Glasgow Railway
Encyclopedia
The Glasgow Railway is an American
short-line railroad whose line runs from Park City
to Glasgow, Kentucky
.
Though independently owned by the Robert Lessenberry family of Glasgow, the line is operated under long-term lease by CSX Transportation
, as corporate successor to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
. As such, the company has no locomotive
s or operable rolling stock
, and apparently has noreporting mark
assigned to it.
The Glasgow Railway connects its namesake city with the former L&N's namesake main line at Park City, which itself was formerly named Glasgow Junction.
Railroad Company, and was built in 1856, with the intention of connecting with the L&N, then itself under construction. According to Lessenberry, county leaders raised taxes to fund the line, which angered resident of the eastern portion of the county. That portion seceded and eventually became part of neighboring Metcalfe County
.
That company was sold to three local businessmen, including prominent attorney William Logan Porter, in 1868 and renamed the Glasgow Railroad Company. The men later sold the line to the Glasgow Railway Company in 1899.
The line is freight-only, serving numerous factories in Glasgow. It once used a ramp for piggyback
service, whose main customer was a local moving company; the ramp was literally the end of the line, adjacent to a city street.
The only structure on the line is the freight station at Glasgow. A passenger station was once located at the community of Oil City.
For a brief period in the 1990s, the Glasgow Railway hosted a tourist train using an EMD SD9
locomotive that was notable for being specially ballasted for use on the steep grade at Madison, Indiana
on the former Pennsylvania Railroad
(now the Madison Railroad
).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
short-line railroad whose line runs from Park City
Park City, Kentucky
Park City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 517 at the 2000 census. It has historically served as a gateway to nearby Mammoth Cave National Park and Diamond Caverns, a privately-owned cave attraction....
to Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
.
Though independently owned by the Robert Lessenberry family of Glasgow, the line is operated under long-term lease by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, as corporate successor to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
. As such, the company has no locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s or operable rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
, and apparently has noreporting mark
Reporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
assigned to it.
The Glasgow Railway connects its namesake city with the former L&N's namesake main line at Park City, which itself was formerly named Glasgow Junction.
History
The line began as the Barren CountyBarren County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of...
Railroad Company, and was built in 1856, with the intention of connecting with the L&N, then itself under construction. According to Lessenberry, county leaders raised taxes to fund the line, which angered resident of the eastern portion of the county. That portion seceded and eventually became part of neighboring Metcalfe County
Metcalfe County, Kentucky
Metcalfe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 10,037. Its county seat is Edmonton. The county is named for Thomas Metcalfe, Governor of Kentucky from 1828-32...
.
That company was sold to three local businessmen, including prominent attorney William Logan Porter, in 1868 and renamed the Glasgow Railroad Company. The men later sold the line to the Glasgow Railway Company in 1899.
Current
The only surviving rolling stock of the Glasgow Railway is passenger car 109, which is one of only a handful of such cars in a Jim Crow configuration remaining in existence. The car is in an advanced state of decay, despite various efforts to save it over the years, and sits on a siding near the line's terminus in Glasgow. The car was used on the daily (sometimes twice-daily) mixed train that ran from Glasgow to the L&N connection.The line is freight-only, serving numerous factories in Glasgow. It once used a ramp for piggyback
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
service, whose main customer was a local moving company; the ramp was literally the end of the line, adjacent to a city street.
The only structure on the line is the freight station at Glasgow. A passenger station was once located at the community of Oil City.
For a brief period in the 1990s, the Glasgow Railway hosted a tourist train using an EMD SD9
EMD SD9
An EMD SD9 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and June 1959. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 16-cylinder engine which generated . This model is, externally, similar to its predecessor, the SD7. The principal spotting feature are the...
locomotive that was notable for being specially ballasted for use on the steep grade at Madison, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
on the former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(now the Madison Railroad
Madison Railroad
The Madison Railroad , a division of the City of Madison Port Authority, is a short-line railroad in southeastern Indiana. The Madison Railroad begins along the Ohio River in the western part of the city of Madison and from there runs generally northwest through Jefferson County, then crosses...
).