Michael's Railworld - Pilot Episode: The Monon Story

Welcome all to the pilot of a new series on this channel called Michael's Railworld on where we explore some of the overlooked, unusual, underappreciated, or quirkiest things in railroading both in the USA and abroad!
On this episode, we look at a class one railroad, one that actually operated entirely in one state and didn't have trackage built outside of it. A railroad that's often overshadowed by other well known railroads due to their equipment, history, or rivalries. But this railroad has a charm that no other railroad has been able to replicate in recent times, so climb on board as we explore the Hoosier state's railroad, the Monon!
(THIS VIDEO IS FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES, NO MONEY IS GOING TO BE MADE OFF OF THIS)

[@Dynaglide92rc]

Excellent Video. I lived within 1/2 mile of the Monon when I was 12 to 15 years old . We could hear the train coming . We knew when it was going to be there. You could set your watch by it. Such a pleasant sound laying in bed at night and hearing that distant horn.

[@williamdavis8161]

The Monon bordered our farm when I was growing up. I miss the trains!

[@Sigil_Firebrand]

Monon was one of those railroads I never really knew much about, or why so many people love them. Thank you for the great video and the story~!

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

You're welcome

[@anthonyhunt701]

Loving this👍🏻🚂 my Dad used to ride the Monon from Evansville to Chicago👍🏻

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

I will never know what I is that fascinates me about the Monon Railroad here, with one slight exception. On some of the lightly traveled roads, at their railroad crossings, they supposedly utilized a "green light protection" grade crossing signal! How did this form of grade crossing protection work? Quite simple, in my opinion. If you saw its green light lit up it meant that the upcoming grade crossing would be safe to cross. However, if that green light was NOT lit up you were expected to slow down, come to a STOP, looking both ways for an oncoming train! This system could function on any signaled section of track since any oncoming train "shunts" a track's circuit, enabling a railroad's wayside signals to go "red" (or for a semaphore's blade to go horizontal). Another advantage to their "green light signal" crossing protection is that should the light bulb burn out it will also indicate that the motor vehicle operator should prepare to stop, look, and listen. It could NOT give a "false" clear indication. (Of course, unless it has been sabotaged, similar to the Hyder, AZ Amtrak train derailment incident back in 1995. Check it out, that is, if you understand the function of any railroad's track circuit system.)

[@MarkWick]

My family and I rode the Monon line from Lafayette to Chicago several times. I was working in the Lafayette Shops as a diesel mechanic the summer of the merger and still have MONON and L&N Pay stubs. In the 1980s and early '90s, I was building American Flyer S gauge train layouts and, when I found locomotives or cars that needed repairs and paint work, I painted all of them in MONON colors. The locomotives and passenger cars were painted as MONON would have painted them in 1948 with the black and gold scheme for freight and two tones of gray separated by the red band bordered by a white stripe with narrow gold stripes above and below that stripe. Later passenger livery was one gray tone and the gold pinstripes were deleted. One boxcar I repainted became a reproduction of the very first MONON boxcar, numbered 1. Another had the later scheme with the white band along the top of the sides. My American Flyer MONON copies can be seen here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2aTmqNrec2cbbs. My son still has them all stored at his home which is just feet from the mounds that were under the MONON line north of Indianapolis. (BTW, the colors of Indiana University are cream and crimson, but you are correct that the colors were meant to recognize IU.) I am a new subscriber to your channel.

[@Jimoff2Gaming]

Wonderful video of the railroad that ran through my hometown. Excellent production!! The KZbin algorithm did me well! Quick thing, the music is a tad bit loud, maybe pull it down a smidge next time, it was hard to hear you at certain points.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be fixed in episode 2.

[@michaellehman1549]

Great railroad to cover for a first in this series. I was fortunate to see the Monon in operation. My dad was in the Air Force and was sent to Indiana University's Business School to get his MBA in 1969-1971. Saw the station soon after we got to Bloomington at the north end of McDoel yard and stopped in to inquire about riding, only to be disappointed to find out I was 2 years too late for that. The second year we lived in Bloomington, we moved to a house that was just across the road from a stone mill on the Maple Hill Branch. It ran from Clear Creek over to various quarries in the area, which provided considerable traffic in the Bloomington and Bedford areas. Almost everyday, a lone RS-2 would come out to switch cars carrying the huge raw limestone blocks from the quarry to the mill, often accompanied by one of the modern wide-vision cabooses. I had just gotten into model railroading, so was just thrilled by this. Another advantage in our move to the southside of town was the bus route to school and back. It took us by the Monon's tie treatment plant just south of McDoel yard. It was served by its own narrowgauge railroad that moved raw ties from the tie yard into the big pressure vessels that injected the ties with creosote. At school (junior high) in downtown Bloomington, the Monon's main ran on the west side of campus. I had a mechanical drawing class the was located in a classroom right next to those tracks. It could get kinda loud with lash-ups of C-420s rolling by, but I was in heaven listening to the beat of those Alcos.

