My sister-in-law grew up in Campbellsburg, Kentucky on the CSXT’s ex-L&N Louisville - Cincinnati mainline. Was wondering if there’s anyone out there with knowledge of passenger service on that segment; what the train name(s) was and when passenger service was discontinued between these two points. Thanks!
In the early fifties, the L&N had three Cincinnati-New Orleans trains–the Pan American, the Humming Bird, and the Azalean. There was also a Cincinnati-Montgomery train, and a Cincinnati-Birmingham train. By the mid-sixties, only the Pan and the Bird were left. I don’t remember when the Bird was cut off completely (I last rode it in the spring of 1968), but the last Pan left New Orleans and Cincinnati 4/30/71 (it lasted until Amtrak began operating trains).
Johnny
Whichever L&N train left Louisville in the afternoon had a through Pullman to New York on the PRR’s Cincinnati Limited. I rode it around 1960. On occasion a Blue L&N assinged Pullman could be seen at Sunnyside Yard, although I rode a PRR assigned Tuscan Red car. Don’t remember the exact configuration, but I rode a roomette.
Dave, that was the Pan American, with a Nashville-New York 10 roomette, 6 double bedroom car. By the time you made this trip, The Bird, the Pan, and what was left of the Azalean were the only trains the L&N operated Cincinnati-Louisville-points south.
Johnny
Thanks!
Looking back to 1950, train 99 “Pan American,” carried three 10/6 sleepers. One operated between New York and Nashville, one between New York and Louisville, and the thrid ran between New York and Memphis.
work safe
These three cars were carried to Cincinnati on the Cincinnati Limited. Northbound, the Memphis-NYC car was carried on the Azalean to Cincinnati, thence to Pittsburgh on PRR 204, and thence to NYC on the Iron City Express. The Nashville-NYC and Louisville-NYC were carried on L&N #8 (Birmingham-CIncinnati) from their origins to Cincinnati and then on to NYC on the Cincinnati Limited.
There were other interesting routes on the L&N in February of 1950. There was an overnight drawingroom car (probably a 12 section, drawingroom car) from Louisville to Memphis on the Azalean. It was returned to Louisville as a parlor car on the Pan American. Also, a 10 open-section, 4 private-section cars that may well have been operated on the Crescent Limited was in service between Birmingham and Pensacola, running southbound three nights a week and northbound three nights a week.