With the Kentucky Derby coming up on Saturday, I was wondering about the following:
1. When did Louisville, KY see its last passenger service? What railroad/train name(s)?
2. Did Amtrak ever serve Louisville (I don't mean by interconnecting bus)?
3. Does anyone have any stories about trips they might have taken to the Derby by rail?
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
3) Not a personal story, but if you have a copy of Wayner's Pullman Scaprbook, it has an article from the Pullman News about how the Pullman Company planned and executed Derby Day every year.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
1) Louisville was served A-Day-eve by PC & L&N. This service continued on A-Day with the South Wind which later became the Floridian, and which lasted until the 1979 Carter Cuts. Also 2), lest we forget the KEYCARD; Amtrak's overnight service Chi-Louisville, which was started as part of the M&E initiative and given a mercy killing by Gunn.
3) There was quite a TRAINS article during the 60's regarding additional consists and special moves noted by Mr. Pullman for the Derby; it was a rail event until quite late in the game.
Finally to KALPUB, when will you offer an all-time keyword TRAINS search V1#1 to present? New York Times offers such on-line back to 1851.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Do you have a link to that article on-line, PullmanCo?
Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :
Am I right that the Keycard originally stopped short of Louisville and was only extended into that city for perhaps no more than 12 months or so in about 2004/05?
There were a number of articles at the time about resurrecting the service through to Nashville but that idea seemed to disappear as quickly as it started.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Correct Mr. Williams; Jeffersonville IN was its terminus.
Yes, 'there was talk' about an extension of KEYCARD to Nashville (which would have meant that Bowling Green would again have had service).
Finally, I have learned that there is a train of "PV"'s parked at Union Station this year for the Derby . Amtrak P-42's are on the head; Creative Charters ex-UP Dome Obs brings up the markers.
The tradition of the Derby being a rail event lives on!
Posted by bill haithcoat (Member # 6773) on :
Nothing new here, just a few more thoughts. I, too, remember well the TRAINS article which Mr. Norman relates. Seems Louisville Union Station was known as Pullman City. And that many people used those pullmans as their hotel in Lousville.
There were extra dining cars and lounge cars as well,in use at the station as I remember it.
Imagine the spectacle, back when each railroad had its own colors. All that color parked on those tracks. Wish I could have seen that in person.
It was, as stated, extra cars on regular trains and even extra trains. Other sporting events got a lot of extra RR business back then, like the Armh/Navy game for instance. Also political conventions, lots of extra moves when a much greater percentage of the public used trains.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
On Amtrak eve in early 1971 Louisville was served by three passenger trains....
1) The Pan American which was a Cincinnati - New Orleans train.
2) The South Wind which by the 1960's operated on alternating days Chicago - Miami. By 1971 it seems like the Pennsy was operating coaches only Chicago - Louisville.....also, the South Wind was combined with the Pan Am between Louisville and Montgomery, AL.
3) The C&O operated a Louisville section of the George Washington between Ashland, KY and Louisville via Lexington.
Of these, Amtrak retained the South Wind and soon renamed it the Floridian. I made about three trips on the Floridian in the 1970's.....the last in August 1979 about 6 weeks before the train was discontinued.
Any discussion of Lousville passenger service would be incomplete without mentioning the short-lived Louisville - Sanford Auto-Train route.
Finally, yes, the Kentucky Cardinal - I managed an overnight ride departing Louisville Union Station (after the extension across the river) in a superliner roomette......
I would be surprised if Louisville is served by a scheduled passenger train again in my lifetime.
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
It's referenced by google books, but it doesn't appear readable in that form.
"Pullman News" pulls up lots relating to Pullman WA, but zip to the house organ of the Pullman Company