Can anyone tell me about when Amtrak came through Louisville? (Ashland: bus, train)

[KrystalKF]

I've been reading up a little bit about it on the internet but it's a bit splotchy. I was born in 87 and apparently the Amtrak came through Louisville up until 81.. Is that right? That's so weird to me , I had no idea a passenger train ever came through Louisville. What's the nearest passenger train to Louisville now?

[tomocox]

Actually, there was an attempt to bring Amtrak back to Louisville about the turn of the 21st century. Typical federal bureaucracy, it was the mess of messes as the train ran from Louisville to Chicago. From Louisville to Indianapolis it could only roll at 35mph.... yikes, da bus was faster.

Although a lifetime KYian, I came to Louisville in 89 and it seems the train to Florida had been gone for years, so your '81 timeline is about right.

There is a daily train to and from Chicago through Cincinnati, across the Ohio to Maysville and Ashland, then across W. Virginia to Washington DC.

[Hey_Hey]

There's an Amtrak station in Fulton, KY that sits on the New Orleans-Chicago route.

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by Hey_Hey

There's an Amtrak station in Fulton, KY that sits on the New Orleans-Chicago route.

Yes, you are so right, I knew better.

[stx12499]

actuually, the Ky cardinal ran from Louisville to indianapolis for the last few years, but service ended a couple years back.

Kentucky Cardinal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

also, crystal, Louisville has an extensive passenger rail, interurban, and subway history:

http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2...tric-rail.html

http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2...-historic.html

[JefferyT]

True Amtrak service ended in the 1970s?

I recall riding an Amtrak train from Louisville to Chicago in 1971 with my dad, shortly after the establishment of Amtrak.

It departed from Louisvilles' Union Station (when it still was a station, with waiting room and departure platforms under a train shed), crossed the Ohio on the 14th Street Bridge(?)(the one by the falls), and then up to Indianpolis (also used their old Union station..I remember looking out the window when the train stopped under the dark shed, seeing all the open space where they had torn up the track), then up into Illinois and into Chicago via Kankakee, ending at the old Illinois Central Central Station on 12th Street (Cermak Road)(now demolished).

This train was called The South Wind and orginated in Miami (I remember a well paged edtion of the Miami Herald on a seat). The equipment was I think mostly Penn Central (meaning it was Pennsylvania or New York Central vintage), no parlor car but it did have a dining car. I saw a similar dinining car at the Indiana Railroad Museum in Noblesville (was it the same one?).

I forgot when the train departed, but it was during the day, seemed in the afternoon. We arrived in Chicago at night, though. It was dark when we got of the train.

It was interesting. The last gasp of long distance railroading in the Midwest, come to think of it. I recall walking into the last car (back door was open), and looking out the back watching the landscape pass by in the late afternoon sun, twin rails receding into the distance across the Indiana landscape. clickty clack clickty clack.

After that there was something called "Auto-Train", where you could drive your car onto the train (into one of those auto-railer cars), and then ride down w. your car to Florida. This operation was at the Strawberry Yard, off onf National Turnpike and Outer Loop.

Whenever I hear that "City of New Orleans" song I recall that train trip.

[missymomof3]

My mom used to take the Florida to Kentucky train and back when I was little. I wish they would bring it back!

[Windwalker]

I miss the train! I thought it was the bestest when I was a little girl. (late 60's and 70's).