Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad – History Timeline

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History Timeline of the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad

Louisville & Nashville Railroad - L&N

Photo Credit: L&N, Family Lines and Personal Collection

Louisville & Nashville Railroad

1850s: Founding and initial construction

  • 1850: Chartered by Kentucky as the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
  • 1851: Tennessee authorized extension of the line to Nashville.
  • 1853: Track laying begins in Louisville.
  • 1855: First short train run from Louisville, covering eight miles.
  • 1859: Main line completed, with the first train running from Louisville to Nashville.

1860s: Civil War and reconstruction

  • 1861: Civil War begins; the L&N initially tried to remain neutral.
  • 1862: L&N sided with the Union after Confederate attacks on its property.
  • 1861–1865: Repeated damage to tracks, bridges, and equipment.
  • 1865: Rebuilding efforts began immediately after the war.

1870s: Expansion and growth

  • 1872: Financing of the South & North Alabama Railroad, providing access to Montgomery.
  • 1870s: Expanded into the Tennessee and Alabama coal and iron regions.
  • 1870s: Secured control of lines into Gulf ports like Mobile and New Orleans.

1880s: Milton H. Smith’s presidency

  • 1881: Milton H. Smith became president, beginning a long period of expansion.
  • 1881: Acquired lines to connect with Cincinnati.
  • 1884: Began construction of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad.
  • 1887: Built the new L & N Station in Birmingham.

1890s: Continued expansion

  • 1890s: Expanded rail network across Tennessee and Kentucky.
  • 1890s: Gained extensive access to Appalachian coalfields.

1900s–1920s: The Progressive Era and WWI

  • 1905: Completed a direct mainline to Atlanta.
  • 1910s: Built additional track and acquired other railroads in the eastern Kentucky coalfields.
  • 1920s: Transported large amounts of dairy products from central Kentucky.
  • 1921: A new headquarters building was constructed in Louisville.

1930s–1940s: The Great Depression and WWII

  • 1930s: Survived the Great Depression, retaining its “Old Reliable” nickname.
  • 1939: Purchased its first diesel locomotive.
  • 1940s: Pivotal role in WWII, moving troops and freight.
  • 1946: Steele v. Louisville and Nashville Railroad Supreme Court case ends union discrimination based on race.
  • 1946: Introduced new streamlined passenger trains, The Humming Bird and The Georgian.

1950s–1960s: Dieselization and mergers

  • 1954: Largely dieselized its locomotive fleet.
  • 1956: Last steam locomotive retired.
  • 1957: Merged with the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway.
  • 1969: Acquired part of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, gaining a route to Chicago.

1970s–1980s: Part of a larger system

  • 1971: Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, which owned part of the L&N, purchased the remaining shares.
  • 1971: Merged with the Monon Railroad.
  • 1980: Seaboard Coast Line Industries merged with the Chessie System to form CSX Corporation.
  • 1982: Merged into the Seaboard System Railroad.
  • 1986: Seaboard System merged with the Chessie System to become CSX Transportation.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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