Just thought I would let the good folks at the MOT in St. Louis that I heard their advertisement on the radio this morning on the way to work on KMOX.

It was a really really foggy morning and skip land was coming in pretty good on the old AM. I heard the ad for the museum which told about the grand set of automobiles they have.

Do you folks have an ad about the vast railroad collection too?

This is getting your money's worth in advertising. All the way to Salt Lick, Kentucky.

Best Regards,

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian.

JD,

What is the Morehead and North Fork Railroad?

Is it a a museum or a tourist railroad?

Do you have any steam locomotives running?

Ted Miles

The M&NF was a railroad in Rowan County, Kentucky that hauled coal, timber, and some carload freight to a connection to the C&O (now abandoned) in Morehead.

The line, in its later life, rostered 3 steamers, all of which survive. Number 12 is an ex -Southern 0-6-0 that is still on the property, owned by the descendants of the original owners. The railroad also owned a 2-6-2 that was later purchased by the Evrett Railroad and used in service there. A large 0-6-0 that later went to the Tombstone Junction tourist operation also still survives. It is being slowly restored down at the old K&T shops.

Interestingly enough, a later incarnation of the railroad, the "Morehead and Morgan Fork" used 3 Baldwin road switchers, originally built by the Durham and Southern. I believe they are still on the property, each in a different state of repair.

Sorry, not to beat Mr. Johnson, but as a Kentucky native, the M&NF was one of those "magical" shortlines, along with the Frankfort & Cincinnati.

David Morgan and Phil Hastings visited the M&NF in one of the "in search of steam" articles they published in Trains Magazine. Back in the 1990s, there was, I believe some plan to rehab the dormant portion of the line into some sort of historical/tourist operation. That never came to be. I think the rest of the remaining line has been obliterated by highway construction. Of course, what equipment remains is isolated, as the C&O is long gone.

Now, on to the KMOX Ad.

At one time (and he may still be), the ad's "voice" Doug McElvein was on the board of directors for the Transportation Museum Association (the non-profit arm of MOT). Doug is also the co-host of KMOX's morning show "Total Information AM."

MOT gets pretty good coverage on KMOX (1120 on your AM dial). A couple of years ago, they were the montly non-profit or chairity that the station highlighted for the entire month. The only ad I've heard is the one you speak of. It does mention the demonstration streetcar line that volunteers operate.

Ted,

With out going into a lengthy book on the subject, the Morehead and North Fork Railroad was a rail line that connected with the C&O in Morehead, KY and traversed a distance of 25 miles to the big town of Redwine. There it connected with a 36" gauge railroad called the Lenox Railroad. Built in 1905, the railroad continued to pull logs and coal out of the hills until 1933 when the 1st portion was abandoned. This left about 4 miles of track that survived until 1972 because of clay deposits that fed the Lee Clay Products Co. in Clearfield. After Lee Clay shut down, the rest of the railroad was shut down. In 1973, the Homer Gregory and Co. lumber mill purchased the plant and the Railroad. The owner tried to get the railroad going again but in 1982 the Lee Clay factory burned and the railroad was then domant again. In 1985, the connection with the C&O was severed as the C&O was pulled up between Lexington and Ashland.

In the early 1990's a few of us started trying to make a tourist railroad out of the place. We had a couple of railfan weekends int 1993 and 1994. Put in over 300 ties by hand. Had a lot of fun with the machinery that is there. Mostly 3 Baldwin RS12's and the only Southern Railway 0-6-0 left.

In 1996, this effort was abandoned and at present, there are few remaining rails in the yard as the road is being widened as I write this and even Dry Creek bridge has now been removed. This is private property and not open to the public. It was hard to see "progress" for me as I had put so much effort into the place. It could have been another EBT type of set up. Currently I am building a live steam model of M&NF #9 which is a 1904 Rogers 2-6-0.

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

My question is........what type of passenger equipment did you have? What's there now?

Well, I am pretty lucky. I heard the ad again this morning with no fog.

I appreciate the responses to this request. I had a cute thought in relation to the "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" movie. This could easily be adapted in their add as they have all of the above.

Now to answer the question about the current roster of equipment on the property of the Morehead and North Fork Railroad, here is the list.

3 Baldwin RS12's from the Durham and Southern RR.
1 Alco (Pittsburg works) 0-6-0 Southern 1643, M&NF #12
1 Melon car from the Flemingsburg and Northern former L&N (see Ghost Railroads of KY)
1 B&O caboose that belongs to the Kentucky Central Chapter NRHS in Paris KY
1 12 ton plymouth that belongs to the Bluegrass Railroad Museum in Versailles, KY
1 MOW Mower car
2 MOW motor cars
1 MOW weed sprayer car
2 MOW Flat cars


As far as years ago, the railroad had some passenger cars and special hopper cars for the clay as well as an Edwards Motor Car that is still in operation on the California Western Railroad.
You may be interested in "Riding the Blue Goose" By Lynn Nickell 1994 as well as "Ghost Railroads of Kentucky" By Elmer Sultzer 1967
Again, The equipment is on PRIVATE property.

Hope this answers the questions,

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

This morning is the third day in a row to pick up KMOX. I think I will send an email to them. I heard the ad at about 5:20 am St. Louis time.

This morning I could hear the radio station all the way to Morehead, KY.
Not bad to pick it up in a 1976 Chevy pickup truck with the antenae embedded in t he windshied. I guess they made pretty good radios back then.

Best wishes to the MOT in St. Louis. Maybe some day they will pull 1522 out of mothballs and run her again. A man can always dream.
Take Care,

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian

Not to help this thread get too off topic, but what condition is the old A-7 (0-6-0) in? and do you have any pictures of it in it's current state? I'd love to see this locomotive somewhere where it could be seen publicly like at TVRM, SERM, or NCTM, as these are places where historically the 1643 and fellow 0-6-0's could be found through the yards.