Saturday, June 6, 2026

Louisville, KY: East Liverpool (MN) Tower: L&N vs. C&O

(Satellite)

Tim Shanahan posted
Jack Fravert photograph:
On a hazy September 3; 1976, trains (left to right) #148, #140 and #173 vie for track space through East Louisville's MN Tower. C&O trains joined (or left the L&N at this point, following the tracks on the right toward the Ohio riverfront (except for the C&O's George Washington, which used Union Station from 1963 until 1971). Jack Fravert

When I could not find the C&O on a detailed map, I found a C&O map to determine how the C&O got to Louisville.
appalachian-railroads and multimodalways

So, the C&O went to Louisville from Lexington. When I looked east of Lexington, I found the C&O. In fact, the C&O joined the L&N in Lexington.
1956 Louisville Quad @ 250,000

Since the C&O left the L&N to go to the 7th Street Station while the L&N curved South to go to the Union Station, it was easy then easy to find the "MN" junction on a detailed map.
1950 New Albany, 1951 Louisville East and 1951 Jeffersonville Quads @ 24,000

This confirms that the C&O used the L&N to access Louisville from Lexington.
Ronald Boles posted
The Chesapeake & Ohio's George Washington train did not run on the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) for the majority of its route, but it did use a portion of L&N track to access Louisville on the Old Road.
David Morse: Between Lex and Lou it ran on the L&N’s Old Road. [That makes me wonder where the L&N New Road was located.] It originally ran Lex-Midway-Frankfort—Chrishtiansburg-Eminence-La Grange-Lou. C&O wanted to cut down their transit time between Lex & Lou and looked into moving to the Southern’s Louisville Southern track. Lex-Versailles-Tyrone-Lawrenceburg-Shelbyville-Louisville. Actually ran test trains on this route. The L&N had a very favorable trackage rights agreement with the C&O. Basically C&O paid half the MOW costs and salaries. L&N built the Christiansburg-Shelbyville track to keep the C&O on the Old Road. L&N did not see this track. Their trains took the long way to Lou. C&O’s contract did not allow them to stop at Christiansburg. This meant people in C-burg going to Lou had to take the L&N trains on the long route. C-burg citizens went to the Kentucky Railroad Commission to get them to order the C&O to stop at C-burg. KRC ruled they could not order the C&O to break their contract with the L&N.
Mike Gillespie: Best looking train into Louisville. And its 94 miles of trackage rights on the L&N from Lexington to Louisville was not insignificant.
Jamie Millard: The first three cars paid for the last four. [The first three cars would be baggage cars carrying express freight and US Mail. The last four cars would be passenger cars.]

LaGrange, WY: Wood Grain Elevator

Wood Elevator: (Satellite)
Main Elevator: (Satellite)

The main elevator is in the right background of this view.
Street View, Aug 2007

Jerry got a trackside view of the elevator.
Jerry Krug posted
We are out touring this weekend.  Drove through tiny LaGrange, WY this morning and found this alongside a UP line. With Patti Orzel.

The wood elevator is in the left background of this view.
Street View, Aug 2007

Just south of the main elevator is the chemical sales facility.
Street View, Aug 2007

I wonder why this town had a wye on the southeast side to turn locomotives.
1960/62 La Grange Quad @ 24,000


Friday, June 5, 2026

French Lick, IN: 1907 Tourist/(Southern+Monon) Depot, Indiana Railway Museum and Monon Freighthouse

Depot: (Satellite)
Freighthouse: (Satellite)

Southern Railroad donated 16 miles of track between West Baden and Dubois, IN.  The museum runs their trains 25 miles to Jasper, IN through the Burton Tunnel. [FrenchLickTrain_about]

I.E. Xam, Nov 2019

Note the steam locomotive on the left.
Street View, Apr 2026

This was the clearest view I could find of the depot.
Street View, Sep 2012

The museum runs the tourist railroad French Lick Scenic Railway.
Jeff, Apr 2021

Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society posted
It’s Monon Monday on Tuesday! We got rained out yesterday but were able to get out on the road and make a visit to a popular Monon stop 🚉 
Where am I? 🤔 🤷‍♀️ 
Name the place! 🛤️ 🚂 
Blake Ison: French Lick on the North side of the Depot in Monon Territory. Just shortly south of where you are standing the Monon interchanged with the Southern Railroad.
Brian Hall: Since others have already gotten the location, I'm going to put on my New York Central foamer hat and admire the 20th Century Limited RPO in the background. NYC 5018.

Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society commented on Brian's comment

Confirmation that I'm in the correct place and a better view of the Monon freighthouse. Note the steam locomotive. Is this one different from the one in the street view at the top of this notes?
Street View, Apr 2026

I know of French Lick as a resort town back in the horse and buggy days because of its mineral springs. It appears that both Monon and Southern built a spur to service the resorts. And Blake's comment above indicates that Monon and Southern used these spurs to interchange traffic. There is still a French Lick Resort that has three hotels with golf courses, spas and a casino. (Unlike steel mills, coal mining, manufacturing, etc., gambling is an industry that is growing in the USA.)
1951/51 Hillham Quad @ 24,000

The railway has a yard south of their depot where they store more equipment. I see steam locomotive there also. But this view has a different time than the views above, so it may be the same locomotive.
Street View, Apr 2021

Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society posted 30 photos with the comment:
From the Monon Bygone page on French Lick - Mile post D17.7 on the French Lick Branch of the Monon: 
“Today, French Lick, Indiana is better known as the hometown of Indiana basketball legend and NBA Hall Of Farmer Larry Bird. At one time this southern Indiana community was better known for other things. The Monon's 17.7 mile track ended at the very front steps of the French Lick Springs Hotel. This resort, in its heyday was home to all manner of entertainment, including infamous gambling. The Springs was a favorite haunt for horse players who attended the Kentucky Derby. On derby weekend the house tracks would be full of special derby consists. This long tradition of Derby trains lasted until the very end of the Monon. The last derby special ran May 1971 and included one coach and a business car, pulled by C-420 #503.” 
The French Lick Depot was a joint depot which served both the Monon and Southern Railway. It was completed in 1907. It hasn’t changed much over the years and is still being used as a train depot for the French Lick Scenic Railway and is home to the Indiana Railway Museum. It is a must see for Indiana rail fans. 
Here are some photographs from the MRHTS archives of French Lick, from back in the day. 
As always, there’s more in our archives and on the Monon.org website. 
1
French Lick Depot under construction

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[As a comment implies, Southern was evidently on the other side of the depot.]

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Water tower at French Lick. This sat north of the Freight Depot.

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From the Barriger collection

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From the Barriger collection
Robin Coulter: My family's truck.

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North side of freight depot at French Lick. Lots of hand carts for loading and unloading goods. This platform is now gone but the cement supports for the platform remain.

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French Lick Freight Depot, looking north on the tracks.

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Charles Huffer collection.

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Freight Depot at French Lick. Sure is a busy place! Can’t quite tell what is in those boxes on the platform. Are they loading or unloading the boxcar?

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Rick Dreistadt: Shoe boxes or blocks of wood???
Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society: Rick Dreistadt Pluto water!
Rick Dreistadt: Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society Why didn't I think of that?
[I wondered if Pluto Water was a brand name for shipping their mineral water. It was.]

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View north towards French Lick freight depot. Water tower sat north of freight depot and east side of the tracks. It just visible on far right of photograph.

Montgomery C: Schram City, IL: (Hillsboro) Indiana & Illinois Coal Mine #11

(Satellite)

Judy Goby Oxtoby posted
Hillsboro, Montgomery County
A wonderful antique image displaying Illinois' mining and railroad history.
From the Dr. Geo. Sokol Collection
Charles Riner: They r hauling coal from Hillsboro to Springfield by truck daily.
Dennis DeBruler shared

Directory

isgs

By 1939, it looks like only a tailings pile or two was left.
1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP