French Lick Scenic Railway 3 & 208 @ French Lick, IN
GE 80-tonner
1912 Baldwin 2-6-0
Sitting at the 1907 Monon depot at French Lick IN
The Indiana Railway Museum currently operates as the French Lick Scenic Railway operating passenger trains over twenty-five miles of track from French Lick to Jasper. The driving force behind the Railway is to provide guests with an experience harking back to a time when rail travel was the primary means of long distance travel.
Named for its bubbling mineral springs, French Lick gained prominence in the mid 1800s when Dr. William Bowles built a three story guest house around the largest spring. This underground spring not only attracted visitors to the area, but became a lucrative source of "special bottled water". After Bowles died in 1873, new property managers expanded the property into the French Lick Springs Resort and Spa. By the turn of the century, hundreds of guests arrived by Pullman Car every day.
On par with some of the greatest spas in Europe, the West Baden Springs Hotel was added in 1902. This sudden popularity came from more than just the presence of miracle water". Although illegal at the time, it was gambling that attracted the majority of these new visitors.
In town, built to handle the ever increasing traffic, the Monon Depot was added in 1907. Along with French Lick's hotels, the depot survives today, marking the starting point for the French Lick Scenic Railroad
French Lick Scenic Railway 3 & 208 @ French Lick, IN
GE 80-tonner
1912 Baldwin 2-6-0
Sitting at the 1907 Monon depot at French Lick IN
The Indiana Railway Museum currently operates as the French Lick Scenic Railway operating passenger trains over twenty-five miles of track from French Lick to Jasper. The driving force behind the Railway is to provide guests with an experience harking back to a time when rail travel was the primary means of long distance travel.
Named for its bubbling mineral springs, French Lick gained prominence in the mid 1800s when Dr. William Bowles built a three story guest house around the largest spring. This underground spring not only attracted visitors to the area, but became a lucrative source of "special bottled water". After Bowles died in 1873, new property managers expanded the property into the French Lick Springs Resort and Spa. By the turn of the century, hundreds of guests arrived by Pullman Car every day.
On par with some of the greatest spas in Europe, the West Baden Springs Hotel was added in 1902. This sudden popularity came from more than just the presence of miracle water". Although illegal at the time, it was gambling that attracted the majority of these new visitors.
In town, built to handle the ever increasing traffic, the Monon Depot was added in 1907. Along with French Lick's hotels, the depot survives today, marking the starting point for the French Lick Scenic Railroad