Kentucky Railway Museum
Encyclopedia
The Kentucky Railway Museum, located in New Haven, Kentucky
, United States
, is a non-profit railroad museum
dedicated to educating the public regarding the history and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them. Originally created in 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky
, the museum is at its third location in extreme southern Nelson County
. It is one of the oldest railroad stations in the United States.
The museum owns four steam and six diesel locomotive
s, and over a hundred pieces of rolling stock. Four of the pieces are separately on the National Register of Historic Places
: the Louisville and Nashville Steam Locomotive No. 152
, the Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
, the Mt. Broderick Pullman Lounge-Obs-Sleeping Car
, and the Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
.
The site of the current museum was built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
in 1856 and 1857, on their old line to Lebanon, Kentucky
. The line was of vital importance to the Union cause, making it a frequent target of Confederate forces under John Hunt Morgan
and others during 1860s; the nearby bridge was even destroyed. The railroad station on the site now is a 1990s replica of the station built at the site in 1910.
The museum was chartered in 1954 by railroad enthusiasts from Louisville, who wished to preserve steam locomotives and other rail paraphernalia., and was originally located at two different locations. One of its very first displays was the Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive, a caboose, and a wooden coach. These first donations, including railroad track, were from the Monon Railroad
and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The museum was chartered in 1954 by the Kentucky General Assembly
, and was originally located at two different locations in Louisville
. The first was at 1837 East River Road where the Louisville Soccer Fields are located. This first location was 6 acres (2.4 ha) in size, and was fenced and lighted by the Louisville Parks Department. The museum eventually left the first location because of flooding from the nearby Ohio River
and a general lack of necessary space. The site opened for the public on May 30, 1958, with its dedication taking place on September 30, 1957. The worst of these floods was in March 1964. In December 1975 it was decided to move the location to a larger and safer location. The museum then moved to the Ormsby Village area at the corner of La Grange Road and Dorsey Lane on land leased from Jefferson County
, known as Ormsby Station, in 1977. The Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive was left at River Road to be repaired. It was situated on 32 acres (12.9 ha). However, the county informed the museum that the lease would not be renewed in 1993; the land was in a highly-valuable commercial area.
With the edict from Jefferson County, it became necessary to move to the current site in New Haven, which opened on July 4, 1990. The original area for the New Haven location was 8 acres (3.2 ha) and a building donated by Lewis and Chester Simms, two New Haven businessmen, and their wives (Elizabeth Jo and Nora respectively). It used the last eighteen miles remaining of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad's old Lebanon line, then under the control of CSX Transportation
, which had taken control of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the 1970s. Train excursion began at the New Haven site in May 1991. The move also inspired the renovation of the New Sherwood Hotel.
Many of the donations to move the museum from Louisville to New Haven was due to the efforts of Glenn Rutherford, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal. During the fund raising for the move Rutherford told many stories regarding the trains at the museum. He was singularly honored for his efforts in November 2003.
Despite moving from Jefferson County, the Kentucky Railway Museum faced concerns with vandalism. In June 1992 it became necessary to build a razor wire perimeter fence after three juveniles of an average age of twelve damaged several of the historic cars and trains. Rich Collins, then the museum director, worried about the facility looking "like Fort Knox
or a penal colony
".
In 1999 the Kentucky Railway Museum was given a grant by CSX Transportation to start a traveling exhibit.
There is one other heritage railroad in Nelson County: the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which is based at the Old Louisville and Nashville Station
in Bardstown, Kentucky
.
#152, a 4-6-2
Pacific style that is believed to be the last operating steam locomotive from the L&N. The museum operates a heritage railroad
and offers excursion trains on selected weekends in summer and fall. The line is a portion of the L&N's former main line from Lebanon Junction
to Corbin
; the museum operates the segment from Boston
to New Haven, with the line having been abandoned east of the museum site. There is a large model train layout and a gift shop at New Haven, in a brick building that is a replica of the former L&N depot there.
The old Louisville and Nashville Steam Locomotive #152 is one of the trains used to take passengers to Boston, Kentucky, and back. It was donated to the museum by Louisville and Nashville Railroad President William H. Kendall in 1957. It is the oldest known remaining 4-6-2 Pacific to exist. It is also the "Official State Locomotive of Kentucky", designated as such on March 6, 2000.