[@Pensyfan19]

If there's one word to describe this video (and series), it's professional. The way this video is put together (especially the intro) reminds me of a 90s or 2000s DVD series on various railroads around the world, with a touch of modernity with present day info and simple editihg. Even though the first episode has a few problems with audio, it's still very well put together and does a great job recounting the history and significance of one of America's greatest and underrated railroads. Can't wait for what this series has in store, as it deserves much more recognition for your hard work.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Thanks so much, I hope you'll enjoy the series as much as I do!

[@bosnchad]

I remember arriving at Dearborn Station in Chicago and seeing Monon Trains waiting to depart. Thanks for the memories.

[@ron5935]

I rode the Monon from Lafayette to Chicago to get home and back to PURDUE in 1961.

[@HoosierDaddy_]

I'm 48yo and have lived within a few blocks of the Monon my entire life. Great video. The music is a bit loud and distracting though. Very good quality presentation. I look forward to seeing more!

[@fredstutske3129]

Excellent video! I had a lot of Monon cars on my HO layout when I was young. Now I know the story behind them. Thanks!

[@khughes1963]

I remember the Monon from 1968-1971 when my family would visit Indianapolis, where my grandparents then lived. I saw the freights go through Indianapolis periodically. Strangely enough, the Monon was the only railroad I’ve ever seen that had its signs “Monon The Hoosier Line” on its crossbucks, with Monon in the distinctive font Barriger adopted. No other railroad I’ve seen in the U.S. ever had this. I’ve seen train bridges and trestles that have the old railroad logos on them, but have never seen any crossings with railroad logos. I’ve seen photos with the DT&I from the 1920s with its own logo.

[@Gamerroemer]

wow i actually discovered a youtuber covering railroad history who does not have over 1k subs. i will watch your career with great interest .

[@Kanikalion]

My family is initially from Monon, IN. My Grandpa owned a service station that was right next to switching yard there. Never was real big into trains or railroads, but I'm working my way into Ho scale model training and man, this railroad without doubt has far, far greater reach and appeal than its size ever should have warranted. Great video. Thanks! But yeah, I would echo commentary as to turning down the background music just a little so your narration can be heard more clearly moving forward. Subscribed. *Panik* "OH NO!" I laughed. Every. Time.

[@jeffreymcneal1507]

Had no idea of this remarkable outfit.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Indeed, the Monon was special in it's own way.

[@RHTeebs]

This was very well done! The only critique I have is that the voice and music volume could have been modified in a few places, but, it was fantastic either way. I've subscribed to you. I expect good things.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be fixed in episode 2.

[@keithstudly6071]

Some mention of the conflicts the Monon had with the many east-west lines in northern Indiana may have been useful. Many of the problems Monon had were due to it's senior status at almost all the crossings of other, larger roads on their way to Chicago. Monon had service to Cincinnati through Indianapolis on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton but B&O bought the line and stopped the arrangement. Monon had planned to build into eastern Kentucky for coal traffic to Chicago but that was stopped at the last moment. Basically Monon was the little guy who was in the way of the big guys and they caused the Monon problems whenever they could. There was also the danger that Southern would make Monon their access to Chicago which was unpopular among the North East railroads.

[@joewins8710]

Very well done! I really love the nostalgia. I'm hooked!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Very enjoyable video. As a Hoosier who also happens to model the Monon it was fun to watch. Looking forward to more videos.

[@paulbergen9114]

Had a relative that lived in Hammond so I did see the moron ever so slightly in their last days and I still remember the track with L&N and trains on it at the big Crossing in town. I would have loved to have seen the Michigan City Line because I think it crossed close to 13 other railroads it must have been an operational nightmare. I'm sure it was a line where personal service and attention was given to a shipper and in old issues of Trains it showed an open Palm with an X and stating it was The Lifeline of Indiana. Thanks for the history

[@douglasjackson5007]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I'm now a subscriber.

[@roberthunerberg1509]

The Rooten Tootin Monon She's A Hoosier Line!

[@kenharbin3440]

Great video. Being in the east I knew very little of this railroad. Very informative and entertaining.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Thanks!

[@roberttaylor3195]

Parts of the original line run right past my grandmothers farm north of New Albany. These days it's a pair of dead rails side by side housing cars in "long-term" storage. Used to play on them when I was a kid. Would have loved to see the 50's era railroads in action.

[@jacktaggart2489]

Very informative and well done. Thank you.

[@Ron_Eid]

I love this! It's so entertaining and informative, I can't wait for the next one!

