Dave's Depots - Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis Freight Depot, Paducah, KY

This edition of "Dave's Depots" takes us to Paducah, Kentucky. When most people think of railroads in Paducah, they rightly think of the Illinois Central. After all, the IC's main locomotive shops were located in Paducah, and were famous for the rebuilt steam and diesel power that came from its erecting halls.

Paducah, however, was served by other railroads, including the Burlington, which meandered to Paducah on its southern Illinois coal line. The Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis also came to Paducah, from the south. The line was a branch that came north from Tennessee, passed through Murray, Kentucky, and ended on the waterfront in downtown Paducah.

This branch has been cut back, and is currently operated by the Kentucky & West Tennessee Railway. However, the freight depot in downtown Paducah survives, as seen in these photographs, taken in February 2010. The depot sits about 1,000 feet from Illinois Central 1518, a 2-8-2 that is on display by the flood wall.