Another locomotive that dates back to the Kentucky Railway Museum's early days is Monon
Route's Diesel Engine No. 32. It was painted black and gold by Monon, and kept as such, to match the school colors of Purdue University
, located in West Lafayette, Indiana
. It was purchased by Monon in 1948, and then acquired by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in August 1971. It became a display at the museum in 1972.
Several historic rail cars are at the facility.
The Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
was one of only two "two wood side steel" car ever made. It was designed for the times of Jim Crow laws
; whichever side was the front during the trip would hold whites, while the rear held blacks. It was given to the Kentucky Railway Museum by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1958. During the Civil War Centennial observances of the 1960s, this car was pulled by the famous Civil War-era steam locomotive, The General
as it toured various parts of the Eastern U.S. rail network.
The Mt. Broderick Pullman Car
was a four-star hotel on rails, with polished brass restroom fixtures and pull out beds. The Pullman Company sold the car to the museum in 1958.
The other historic car at the facility on the National Register is the Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
, also known as The Cardinal due to its red color. It was a gas-powered motor rail car that ran the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad
's "Whiskey Route" between Frankfort, Kentucky
and Paris, Kentucky
.
Train rides leave the museum regularly from the museum to Boston, Kentucky
and back, with picturesque views of the Rolling Fork River Valley. The train crosses roads fourteen times on a single one-way trip. The total trip in 22 miles (35.4 km) and takes 90 minutes. At various times special excursion will involve themes such as train robberies, haunted trains, Easter bunny
, Santa Claus
, and Thomas the Tank Engine
.
s, covering a total area of 3000 square feet (278.7 m²). Dioramas include a German-landscape featuring a village and carnival
, and another depicting convicts working on placing rails.
New Haven, Kentucky
New Haven is a city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census.New Haven was founded as Pottinger's Landing in 1781 and later named New Haven by Samuel Pottinger after the Connecticut town...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a non-profit railroad museum
Railway museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives , railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment.See List of railway museums...
dedicated to educating the public regarding the history and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them. Originally created in 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, the museum is at its third location in extreme southern Nelson County
Nelson County, Kentucky
Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 43,437. Its county seat is Bardstown. The county is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. It is one of the oldest railroad stations in the United States.
The museum owns four steam and six diesel 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, and over a hundred pieces of rolling stock. Four of the pieces are separately on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
: the Louisville and Nashville Steam Locomotive No. 152
L & N Steam Locomotive No. 152
The L & N Steam Locomotive No. 152 is a historic 4-6-2 Pacific Class locomotive on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky. It is the oldest known remaining 4-6-2 Pacific to exist...
, the Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
The Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665, also known as the "Jim Crow Car", is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky.The Combine car was built at the...
, the Mt. Broderick Pullman Lounge-Obs-Sleeping Car
Mt. Broderick Pullman Car
The Mt. Broderick Pullman Car is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky. It has been described as a "four-star hotel" on rails....
, and the Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car, also known as "The Cardinal" is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky....
.
History
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...
in 1856 and 1857, on their old line to Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,331 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Lebanon is located in central Kentucky, southeast of Louisville. A national cemetery is located nearby....
. The line was of vital importance to the Union cause, making it a frequent target of Confederate forces under John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
and others during 1860s; the nearby bridge was even destroyed. The railroad station on the site now is a 1990s replica of the station built at the site in 1910.
The museum was chartered in 1954 by railroad enthusiasts from Louisville, who wished to preserve steam locomotives and other rail paraphernalia., and was originally located at two different locations. One of its very first displays was the Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive, a caboose, and a wooden coach. These first donations, including railroad track, were from the Monon Railroad
Monon Railroad
The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway from 1897–1956, operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana...
and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The museum was chartered in 1954 by the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
, and was originally located at two different locations in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The first was at 1837 East River Road where the Louisville Soccer Fields are located. This first location was 6 acres (2.4 ha) in size, and was fenced and lighted by the Louisville Parks Department. The museum eventually left the first location because of flooding from the nearby Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and a general lack of necessary space. The site opened for the public on May 30, 1958, with its dedication taking place on September 30, 1957. The worst of these floods was in March 1964. In December 1975 it was decided to move the location to a larger and safer location. The museum then moved to the Ormsby Village area at the corner of La Grange Road and Dorsey Lane on land leased from Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
, known as Ormsby Station, in 1977. The Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive was left at River Road to be repaired. It was situated on 32 acres (12.9 ha). However, the county informed the museum that the lease would not be renewed in 1993; the land was in a highly-valuable commercial area.
