NYC in Louisville, KY

NYC timetables showed a thin line to Louisville, KY from North Vernon, IN. Almost all the route was on B & O trackage rights, but it crossed the Ohio River on its own structure, known as the Big Four Bridge. One of the interurban outfits also had trackage rights over this bridge. In Louisville, my employee timetables indicate there was a place called JEFF YARD. It appears that there was an enginehouse here too.

Until about 1940 or so, NYC passenger service was operated into Louisville, I think from Anderson, IN. The train, which might have been powered by a gas-electric or diesel-electric car late in its life, also carried a through coach to Chicago which was added to or detached from Chicago-Cincinnati trains at Greensburg, IN.

The purpose of a Louisville entry was to share in traffic between the South and Midwest via connections primarily to Southern and Louisville & Nashville.

Any comment on how extensive NYC facilities in Louisville were. Also, how important was this route to the NYC?

How extensive were NYC operations in Louisville.

To answer, one of your questions follow the following link to a 1944 ETT. http://madisonrails.railfan.net/1944tt.html .

Jeff Yard was in Jeffersonville, IN. I lived in Louisville from 1980 to 1994. In the first few years I was in Louisville, I spent much time in Jeffersonville. The approaches to the Big Four bridge were long gone. The B&O was still coming in from N. Vernon and CR was still coming in from the ex-Pennsy. Probably have some pictures around in the files.

DocJohn
Macon, GA

The Big 4 / New York Central operations around Louisville were conducted by a subsidiary, the Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge and Railroad Company. That company owned the Big Four Bridge, and the terminal and connecting tracks in the area south of the B&O / Big 4 connection.

I was a fireman ,engineer on that divison(Mich.Div.) from 1950-1982.
There were 2 thru frt. each way
and a local Anderson-Greensburg.
We used everything from H-5,2-8-2
to L-4 ,3100, 4-8-2 locos.The trains had 50-68 cars and the local
was a 10-16 hr. job.
The track fom North Vernon - Jeff
was B&O with trackage rights going
back to around 1892.It was referred
to as the race track.If you were asked how fast you could run your answer was ,as fast as the engine
could roll the train.
Until about 1958-60 every Derby day
the NYC ran 4-6 Derby specials to
Louisville over the division.
After the diesels came they would run 2 trains each way with the night job doing the south bound
local work and the north bound
day job doing local work.When the auto business started they could not handle them south of Cincy on
the rat hole div. so, everyday we had 110-20 cars of autos and Flexi
Vans.As Penn Central came closer
they by passed Anderson and run the trains from Avon-Jeff over the PRR,
why pay the B&O when you can run over your own RR.
The last Pass. train on the south end was in 1942 and on the north end 1948.Yes they did run doodle
bugs on both ends.
During 1972-1981 they upgraded the track from Anderson to Goshen ,In.
and was handling as many as 20 -24
trains by train orders until CTC
was completed.When the track from Col. O. to Marion,In.(PRR) was removed the trains went back to 2
or 3 each way until 1998 when the NS took over.mel