The Kentucky Railway Museum was founded by railfans back in 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky. The museum moved a few times before it found its current home In New Haven, Kentucky.
Nestled in a tiny town with a population of only 103, the current campus is located on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad on the Lebanon Branch. This 77-mile branch was also known as the Knoxville Branch running between Lebanon Junction to Mt. Vernon, KY. This line was built in sections over time and was fully complete with the first trains running between Knoxville and Louisville in 1883. These rails would see passenger and freight service through the years. Passenger service ended in 1959 and then the final CSX freight train traveled on the branch on July 8, 1987. CSX announced the line’s abandonment shortly after that. In 1990 the Kentucky Railway Museum purchased 17 miles of this route for $30,000 a mile from New Haven and Boston, KY.
Currently, the museum operates excursions along this route. They have three locomotives in service which includes:
- Santa Fe 2546 – Rebuilt EMD CF7
- CSX 1103 – SW1500
- Reading 411 – GP9
The museum hopes to bring L&N #152 4-6-2 “Pacific” back to its active roster. Since the opening of the New Hope location in 1990, L&N 152 was the main locomotive that pulled the tourist trains along the branch. In March 2000, 152 became the “Official State Locomotive of Kentucky”. In September 2011 the locomotive experienced some boiler problems and was taken out of service. Work is underway to bring this locomotive back to service with the public donations.
On Saturday, April 17, 2022, I was able to experience this scenic Lebanon Branch from the cab of both the CSX SW1500 #1103 and the former Reading GP9 #411. The museum offers cab rides throughout the season. It’s an awesome opportunity to slide into the conductor’s seat and experience the ride firsthand. The route rolls through neighborhoods, farmland, and over two railroad trestle bridges. Along the ride, the engineers Les and Ray got to know me and shared stories and memories of the railroad.
Throughout the year the museum has many themed railroad excursions which include: Dine by Rail, Train Robbery, Autumn express, and Christmas Trains. These are great for families, railfans, and anyone looking for a unique way to spend the day.
Scanner Frequencies
160.54500 – AAR 029 – Operations Primary
160.75500 – AAR 043 – Operations Alternate
