Kentucky Railway Museum - History

History

The site of the current museum was built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from 1856 to 1857, on their old line, which ran to Lebanon, Kentucky. The line was of vital importance to the Union cause, making it a frequent target of Confederate forces under John Hunt Morgan, and others, during the 1860s; the nearby bridge was even destroyed. The railroad station on the site now is a 1990s replica of the station which was built at the site in 1910.

The museum was chartered in 1954 by railroad enthusiasts from Louisville, through the Kentucky General Assembly, who wished to preserve steam locomotives and other rail paraphernalia. One of its very first displays was the Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive, a caboose, and a wooden coach. These first donations, including railroad track, were from the Monon Railroad, and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The museum has moved twice since it was chartered, from its original location in Louisville. The first site was at 1837 East River Road, where the Louisville Soccer Fields are now located. This first location was 6 acres (2.4 ha) in size, and was fenced and lighted by the Louisville Parks Department. The site opened for the public on May 30, 1958, with its dedication taking place on September 30, 1957. The museum eventually left the first location because of flooding from the nearby Ohio River, and a general lack of necessary space. The worst of these floods was in March 1964.

In December 1975 it was decided to move the museum to a larger and safer location. The museum was moved in 1977 to the Ormsby Village area at the corner of La Grange Road and Dorsey Lane on land leased from Jefferson County, and known as Ormsby Station. The Louisville and Nashville #152 locomotive was left at River Road to be repaired. Ormsby Station was situated on 32 acres (13 ha). However, the county informed the museum that the lease would not be renewed in 1993; the land was in a highly-valuable commercial area.

With the edict from Jefferson County, it became necessary to move to the current site in New Haven, which opened on July 4, 1990. The original New Haven location was 8 acres (3.2 ha), with a building, and was donated by Lewis and Chester Simms, two New Haven businessmen, along with their wives (Elizabeth Jo and Nora respectively). It used the last eighteen miles remaining of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad's old Lebanon line, then under the control of CSX Transportation, which had taken control of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the 1970s. Train excursions began at the New Haven site in May 1991. The move also inspired the renovation of the New Sherwood Hotel.

Many of the donations to move the museum from Louisville to New Haven were due to the efforts of Glenn Rutherford, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal. During the fund raising for the move Rutherford told many stories regarding the trains at the museum. He was singularly honored for his efforts in November 2003.

The Kentucky Railway Museum faced vandalism concerns in its new location. In June 1992 it became necessary to build a razor wire perimeter fence after three juveniles (of an average age of twelve) damaged several of the historic cars and trains. Rich Collins, then the museum director, worried about the facility looking "like Fort Knox or a penal colony".

In 1999 the Kentucky Railway Museum was given a grant by CSX Transportation to start a traveling exhibit.

There is one other heritage railroad in Nelson County: My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which is based at the Old Louisville and Nashville Station in Bardstown, Kentucky.