The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum (HVRM) in North Judson, Indiana will soon receive a Monon business car and caboose from the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society in Salem, Indiana. Both are planned to be used by the museum in excursion service, with a portion of the ticket sales for rides in the business car to go to the society.
The business car, named Lynne and numbered #2, was built by Pullman and used on the Great Northern Railway’s The Oriental Limited. The Monon purchased the car in 1953 where it was named Lynne after the two-year old granddaughter of Warren Brown, President of the Monon Railroad at the time. After changing several hands, the car landed at the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society in 2011.
In contrast, caboose no. 81532 was built specifically for the Monon in 1956 in their shops at Lafayette, Indiana. After changing hands a couple of times, the caboose was obtained by the society in 1985.
Both cars are in operable condition and currently stored at the French Lick Scenic Railway in Indiana awaiting to be moved. HVRM has set up a donation page at https://www.hoosiervalley.org/support/donations/monon-equipment-fund to solicit donations for the move and any future restoration efforts needed on them. These two cars join the ever growing collection of Monon equipment at the railroad, including an EMD SW-1, boxcar, and another caboose.
Images from the HVRM website.
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