The ''Hoosier'' was a

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...

operated by the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway (Monon) between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, and

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. It operated from 1911 to 1959. A

Hoosier Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem "T ...

is a resident of the state of Indiana.

History

The train was inaugurated in 1911 as the ''Hoosier Limited'' and was intended as the premier service of the Monon Railroad. New Barney and Smith cars were acquired for the service. In April 1914 the trains name was shortened to simply the ''Hoosier''. The train's consist featured an elaborate

dining car A dining car (American English) or a restaurant car (British English), also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant. It is distinct from other railroad food service cars that ...

and

observation car An observation car/carriage/coach (in US English, often abbreviated to simply observation or obs) is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the rearmost carriage, with windows or a platform on the rear of th ...

. Unique among the Monon's passenger trains, the ''Hoosier'' retained its name through

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Twice-daily service was suspended through

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, but was restored in 1946. The service was

streamlined Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow. They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady. Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the framework of ...

starting on August 17, 1947, with full conversion completed that November. Due to competition from automobile and highway use in the 1950s, passenger numbers began to decline. Dining car service was gradually reduced and then finally eliminated in 1957. In 1958, the railroad petitioned the Indiana Public Service Commission to discontinue its passenger trains. The ''Hoosier'' made its final run April 9, 1959, with little fanfare. The Monon considered reviving the service in 1964, but this did not come to pass.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

began operating their ''

Hoosier State Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

'' service between Chicago and Indianapolis in 1980, partially on former Monon tracks.

References

External links

* {{Monon named trains Named passenger trains of the United States Passenger trains of the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Railway services introduced in 1911 Railway services discontinued in 1959