Thoroughbred (train)

Thoroughbred

Two EMD F3s lead the Thoroughbred through South Chicago in 1965
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States
Predecessor	Day Express
First service	February 15, 1948
Last service	September 30, 1967
Former operator	Monon Railroad
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois Louisville, Kentucky
Distance travelled	324.1 miles (521.6 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number	5 southbound / 6 northbound
Route map v t e Legend Chicago Englewood IL IN Hammond Cedar Lake Lowell Shelby Rensselaer Monon Tippecanoe and Hoosier to Indianapolis Reynolds Lafayette Linden Crawfordsville Ladoga Roachdale Greencastle Bloomington Bedford Mitchell Orleans Salem New Albany IN KY Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge Louisville

The Thoroughbred was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway (Monon) between Chicago, Illinois and Louisville, Kentucky via Monon, Indiana. It operated from 1948 to 1967. The Thoroughbred was the last passenger train operated by the Monon. It was named for the Thoroughbred horse breeds, a nod to the horse racing heritage of Louisville.

History

See also: Monon Railroad and John W. Barriger III

Following World War II new Monon president John W. Barriger III embarked on a program to renew the Monon's passenger service, long neglected. The centerpiece of this program was a group of 28 surplus hospital cars originally built by the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF) in 1944–1945 for the U.S. Army. The Monon rebuilt these cars in their shops, creating enough lightweight coaches, parlor-observation cars, dining cars and mail/baggage cars to create three new streamliners: the Chicago-Indianapolis Hoosier and Tippecanoe , and the Chicago-Louisville Thoroughbred. ^{[1] : 153  [2] : 23}

The Thoroughbred made its first run on February 15, 1948, replacing the Day Express. Monon discontinued the Thoroughbred on September 30, 1967. It was the final passenger service on the Monon, although Amtrak's Hoosier State utilized part of Monon's route between Indianapolis and Chicago. ^{[2] : 23–28}

Route

The route length was 324 miles (521 km); the train operated as #5 (southbound) and #6 (northbound) and used Dearborn Station in Chicago.

References

1. Schafer, Mike; Welsh, Joe (1997). Classic American Streamliners. Osceola, Wisconsin: MotorBooks International. ISBN   978-0-7603-0377-1.
2. Sanders, Craig (2003). Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-253-34216-4.

External links

• 1951 timetable