I am trying to determine how many unmodernized, heavyweight Louisville and Nashville coaches still exist. I know a few of the modernized coaches are still around, but I do not know of a single clerestory roof, open-window coach that has been preserved.

I have been able to track a few down, but they are all in rough condition. Some have been scrapped and others have been moved. If anyone knows anything else about any of these coaches or any others that might still exist, I would appreciate the help.

Number:............Location:...................Status:
1835/1877…….Glencoe, AL…………...(MOW 42042, Grounded next to tracks)
1880…………….Conway, SC…………...(Status?)
2159…………….Andalusia, AL…………(Status?)
2163…………….Milner, KY……………..(MOW 42106, Scrapped 2012)
2607/2457…....Latonia, KY…………....(Royal American Shows 71, Status?)
2652…………….Calera, AL……………...(Scrapped 2011)

There are two coaches on display in a city park in Columbus, MS, which were donated to the city by the Columbus & Greenville RR. Both of these appear to have L&N lineage. L&N initials appear on some of the castings in the 6-wheel trucks.

To my knowledge, no "standard" L&N unmodernized heavyweight coach made it into preservation, except one.

One is at South Simcoe in Ontario. It is one of the group of "suburban" coaches built for the L&N's New Orleans commuter service. Those cars rode on 4 wheel trucks and are about 70' in length. I believe this car was in service with them.

The 2159 was "preserved" as it was owned by KRM for many years in Louisville and in New Haven. It had been used as a gravel company offices, but the interior was largely intact, minus seats. It was sold in the 1990s to a private individual.

There was a heavyweight coach in Corbin, KY that was used by the local chamber of commerce. It was significant in that it was part of the first series of L&N steel coaches. I don't know if it has survived.

While not a coach per se, 1603 resides at KRM in New Haven. Some volunteers have worked on it recently, but it doesn't fit in with museum management's desire to run a tuscan red train powered by a CF-7, so it doesn't get much attention.

solar1953:

Thats interesting, I thought those two were either Mobile & Ohio and/or Southern heritage. Its also interesting that, although they appear to be similar paired window coaches, one coach has 6-wheel trucks while the other has 4-wheel trucks.

David:

The 2159 came to rest in Andalusia, AL where it became victim to neglect and decay from the surrounding kudzu. It seams to have disappeared in recent satellite photos though, so I fear the worst.

And I agree, an L&N combine restored to operating condition would be a beautiful piece. Unfortunately, historically relevant passenger cars are being neglected by museums who would rather run cheaper commuter cars.

I think the only C&G car that is of L&N heritage is the baggage car.

I think the I-P folks separated the 1880 from her roller bearings and sent the remains on to railroad car heaven. I think?

Generally speaking the un-modernized L&N heavyweights that I've seen were real rust buckets.

David, whatever became of the HW coach at the meat packing plant on the northeast side of Louisville?

ETA

The North Alabama Railroad Museum had one four axle clerestory roof open window L&N coach in their collection. I believe the car was missing seats and generally in poor condition before sold and moved in 2010 to a Huntsville (AL) attraction known as "The Lumber Yard" http://www.thelumberyard.info.

Alan Maples

Not sure if it's still there (still on Google Earth), but there was a former L&N MofW/Wreck Train car that was designated HBO (heavy bad order in L&N/Family Lines parlance, from my understanding) that got moved to some boys camp or the like at the old Rains Air Depot at Glencoe, Alabama. Largely unmodernized, it was missing seats and windows and had a/c added in a similar manner as the Southern did with some clerestory roof coaches with small angled ducts in the two upper corners of the clerestory. The windows were all gone, the car was set off live rail in the mud, the floor was still good 15 years ago, (I'm sure it's toast by now), the side sheets and sills below the windows were rotten, but the car still appeared savable at the time. I have pics somewhere. Seems to me the major defect was a coupler. The car was on 6 wheel 2410 style trucks with friction bearings (L&N cast in the pedestals), and seems it had the type L triple valve for brakes, though that detail is a bit foggy - could have it confused with another car.

Fischers! The Bacon-Making People!

The coach at the Fischer Packing Company plant in Louisville may or may not be there. Last time I saw it, it was very rough, devoid of trucks. I think they used it as the lunch room. I have a contact checking on the status sometime this week.

So that leaves the one at South Simcoe, a "shorty" with 4 wheel trucks as the lone intact survivor. Anyone have pictures?

The 2159 that was at KRM was a real loss. The interior was largely intact. It had the slanted vents in the roof, as described above. It had the double-sash windows intact. It had real body rod. Making it back into a coach would have been fairly straight forward, remove interior office partitions, install seats, along with some other minor work.

David Wilkins
Walkover Seat, MO

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/s ... l?page=all

The Fischers Plant has been redeveloped. Any idea if the car is still there? Google Maps isnt showing anything.