One of the First!

The locomotive on the front of this post card is one of the first diesel locomotives that was used on the “Monon” railroad. The railroad ordered ten

of the Alco model RS2 in 1949. This picture was taken 24 years later, in 1971 – the same year in which the “Monon” merged with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Here is a very concise summary of some highlights of the “Monon” line. If you would like to read more about this railroad and its history I strongly recommend that you go to https://www.american-rails.com/monon.html or to https://www.monon.org/history.php Begun in 1847 with James Brooks as president, the New Albany and Salem Railroad was simply meant to join two bodies of water (the Ohio River and Lake Michigan) in support of the steamship industry owned by Mr. Brooks. It accomplished this objective in seven years and then the railroad struggled almost through the rest of its life. In 1859 it is renamed the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad. From an early period the LNA&C was recognized as the "Monon Route," dating back to 1879 when the community of Bradford changed its name to Monon. While it took more than 70 years for this moniker to become the railroad's official title, most people simply knew the modern Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville by its historic nickname. In 1873 it is reorganized to become the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railway; then, in 1881 this railway is consolidated with the Chicago and Indianapolis Air Line Railway. In 1897 it is once again reorganized, this time as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway. Finally, in 1971 the “Monon” is merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. One of the most noteworthy events in railroad history was the transportation of President Abraham Lincoln's body from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois for burial. The western leg of the Funeral Train's route utilized none other than the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago (LNA&C) from Lafayette to Michigan City during the early morning hours of May 1, 1865. Another event worth noting is that the “Monon” was one of the first Class I railroads to change over completely from steam to diesel (June 29, 1949)

This post card was published by Railcards.com I know absolutely nothing about the company or the people involved in it. Their website is no longer active.