----- Original Message -----
From: "Mont Switzer" <mhts_switzerm@...>
To: <STMFC@...>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Monon Covered Hopper

Dan,

The short answeer is no. The Monon didn't begin loading grain in

covered hoppers until the late 1960's and then only on a limited basis.
Instead the railroad operated a number of boxcars with roof hatches.

Your Athearn car respresents the Monon's first group of 3 bay covered

hoppers. They were built in 12-53 by Pullman Standard and numbered C.I.L.
4401-4430.

In 1953 three bay covered hoppers were pretty spcialized cars and the

railroad would only have purchased them if had a pre-determined purpose
which was the case. All 30 cars were equipped with vibrators to handle
flour with cars 4401 - 4415 being assigned to General Mills.

The flour business ultimately ended up on airslide cars and the 3 bay

covered hoppers were placed in sand service assinged to Sand Brokers at
Michigan City, IN.

Due to the nature of the products that these cars handled I suspect they

did not travel far from their midwest ownership and they could always seen
on line.

An interesting side note concerns the sand cars that moved between

Michigan City, IN and Indianapolis, IN. As I attempted to dupicate Monon
operatons and schedules in HO scale I learned that train scheduling between
Michigan City branch and Indianapolis branch had the railroad moving sand
cars between the two points via Monon, IN overnight. This is a good example
of how model operations can assist us in learning how the prototype
operated.

Mont Switzer





"D. Port Jr." <hudson464@...> wrote:
Hi everyone,

I have a Athearn PS 2893 Covered Hopper lettered for the Monon.

Did the Monon use them for grain loading?

Thank You.

Dan Port Jr.








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