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
F7A No. 829 wears a fresh coat of black paint in this view at East St. Louis, Illinois on May 27, 1960. Auto
rack cars weren't in use just yet, but the L&N was already handling highway transport trailers on
conventional piggyback flats to move new automobiles to market. (Montague L. Powell Photo from J.
David Ingles Collection-L&NHS Archives)
Until the C&EI was allowed to drop its Chicago-Evansville segment by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, overnight Chicago-Atlanta trains 93 (southbound) and 54—the "Georgian" —were among
the finest passenger services offered by the L&N. On a July afternoon in 1966, northbound No. 54 is
rolling through the interlocker at Howell—Atlanta, Georgia—just 2.5 miles into its long trip to the Windy
City. The E6-F7B-FP7 power set (including a C&EI unit) will run through to Chicago. (George R. Stewart
Photo-L&NHS Archives)