Many years ago, I purchased a book titled Ghost Railroads of Kentucky at a model railroad swap meet back home in Louisville, Kentucky. When I arrived home and began to look through the book, five photos dropped out. They were reproductions, printed on 8x10 photo paper and included these photos, of Louisville Railway Company cars. I have ohter photos that I will post later. I do not know who the original photographer was, but I thought I would scan these in after recently re-discovering them.
These photos are copyrighted by the David M. Wilkins Historical Photo Collection
Do Not Reproduce Without Permission!
Car 1026
Here, we find Louisville Railway Company car 1026. I believe this car is a product of the St. Louis Car Company. Notice the St. Louis # 47 trucks under the car. The location, I believe is along Frankfort Avenue, just east of Downtown Louisville.
Car 100
Louisville Railway Company car 100 was a special car, as it was the only Bril
l Master Unit on the property. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company purchased a sample Master Unit and a "Rail Sedan" from St. Louis Car Company as trial cars to modernize the system. The Depression prevented any real modernization, and the "newest" cars in service on the system were a series of Kuhlman-built Peter Witt cars dating from the mid 1920s. This car ended up as a roadside diner in Frankfort, Kentucky, where it was unfortunately scrapped in the 1970s.
l Master Unit on the property. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company purchased a sample Master Unit and a "Rail Sedan" from St. Louis Car Company as trial cars to modernize the system. The Depression prevented any real modernization, and the "newest" cars in service on the system were a series of Kuhlman-built Peter Witt cars dating from the mid 1920s. This car ended up as a roadside diner in Frankfort, Kentucky, where it was unfortunately scrapped in the 1970s. Of course, Louisville did purchase a small fleet of PCC cars from St. Louis Car Company. Some were even delivered, but only one made it off of the flat car before the entire order was traded to Cleveland.
3 comments:
Was the track gage in Louisville 5 foot 2 inch?
I should know this...
Tom Hunter
Louisville was a 5 foot gauge line. Before and during the Civil War, most railroads in the South were also 5 foot gauge. The first railroad in Kentucky, the Lexington & Ohio, built a disconnected portion right down the middle of Market Street in Louisville, while they began to build the rest of the mainline. Once the railroad made it to Louisville, they abandoned the street running, and a local company began to offer horse car service on the line, and thus the Louisville Railway Company was born.
We found a Louisville Railway Company token. Can you give me any information on it?
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