Earlier this year my wife and I visited the Fordsville, Ky train depot on a rainy day. Fordsville is about 46 miles east of Madisonville in Ohio county. The depot is across the street from City Hall downtown.
The first train to Fordsville on the newly built Owensboro and Fordsville Railroad was on October 1, 1889 and regular freight and passenger service started a week later. The round trip fare was 85 cents. The Illinois Central Railroad built a branch line from Horse Branch to Fordsville in 1893. The L&N Railroad bought the lines in 1905 and the present station was built in 1916.
As many as 6 passenger trains a day went between Horse Branch and Owensboro but passenger service was cut June 15, 1941. Freight service lasted until the late 1970s.
The depot has been nicely restored and contains a modest train museum. Call 270-929-5792 for current hours of operation. There is a nice diner a block away on the main road (Hwy 54). – Rich Hane
Are you a hold out for jumping into the social media circle? Afraid you’ll get unsolicited friend requests and suspicious messages from people you don’t know and may not want to know? Reluctant about getting your account hacked? Well, if you’re willing to change your password every 6 months or so you can avoid most of these demons.
The truth is, in my opinion, the advantages and benefits social media offers to rail fans and model railroads far outweigh the occasional frustrations experienced by many of us, myself included. Here are just a few examples of rail-related Facebook pages and/or groups:
Nashville Steam– a FB page dedicated to promoting the restoration of NC&StL steam locomotive 576. It is chocked full of pictures and current information about the restoration process. You can post questions and make comments on each post.
Illinois Central Railroad– A public FB page designed for former (and current it still says) employees of The Illinois Central – “A place for former and current employees of the Illinois Central Railroad to hang out and keep in touch.”
Railroad Fools– I think the name of the public page speaks for itself. One of my favorites.
Railroad Oddball Locomotives and MOW Equipment – A closed group so you’ll have to click on the “Join Group” button and wait to be granted entrance. A unique site for unusual railroading equipment.
I hope these samples have encouraged you to give social media a try. If you do not have a computer, smart phone, or tablet, you can use your public library’s computers. Just ask the library staff for help.
For my money, one of the best looking diesel locomotives to ever grace a 4’8.5” gauge track. The 42-year-old, 1977 built-for-Conrail EMD SD40-2 rolls south through Morton’s Gap, KY, September 12, 2019. – Photo by Morton’s Gap resident and our president, Ricky Bivins.
