MP 247.2 5th Subdivision-Fd

Bedford Indiana stand on top of the limestone hills of Southern Indiana. The area surrounding this city once prospered along with the many Stone Mills. The city is bordered by valleys to the north and south, which meant that the railroad had to deal with steep grades coming in and leaving the community.

Two employees pose for the camera on the Bedford turntable. This picture is from the early 1900's.

 

 

 

 

Monon Steam Locomotive #108 at the Bedford roundhouse, February 1937.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: The first depot at Bedford. Another of the "run through" depots. The date is 1892. Right: Another shot of the original Bedford Depot. -Lloyd Kimble collection-

Bedford, Indiana, circa 1914. Passengers board, or depart from passenger train as horse drawn carriages await. This is the second of three depots at Bedford. This depot was gutted by fire in 1903 when the freight house burnt down.

 

 

 

 

  

The Monon wasn't the only railroad through town. The Milwaukee Road crossed the Monon and also served the quarry districts in and around Bedford. Left and Right: The Bedford Milwaukee Road depot, circa 1970's. The East end of the MILW station contained offices and the ticket window. The center of the station was the waiting room. The West end was the express room. Interesting, during the 1950's and 1960's the Bedford Railway Express Agency Office was located in that end of the Milwaukee station. When the Monon passenger trains arrived REA would drive over to the Monon station to meet the train and then take the packages back to the Milwaukee station.

Milwaukee Road freight about to cross the Monon. Unknown year. Steve Stafford photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: The MILW station did not have a basement. The small stone structure on the West end of the station was a rather elaborate boiler house to heat the station. Sometime in the early 1960's they installed some form of heat within the station and quit using the boiler house. Although the station remains much as it has always been, the boiler house has been torn down.. Right: Another look at the Milwaukee Road depot at Bedford.

 

The depot, circa 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: The B&O Railroad also at one time called Bedford home. Pictured is the depot. Right: Steam locomotive 1592 at Bedford. The B&O station and yards in Bedford both lasted into the L&N period. During the 40's ,50's and early 60's the station was used by Black lumber in Bedford while a fuel oil/coal dealer received tank cars and coal hopper in the yard from the Monon. To reach the station and yard the Monon went down the Blue Hole track, which was the original B&O connection to the Monon, across "I" Street and then backed into to the yards which were East of the Monon Station down in the "bottom. Reportedly the Bedford Belt ran trains for quarry works out of this station to Oolitic.

  

Right of way and yard north of the Milwaukee crossing and the depot.

  

Southbound freight with A-B-A lash up, F3 #61 on the point, passing the Bedford freight house, circa late 1940's.

 

 

 

 

 

Milepost 245.8, Bedford, Indiana. Train #6, the northbound Thoroughbred arrives at the limestone depot

 

 

 

 

 

Northbound Train #6 making a stop at Bedford, 1948. The paint scheme and the stremlined passenger cars are fairly new. -Charles Herley photograph-

 

 

  

Different years, same location. Left: 1963 and Train #6 makes a stop in Bedford. Right Train #6 under Alco power stopping at Bedford, 1966, or 1967. -Linton Moss Photographs-

 

Bedford depot, exact date unknown.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: The Bedford depot, all lit up. Rare night shot of the depot. Right: Interior shot of the agent's desk inside the depot.

  

Left and Right: Budd RDC car at Bedford. For several weeks this car ran between Bloomington, Monon and Bedford as an experiment during 1950. These images come courtesy of Tim Swan. The black and white shot was taken by Charles Herley.

 

Tank cars on J Street in Bedford, 1930's

 

 

 

 

 

Street running in Bedford. Train #5 with Dinning-Parlor-Observation #48 on the end rumbles through the streets. Soon it will be making a stop at the limestone depot. -MRHTS Archive Collection-

 

 

 

 

  

Left: November 28, 1962 Northbound Thoroughbred street running at Bedford. Right: Approaching the station.

  

Left: Northbound freight running J Street, July of 1949. Right: Train #6 on J Street gliding into the depot.

  

Street running in Bedford. date unknown.

 

Northbound Train 6 passing the lumber yard approaching the depot.

 

 

 

 

 

C-628 #407 on southbound freight at Bedford. David Ingles Photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

Lash up of C-420's working the yard at Bedford, 1966. This consisit is crossing the Milwaukee Road diamond.

 

 

 

 

Bedford Indiana action, circa 1971. Multiple unit lash up arriving at Bedford with a southbound freight, April 1971. Included are units #602, 506, 603, 602 and 608. A normal motive power consist on the southern part of the railroad.

 

 

 

 

Local action at Bedford, circa 1969. RS2 #59 operating north of the depot. -Courtesy Steve Dolzall-

 

 

 

 

NW-1 #16 in original black and yellow scheme working the north side of Bedford. -Jim Craig Collection-

 

 

 

 

 

  

Beford Foundry from the air. The Dickinson Mill is pictured in the upper right of the photos. -Courtesy Pete Pedigo collection-

 

Bedford depot as seen from an Amtrak dome car in the 1970's.

 

 

 

 

  

Train 6 at Bedford. Left: Northbound at Bedford, circa 1948. Right: Northbound traveling "J" Street, circa 1947.

 

  

Left: Bedford Freight house, August 1972. Right: Ex Monon yard engine house at Bedford. The building still stands today. It oulasted the railroad and the cement company. Picture taken in 1982.

