Did Monon Use Any "Big Alco's"?

[bubbajustin]

I have a cheap magnet in my locker at school. It is of a Monon Locomotive. I really can’t tell if it’s a Alco or a GE. I mean it looks like it could be a Century Series, or a big GE. I really can’t make out any radiator “wings” that’s what led me to believe it was an Alco, but come to think of it, I have seen GE’s like the -7 that don’t have the characteristic “wings” either.

So did Monon use any big Alco’s or do you think that this is a GE in disguise? I know that Monon used Alco's like the RSC-2, but did they use Century Series Locomotives?

[CShaveRR]

The Monon had and liked its C420s. It also had some C628s, but didn't keep them too long before sending them back to Alco.

Any road numbers on the pictures, Justin? Or, if you can see the trucks, the C420 had two-axle trucks (4 axles, 2000 horsepower), and the C628 had three-axle trucks (6 axles, 2750 horsepower).

[Erie Lackawanna]

The C628s were returned because they tore up the Monon's track.

They wound up on the Lehigh Valley, where they apparently did not cause the same trouble and then ran for Conrail, getting assigned to service in Ohio for just a couple years before meeting their end in 1978 (when they were stored, not sure when they were actually cut up).

[bubbajustin]

It has 3 axel trucks so that makes it a six axel. I will look for the road # Carl, I never thought of that.

Thanks guy’s!

Justin

[eolafan]

Erie Lackawanna

The C628s were returned because they tore up the Monon's track.

They wound up on the Lehigh Valley, where they apparently did not cause the same trouble and then ran for Conrail, getting assigned to service in Ohio for just a couple years before meeting their end in 1978 (when they were stored, not sure when they were actually cut up).

I seem to recall a TRAINS article way back when entitled "Monsters of Mingo Junction"...weren't the "monsters" actually the C628's mentioned above?

[CShaveRR]

The fact that it was a six-axle unit confirms that it was one of the short-lived C628s. I could look up road numbers and dates in service, but someone who has more knowledge might be able to give us that info off the top of his/her head, or have it more readily available.

[JayPotter]

eolafan

I seem to recall a TRAINS article way back when entitled "Monsters of Mingo Junction"...weren't the "monsters" actually the C628's mentioned above?

The article was in the January 1977 issue; and it discussed the Century-series Alcos that operated through Mingo Junction on PC and Conrail.  These were primarily the C-425, C-430, C-628 (including the former-Monon units), C-630, and C-636.

[dmoore74]

Check the Spring 2007 issue of Classic Trains.  The Beasts of Lafayette tells the full story of the 628's on the Monon.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Monon purchased the C628's for a proposed unit coal train service that included a rail-to-water transfer at Michigan City.  ICC permission was required to extend the Michigan City branch to the proposed transfer facility since it involved crossings over other existing railroads (or something like that).  Permission was denied and the service never started.  The C628's were too heavy for much of Monon's trackage so they were returned to Alco in trade for more C420's.  Alco resold the C628's to Lehigh Valley. 

[bubbajustin]

Hi all,

I got the road number today. It is number 407. I appreciate all of the information that you all have given me.

Justin