Local Railroad Historical Archives to Expand

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) and the Southern Railway Historical Association (SRHA) have entered into an agreement with the L&N Historical Society (LNHS) to relocate the LNHS headquarters, archives, and company store from Bowling Green, KY to Chattanooga, TN. LNHS will occupy space in the existing archive facility on Turntable Dr, which is part of the TVRM Grand Junction campus. The L&NHS Board of Directors on March 11th voted unanimously to approve the agreement.

The TVRM owned building was constructed in 2011 and was acquired during 2018. The interior has since been modified, so that railroad archives can be suitably and safely housed. The Southern Railway Historical Association (SRHA) moved its archives to the building during 2018. L&NHS will relocate to Chattanooga as soon as additional space in the Chattanooga facility can be made ready. L&NHS will occupy approximately 2,500 square feet of space.

While the LNHS relationship with the Historic L&N Depot and Railroad Museum has been beneficial to both organizations, there is insufficient space at Bowling Green to allow the L&NHS archives to be properly displayed, protected, and expanded, or research to be conducted. In addition the L&N Depot and Railroad Museum also has needs for more space making this move welcome to both groups.

LNHS President Lee Gordon stated “Completing this project will allow L&NHS to achieve its mission --- “to engage in the collection and preservation of information, vestiges, artifacts, and other items of historical and technical interest concerning the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, its predecessors, successors . . . .” Further he stated “When this move has been completed, L&NHS will have: (a) adequate space for archives to be organized and stored, (b) space to expand archives by accepting donations from L&NHS members and others, including artifacts, (c) and space to conduct research on the L&N.”

SRHA is pleased to welcome the L&NHS archives to the Center for Southeastern Railroad Research at TVRM. We firmly believe that close working relationships with TVRM and other railroad historical organizations is the best way to ensure the preservation of the documents, photographs and drawings of the railroads of the Tennessee Valley and the South. The combined manpower and resources of TVRM, SRHA and the L&NHS will help maintain and grow their ability to preserve material, provide a research facility and educate historians, modelers and railfans.

TVRM President Tim Andrews stated: “TVRM is pleased to welcome the L&NHS to our Chattanooga archive facility. The draw of Chattanooga and TVRM as a central point for research regarding Southeastern railroad history continues to attract new partners. The considerable investment in a first class archive facility will continue to pay dividends for further growth in the future.



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Does this mean anything for the equipment in Bowling Green? I know they have a former C&NW E8 (in L&N livery) and a few passenger cars up there I believe of L&N heritage.

Despite the positive spin of the press release it seems like a loss for the museum in Bowling Green and an interesting move.

The equipment should be safe and sound though as the Rail Park Museum isn’t going anywhere.

http://www.srha.net/public/Archives/archives_tvrm_tour.asp

Here’s a photo tour of the new archives building.

I’m curious who is running the archives? SRHS? L&N? TVRM?

This sounds like it could get really messy mixing 3 different organizations. I hope they are keeping track of who owns what.

Why would that happen? It looks like each archive has separate space, for one thing.

Besides, this is certainly not the only case where railroad HS archives have been joined, and it certainly will not be the last, either. Especially as fallen flag roads get further away in time from those who remember them or even care about them.

You might want to do a little research on places such as IRM and MRM, both of which have various railroad archives on their properties, just as a couple of examples.

I’ve visited IRM many times and I’m quite familiar, please don’t instruct me on what to do.

TVRM owns the building and uses the back half of the building and adjoining storage lot. SRHA leases the main office/archive space. L&NHS will move to a space upstairs of the main office space and will have 2500 sq ft of working area. This is 4 times as much space as they have in Bowling Green.

Thanks for the information - that sounds like it may be a fine arrangement with 3 fully seperate spaces.