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

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12
[As a comment implies, Southern was evidently on the other side of the depot.]

13

14

15

16

17

18
Water tower at French Lick. This sat north of the Freight Depot.

19
From the Barriger collection

20
From the Barriger collection

Robin Coulter: My family's truck.

21
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.

22
French Lick Freight Depot, looking north on the tracks.

23
Charles Huffer collection.

24
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?

25

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.]

26

27

28

29

30
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.