I have knocked down a few limbs from trees, some cable tv wires that were below legal ht, but managed never to top a trailer in Chicago. Used to have a fobia about height limits. Can make for a bad day.

Also being that the caboose was up off the ground I would assume the underside of the car would be pretty much intact with minimal rot? How was the underside of the caboose? Thanks again. john

caboose9 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:25 pm

Hi,

A nice caboose story with a happy ending!

I noticed that the articles first say it came from Springboro, IN, and, later. that it came from Brookston, IN. Elsewhere it's reported in Hobart, IN. Which is correct?

What town is it in now, perhaps, Hobart?

Thanks, Roger

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6485

Roger -

It is actually in Merrillville, Indiana. Just a little bit off of the Interstate 65 and U.S. 30 interchange. It currently sits in the parking lot of a company whose owner is the current Treasurer of the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society and also one of the officers on the Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society (NWIRPS). The Merrillville/Hobart dividing line is just a few blocks away, which may explain the incorrect reference to Hobart.

Les