  

Bedford Freight House. Left: Freight house as seen from the northeast. Right: South side of the freight house.

 

Bedford enginehouse, circa early 1960's? There was no date listed.

 

 

 

Looking south along the Monon and CTSE crossing, before 1949. Note the steel water tank pictured. It was on the north side of 13th St., several hundred feet southwest west of the freighthouse and west of the mainline.  It had two water plugs adjacent to the mainline, one north and one south of the depot. -Courtesy Tim Swan-

 

 

 

  

The Bedford Depots. Left: The former Monon depot on J Street, May 2004. Despite the current state of disrepair, the old sturdy building is home to a Lawrence County Solid Waste District recycling station. The Bedford Urban Enterprise Association had been renting the building and recently closed on a deal with CSX to purchase it. The BUEA has allocated funds for repairs. which will prevent further damage. Right: Former CTSE/MILW (Southern Indiana Railroad) depot in Bedord stands silent.

  

More views of the Bedford depot. Left: Looking at the east wall of the depot, October 1970. Right. July 2002. Another look at the east wall. Looking from the northeast.

Looking towards the north.

 

 

 

 

 

Another view of the Bedford Depot, circa 1983. Looking from the northwest at the west wall of the depot.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left and Right: To more looks at the Bedford depot. Tracks pictured to the left of both images are the old Milwaukee Road, now CP.

Today the only trains which pass through are Canadian Pacific freights use the old Milwaukee Road, now CP, eastbound line onto the former Monon (CSX) for the 79 mile trip to Louisville.

Northbound (westbound) Milwaukee Road frieght leaving the Monon (depot seen in background) and heading on to its home rails in 1974.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking to the south from the depot towards downtown and J Street.

 

 

 

 

Looking north along the mainline at Bedford. Great shot of what it would look like from the cab.

 

 

 

 

  

Street running in Bedford. Monon President John Barriger re-established "double-daily" passenger service on the mainline, the French Lick local was also restored. It handled the Chicago - French Lick Pullman off of the Louisville night train. Left: Mainline track J Street, date uknown. Right: Southbound local street running. Later, after the L&N merger and track usage rights were granted to the Milwaukee Road, up to ten trains daily would pass through the town square in Bedford.

 

  

Street Running In Bedford 2004. Tracks continue to travel the middle of J Street.

 

  

Left: Northbound Thoroughbred, April 1967, moving through the rain soaked streets of Bedford. Right: A trio of RS2's, numbers 55, 56 and 57 working the streets of Bedford, circa 1967. Photo courtesy of Max Foltz.

 

The year is 1946. The Monon's train #5 brakes for its stop at Bedford, with a 4-6-2 K-6 Pacific on the point. In less than a year diesels would take over and many of the old steam engines would be retired.

 

 

 

 

September 1949. Local #41 arrives at Bedford. It spent most of its day switching the many industries along the mainline.

 

 

 

The end of passenger service on the Monon. The last run of the The Thoroughbred, thus ending passenger service by the Monon. The date is September 30, 1967.

 

 

 

 

  

Limestone gondolas at Bedford. Left: Stone gondola loaded, April 1977 at Bedford. Right: Monon gondola, April 1983 at the B&B junction at Bedford. The tracks in the foreground are that of the B&B Branch.

  

Yard at Bedford. Left: Looking to the north from the yard at Bedford. Right: Looking south towards the depot and downtown Bedford.

  

Left: Interesting shot looking north. Right: Another shot looking north. Steve Stafford photographs.

  

Left: Looking south towards the depot, circa 1980's. Right: Northbound Seaboard freight moving through the old yard area. Steve Stafford photographs.

Seaboard freight northbound. Train has just crossed the diamonds. Steve Stafford photograph.

 

 

 

 

  

Stone Mills on the B&B Branch. Left: Looking north along the old B&B Branch at Bedford. Right: One of the many old Stone Mills around Bedford once served by the Monon.

  

Left: Bedford Stone Company mill, circa 1984. Right: Another of the old mills on the former B&B Branch, also circa 1984.

Aerial view of Bedford and part of the B&B wye.

 

 

 

 

  

South Bedford. Left: Northbound freight with 504 on the point. Right: RS2 on local on the southside.

  

Left and Right, Above and Below. White River Bridge, south of Bedford. These photographs are of the bridge, circa 2006. The mile post for this bridge is 250.0.

  

NEW 05-12-2008 BMIA Operative Steve Stafford and Pete Pedigo conducted an operation along the White River to evaluate a new Hovercraft. During their exercises they visited and shot some nice pictures of the former Monon bridge over the White River. If you would like to watch a short movie clip of the adventure, visit You Tube. Many thanks to Steve and Pete for providing the pictures. - Pete Pedigo Photographs -

  

 

  

 

  

Yep, looks like they were having way too much fun. - Pete Pedigo Photographs -

Bedford 2010

 

END OF AN ERA

Friday, May 7, 2010 saw the end of an era for Bedford. The INRD ran its last passenger train. The passenger train briefly parked on former Monon trackage near the depot, while the motive power was turned. It signaled the final train. Cecil Smith of Salem, Indiana provided these photos of the last train to Bedford.

  

Left and Right: Passenger consist on former Monon right of way.

  

Left: After turning, the motive power backs up to the cars. Right: So long to Bedford. A sad day indeed.

 

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