[@bearowen5480]

Great first effort railroad documentary! I echo others here who critiqued the volume of your background music that frequently makes it difficult or even impossible to hear your excellent narration. As a precocious lad in the 1950s reading my monthly copies of "Trains" magazine in a small town in Washington near Spokane, I was fascinated to read about the cornucopia of far flung railroads across our great country. The Monon was one of them. The strange name intrigued me. Your documentary explained the origin of "Monon" as an American Indian word, but the music made its English translation unintelligible despite replaying several times. I was always curious too about its proper pronunciation. My native Hoosier friend, the late Jim Barrett, famed O gauge model railroader, journalist, and repairman, taught me that it was indeed "Mow-nawn"! As a new subscriber, I look forward to your future contributions in the field of American railroad history.

[@mugiamagi7182]

Great vid, subbed and awaiting episode 2. Like others have said just need to mix the volume way lower and it's golden. Love that you are picking a subject that hasn't already been done too.

[@YsanneOshea]

Enjoyed listening to this. By way of constructive criticism, I found the music a little intrusive. A lower music volume level would negate this somewhat and possibly a better quality Microphone might help as well. The content is excellent and I learned loads of stuff I didn't know. Keep up the good work and thank you for all your effort so far!

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be addressed in episode 2.

[@doggerbendrailway6002]

Great video

[@richardsobieck9660]

Nice job!

[@SimonOfFortune]

Cool video! More people need to be covering Hoosier railroad history.

[@LearnwithJanice]

Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸

[@captainhuggyface6731]

1:16 dont forget that milwaukee road running electric trains from wisconsin almost all the way to the west coast

[@Dexter037S4]

love the Motorworld intro, it's a crime it only lasted 1 season.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

I felt it would work well for a train series. The various parts fit the train eras/regions so well.

[@Morganstein-Railroad]

Technical: You must improve the sound sampling on your narration. Secondly, though the musical accompaniment is appropriate for the subject matter (Well done for getting the music from the bperiod), it needs to be a bit quieter, as it overshadows your narration a bit. Lastly, try not to have so many blank frames, as this can cause casual viewers to lose interest. Other than these three things, your program is interesting, and informative. Excellent first program. I've subscribed, and look forward to the next episode.

[@blainenodes8182]

Big fan of monon route ,great in state history 👍from stpaul have history on vhs fr green frog"

[@blainenodes8182]

A lot of clips are from green frog video/history

[@stereoplayers]

I've tried looking for information on it...when Amtrak's Hoosier State was inaugurated, I'm guessing that it was named to honor the Monon's Hoosier (and ran on basically the same route). As I've said, I haven't been able to find any information about that.

[@frederickschulkind8431]

I have a history book on that railroad. One of their problems was that their tracks ran on many city streets. Amtrak's Cardinal runs on part of it.

[@lucasrem]

You are right, unable to update the tracks through narrow streets. We only need modern tracks, that can do freight and High Speed services.

[@KCRX3]

I volunteer at the Hoosier valley railroad museum and we also have a transfer caboose and boxcar from the Monon being preserved on site. Was that a clip from GMF Train Videos at 3:32?

[@captainhuggyface6731]

good stuff, you have what most almost good train channels lack, a confident voice, although the music was alittle loud compared to your voice

[@johnschultz9023]

C&WI stands for Chicago & Western Indiana, not Illinois. The Dixie Flyer was a joint effort and didn't include the Monon. The music is too loud.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Sorry, the music volume will be fixed in episode 2.

[@formerparatrooper]

Did you ever do something like this on the Soo Line? Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault St. Marie?

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Maybe for season 2. Wait and see. 😏

[@Gb_cole]

Nicely done video, very interesting. I have an oriental F3A Monon engine and that's what caught my eye on the thumbnail. Your music is unfortunately quite loud and makes trying to listen to the narrator quite difficult but that's my only gripe.

[@theisraelilocomotive70414]

If I may, where did you get the very first clip of the video? Of the very difficult to identify steamer and it’s yellow coaches.

[@mshum538]

Voice and background music are competing with each other, sorry~~~

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be addressed by episode 2.

[@lucasrem]

After WW II it was all over, the Westinghouse people went out of business. Can we reinvent trains again in the US ? We need them now more than ever !

[@ptdiamonds9414]

nice music

[@JohnHuntt]

background music too loud so I can hear the narrator.

[@limestonepost]

This is an excellent video -- from the images and video clips to the editing and narration. The production value is outstanding. Congrats on a great pilot episode!

[@williamgreene4834]

That's not the Barringer from the great meteor crater is it?

[@jefferykeeper9034]

Footnote the L & N bought the C & EI from the MP .

