Along The Right Of Way

 

April 2004

M.P. 137.0 - 4th Subdivision - FA

(Background Information Courtesy Of The Linden Junction Depot Railroad Museum)

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Left: CSX Minline (formerly Monon) downtown Linden, Indiana. Looking to the south. Right: CSX southbound rumbles through Linden, past the Depot Museum and Monon Headquarters.

The Michigan City, Salem and New Albany Railroad (later Monon) constructed the first railroad to serve Linden in 1852. The first town depot was located behind the present day Post Office on Walnut Street. In 1881, the Toledo, St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad (Cloverleaf) was built through town crossing the Monon at the site of the present day Linden Depot Museum. In 1885 the narrow gauge Cloverleaf Railroad was converted to standard guage. The uptown depot was moved and placed at the crossing of the two railroads. In 1907 burned down and a boxcar was use until the present depot was built in 1908.

Linden depot, date unknown. The Monon crossed the Nickle Plate Road's St. Louis line here. After World War II the Nickle Plate became of of the stronger eastern roads. Freight moved quickly from Louisville to Linden, then east on the Nickle Plate. George Hilton photo.

 

 

 

The town was host to several hotels, including the Simpson Montgomery Hotel (later renamed the Linden Hotel) and the Exchange Hotel (which was just south of the depot), which served visitors and salemen arriving by rail. The town's largest employer was the Marsden Factory, which was a manufacturer of cellulose for battleships and cruisers of the Navy. The factory once employed 50-100 people and was located east of the depot. The factory was destroyed by fire in 1900 and was never rebuilt. On a typical day in 1917 saw eight scheduled Monon and four Nickle Plate passenger trains. The last Nickle Plate passenger train stopped in 1957 and the final Monon was in 1964. The Railway Express Agency closed in 1964 and the Norfolk Southern officially closed the depot in 1984.

 

November 1964. Monon #6, led by F3A 203 makes a station stop at Linden. The interchange with the Nickel Plate line is to the right of the engine. Richard Baldwin Photo.

 

 

In 2004 Linden is home to the Monon Railroad Historical Technical Society's World Headquarters. Located south of the Depot Museum. The depot, which houses the museum is the oldest junction depot in the State Of Indiana and is listed on the National Registry Of Historic Places. It has been restored to a 1950's era of railroading and is operated by the Linden- Madison Township Historical Society. A Nickle Plate caboose sits on display as well as two former Monon cars "in the valley" between the museum and the Monon Society's HQ. The museum features a collection of railroad artifacts from the two roads it once served. Next time you pass through, please stop by the Museum.

Linden Depot, circa 1961. View of the backside of the depot.

 

 

 

 

Linden 4

Near Linden, Indiana September 20, 1940. This picture was taken near Linden. Photographer unknown. Crew of this extra southbound poses for the camera. This train was moving 100 new Pullman Standard hopper cars from Layfayette to the I&L Branch for coal loading.

  

Left: 1967, Linden, Indiana. Long line of Monon motive power approaching the Nickle Plate crossing. The freight is headed up by Number 510, an Alco C-420. Tony Koester photo. Right: 1962. Monon freight with locomotive 407 in the lead passing through Linden.

  

Left:: Linden Depot Museum. The former depot shared with the Nickle Plate is now a museum. Great exhibits and photos. Right: Monon Restoration projects on display. Left: Caboose 283 and Boxcar 1620 on display in "the valley" with museum in background. Right: Better look at Boxcar 1620. To learn more on the museum, visit their website.

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