The Monon's McDoel Yard in Bloomington was named after W. H. McDoel, President of the Monon from 1899-1909.  The residential area near McDoel Yard is known as McDoel Gardens.  McDoel Yard was the second largest facility on the railroad with the shops in Lafayette being the largest. Trains working locally out of McDoel would travel to to Bedford, French Lick, Orleans, Gosport, Ellettsville and to Wallace Junction to pickup or deliver freight.  McDoel yards could hold 700 rail cars which were rolling warehouses to the businesses and industries in Bloomington and other towns along the line.  Cars in the yard would be sorted and placed in long haul freight trains which would deliver them to Lafayette, Chicago, Indianapolis, Michigan City or Louisville on to their destination. 

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

In 1927 the yard office was on the west side of the Yards about 2000 feet South of Grimes Lane.  Sanborn fire maps call this the "Telegraph Office".  In the row stooped down, the man on the left is Roy Pope. The third from the left in that same row is Ray Stevenson.   The fellow standing with the white shirt, black vest, no hat, is Fox, he was the "telegrapher".  The man  on the right, sitting next to the track wearing the white shirt is Raz Freeman.  He eventually became a conductor with the Monon.  His granddaughter, Tanice Freeman Hinson still resides in Bloomington.  If you can identify anyone else in this picture let us know.  

McDoel Yard Office -1927
looking North toward town
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