[@manga12]

ah the monon the indiana railroad, we went past the old shops in 2016 or 15 on the july walbash cannonball excursion by norfolk southern and the fort wayne railroad historical society, transco I belive is who uses the old car shops for railcar work and rebuilding today or was last used, it was this trip that got me into historical railroading, though it was the guy jim fetchero that was the guy renting out the dome car form iowa pacific that pointed out what a transer table was vs a turntable as we went by, that differance being that a transfer table went side to side to differant lines of track vs in a circle with a turntable. a 4 10 4 you say intersting configuration would have ran much lighter in the drivers though, but I would have been a monon type an engine from indiana we could call our OWN TYPE of steamer :} ran f3s the old diesels had soul much astheticly pleasing then the modern things we have today very little distinctions among them but what cab or where accesseries are located no streamlineing no art deco today.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Well, railroads were innovative in the day, I didn't know about the 4-10-4 myself.

[@manga12]

@@gildedrailentertainment5930 yea I did not know much about the monon, well very little compaired to the b and o or nickle plate, and pennsy as that is what aside the nyc we had around here in the north east corner. the one I would have loved to have seen was the b and o w class, it used a watertube boiler but used 4 besler style engines one under each driver and could be changed out one at a time and an new one put in place not unlike diesles, but it was a mini steam engine, or the lima 4 8 6 with the double belpair firebox, and one that used all the advancedments at the time, roller bareings and the works

[@m.rogers5846]

Script and images were good. Music not so much. Very informative overall.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be addressed in episode 2 on where the music won't drown out my talking.

[@headsup2433]

Can`t hear the voice over the music.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be fixed in episode 2.

[@ChpTrxtr]

His name was John Barriger! NOT Barringer!

[@sarasotasage6135]

Background music is too loud!

[@grantdunham335]

The music is too loud for the narration

[@Robbi496]

It was the Chicago and Western INDIANA

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Thank you for the correction

[@uncinarynin]

Now what's a Hoosier? Pardon the dumb question.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

The term Hoosier is for someone that lives in Indiana.

[@JonRRoma]

Nice video; I thought the script was well-prepared, and you used what footage was available of a railroad that's been gone for half a century. My only criticisms are: - John Barriger's last name does NOT have an "N". The slides spelled it correctly, but the narrator mispronounced it repeatedly. - Louisville, Kentucky isn't supposed to be pronounced as "Lewis-ville". It's either "Lou-ee-ville" or "Lou-uh-ville". - Others have pointed out that the C&WI is the Chicago & Western Indiana (not Illinois) as stated. Good job, but these small improvements would have made the video better.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

A couple of hints for you. Don't play the background music so loud, and use a lower pitch voice. Otherwise this was a good video, a bit too close to existing railroad videos, but OK.

[@Michael-eg3rs]

a Monon steam engine still survives!? Well I know what steam engine I'm covering first in Trainz when I get to the Monon

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

Yeah, will you be doing strictly a Monon one or both in a Monon and Soo Line livery?

[@Michael-eg3rs]

@@gildedrailentertainment5930 probably just the Monon. No interest in the SOO right now

[@intercityrailpal]

It all ended when the Mail and express went to trucks , let us thank GM and their highway lobby killing the Monon passenger service . In 1967 .

[@johnschultz9023]

It's called a Rail Diesel Car or RDC, not an RSC.Also, the black spaces between the videos is very distracting.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

That's what I said, RDC

[@TheBandit7613]

We don't need the music. Music, the scourge of KZbin.

[@tonyboloni64]

Intrusive background music.

[@bettym7346]

Sorry, you lost me with the blurry photos, and the loud music track drowning out the voice in too many places. The subject matter deserves better production values. I just can't give you a thumbs up. The idea is good, but the feeling is rushed.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be fixed in episode 2.

[@bettym7346]

@@gildedrailentertainment5930 All Right!

[@stephenwhite546]

A very short stretch of the Monon rail bed in Hammond will see passenger service once agin beginning in 2024. The South Shore will be running a new branch line from Hammond to just a little south of Munster .

[@gekkehansie]

stop the (too loud) music !!

[@richzahnle8198]

Good idea, ruined by the music.

[@gildedrailentertainment5930]

This will be fixed in episode 2.

[@alanfrank7104]

P r o m o S M 😡

[@robertchapman2368]

I know why the monon vanished so a arsonist burn down the main bridge that they used to get across the white river so since the bridge was destroyed they cannot fix it because the White river was too hard to cross to build the bridge

[@user-mr3ct1dm9p]

Actually, it was merged into the L&N about 1971.

[@phibber]

musics way too loud,hard to understand you Im out at 3 minutes. didnt come here for music. i wont be back

[@rushylvania.northern]

I'm going to eventually make a video I'd like to call monon Monday but I have just a clip of the double heritage m216 which it lead a day and week ago

[@doug595959]

great video but music to loud when talking