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...
, which had taken control of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the 1970s. Train excursion began at the New Haven site in May 1991. The move also inspired the renovation of the New Sherwood Hotel.
Many of the donations to move the museum from Louisville to New Haven was due to the efforts of Glenn Rutherford, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal. During the fund raising for the move Rutherford told many stories regarding the trains at the museum. He was singularly honored for his efforts in November 2003.
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
or a penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
".
In 1999 the Kentucky Railway Museum was given a grant by CSX Transportation to start a traveling exhibit.
There is one other heritage railroad in Nelson County: the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which is based at the Old Louisville and Nashville Station
Old L & N Station
The Old L & N Station in the northernmost section of the Bardstown Historic District of Bardstown, Kentucky is an historic railroad station on the National Register of Historic Places. Long owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad , it is currently used as the station for the My Old Kentucky...
in Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
.
Attractions
Among the steam locomotives is Louisville and Nashville RailroadLouisville 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...
#152, a 4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
Pacific style that is believed to be the last operating steam locomotive from the L&N. The museum operates a heritage railroad
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
and offers excursion trains on selected weekends in summer and fall. The line is a portion of the L&N's former main line from Lebanon Junction
Lebanon Junction, Kentucky
Lebanon Junction is a city in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,801 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lebanon Junction is located at ....
to Corbin
Corbin, Kentucky
- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
; the museum operates the segment from Boston
Boston, Kentucky
Boston is a neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky located along Shelbyville Road & Long Run Creek.-References:#...
to New Haven, with the line having been abandoned east of the museum site. There is a large model train layout and a gift shop at New Haven, in a brick building that is a replica of the former L&N depot there.
Locomotives
Another locomotive that dates back to the Kentucky Railway Museum's early days is Monon
Monon
Monon could refer to:A place* Monon, Indiana, a town in the United States* Monon Township, White County, Indiana, a townshipThings* Monon Bell, a Monon Railroad locomotive bell and present-day American football award...
Route's Diesel Engine No. 32. It was painted black and gold by Monon, and kept as such, to match the school colors of Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, located in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
. It was purchased by Monon in 1948, and then acquired by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in August 1971. It became a display at the museum in 1972.
Rail Cars
The Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
The Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665, also known as the "Jim Crow Car", is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky.The Combine car was built at the...
was one of only two "two wood side steel" car ever made. It was designed for the times of Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
; whichever side was the front during the trip would hold whites, while the rear held blacks. It was given to the Kentucky Railway Museum by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1958. During the Civil War Centennial observances of the 1960s, this car was pulled by the famous Civil War-era steam locomotive, The General
The General (locomotive)
The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-...
as it toured various parts of the Eastern U.S. rail network.
The Mt. Broderick Pullman Car
Mt. Broderick Pullman Car
The Mt. Broderick Pullman Car is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky. It has been described as a "four-star hotel" on rails....
was a four-star hotel on rails, with polished brass restroom fixtures and pull out beds. The Pullman Company sold the car to the museum in 1958.
The other historic car at the facility on the National Register is the Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car, also known as "The Cardinal" is a historic railcar on the National Register of Historic Places, currently at the Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, Kentucky, in southernmost Nelson County, Kentucky....
, also known as The Cardinal due to its red color. It was a gas-powered motor rail car that ran the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad
Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad is a defunct shortline railroad based in Kentucky. Despite its name, it had no connections with Cincinnati, Ohio....
's "Whiskey Route" between Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
and Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
.
Excursions
Boston, Kentucky
Boston is a neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky located along Shelbyville Road & Long Run Creek.-References:#...
and back, with picturesque views of the Rolling Fork River Valley. The train crosses roads fourteen times on a single one-way trip. The total trip in 22 miles (35.4 km) and takes 90 minutes. At various times special excursion will involve themes such as train robberies, haunted trains, Easter bunny
Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes...
, Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
, and Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
.
Exhibits
One of the buildings at the facility holds a model train display. The model trains are in glass covered dioramaDiorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
s, covering a total area of 3000 square feet (278.7 m²). Dioramas include a German-landscape featuring a village and carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, and another depicting convicts working on placing rails.