Welcome to
The Louisville & Nashville
Railroad
Historical Society
The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society was organized in 1982 for
the purpose of collecting, organizing, preserving, and sharing information and
material relating to the L&N, its predecessors and its successors. At its
zenith, the L&N was a 6,000-mile railroad system that served 13 states. The
railroad was economically strong throughout its lifetime, operating both freight
and passenger trains in a manner that earned it the nickname, The Old Reliable.
The society is a non-profit educational organization, incorporated in the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, and functions strictly with volunteer members serving
as officers.
Featured Photo
Fast freight No. 43 hammers up the 1.1 percent grade at Richmond, Ky. with two M-1s providing the horsepower to keep the hot manifest on schedule. The top at Fort Estill is less than two miles away. Richmond was an important point on the Cincinnati-Corbin KY, with a population of over 10,000 at the time of this 1952 photo. The passenger station warranted an umbrella shed to protect patrons from the elements as well as a smaller mail, express, and baggage building in the left foreground. Richmond was the home of Eastern Kentucky State College (its name at the time of the photo), built on the site of a predecessor institution founded in 1874. (BILL CLARK PHOTO, KRM COLLECTION)
On a June evening in 1955, No. 1987 was turned on the Interstate wye by an N&W hostler and his helper after arriving earlier with train No. 65 from Corbin. The engine is now ready for a return to Corbin with fast freight No. 56. With no N&W power to be seen, it's likely 56's connection has not yet arrived. (R. C. CERNE PHOTO, ROBERT GRAHAM COLLECTION)