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My Memory Of The Monon RailRoad
Fred sent in his best railroading memory:
I was about 10 years old and belonged to a Cub Scout Troop in Chicago. Our Den Mother had arranged a train trip on the Monon Railroad that traveled at high speed thru the beautiful state of Indiana. This was a streamliner and it was hauling pretty fast. After that ride I was hooked.
When I was eleven I used to go downtown Chicago to watch in awe—when The New York Central 20th Century Limited would slowly pull under the bridge, entering the Chicago Station.
Then one fine day I was riding the subway–and I always stood up in front right next to the engineers cab. One day he opened up his cab door, and I told him that I wanted to be an engineer just like him. He said, “This is really kind of boring—running from one end of the tracks to the other every day.”
Not discouraged because I lived 2 blocks from the Chicago North Western tracks and I used to go up to Summerdale Station to watch the big steam locomotives pull in and leave with their passenger cars. Sadly, that is a sound and experience that the kid’s of today will never experience.
On my 10th Christmas my Dad bought me my first Lionel Train set—this was in 1950—and I still run that New York Central engine with the two “A” units and a “B” unit. Who would believe—after 62 years I have my layout and my 3 year old twin grandsons love watching it run with big eyes. Trains—a great thing to get hooked on! Who knew —- what the Monon train ride started.
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I was growning up in Laffayette In. about the same time and was able to watch the engine and rolling stocks work on at the work station on the back section of the town. Sometime there might have been ten to fifthteen engines being work on at one time, but mostly box car or reefers. To kiud of ten it was fun to watch all the work., but sadly they all went to the sideline .