QUOTE: Timeline 1847: The New Albany & Salem Railroad is organized with James Brooks as president. 1854: The NA&S trackage stretches from the Ohio River (at New Albany) to the Great Lakes (at Michigan City). 1859: The overextended and struggling NA&S is reorganized as the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad. April 30, 1865: The LNA&C becomes one of twenty railroads to haul Abraham Lincoln's funeral train, from Lafayette, Indiana to Michigan City, Indiana. 1881: The LNA&C consolidates with the Indianapolis & Chicago Air Line, and the trackage of the new division is soon extended to reach into its namesake cities. July 1, 1897: The LNA&C is reorganized as the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway Co. 1932: The 300 pound (136 kg) Monon Bell is first presented as the trophy of the annual football matchup between DePauw University and Wabash College. 1946: John W. Barriger III becomes President of the Monon, bringing aggressive plans for modernization. January 11, 1956: The CI&L officially adopts its longtime nickname, Monon, as corporate title. 1959: The Monon's passenger service between Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis, Indiana is discontinued. September 30, 1967: Final day of regularly-scheduled passenger train service on the Monon. July 31, 1971: The Monon is merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. 1999: Portions of the line were converted to a bicycle and pedestrian trail known as the Monon Trail in Indianapolis, and later in Carmel, Indiana. Further expansion in Hamilton County, Indiana is planned.
QUOTE: The Illinois Terminal was a unique railroad. It served Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri from 1895 to 1981, successfully making the transition from a collection of street railroads to one of the Midwest's premier interurbans, the Illinois Traction System. Later, as it continued to grow and absorb several St. Louis area switching railroads, it evolved into the well-run Class 1 railroad, Illinois Terminal. Over its lifetime, it survived two World Wars and the Great Depression to evolve from an electrically operated interurban closely associated with the electric utility industry to an electric, steam, battery and diesel powered railroad and finally to a completely dieselized freight-only railroad. Yet, even during much of its six-axle locomotive era, the IT snaked through its territories on aging, 90 pound interurban rails. On its own, it outlasted such great railroads as the New York Central, Pennsylvania, Northern Pacific, Wabash and a score of others. Regardless of the era studied, the Illinois Terminal did it like no other line; and generally did it with style and panache. Parlor cars sported mahogany and Spanish leather. Its electric freight motors, whether in Brewster green or "traction orange", were distinctly IT. And, even the "typical" was atypical on the Illinois Terminal. GP7's wore an eye catching green and yellow paint scheme when black and white was the norm, if not the rule. SW1200's spent nearly as much time in through-freight service as in the yards switching. Its six-axle diesel locomotives were SD39's - not SD40's! The Illinois Terminal attracts railfans and historians from all parts of the country and from all railfan and historical special-interest subgroups. The IT evokes emotions and memories in everyone who remembers it, perhaps like no other line, large or small. For the modeler, it offers everything from frequent passenger service as one to five car trains, occasionally more, mixed in with short to moderate local and through freight trains and later 100+ car freight trains. On May 8, 1982, the Illinois Terminal passed out of existence. However, it left a history that would fascinate and, in some cases, amuse any railfan or historian!
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