Louisville?

[crazytiger]

Could someone give me the hotspots of Louisville? I'm not sure where exactly we will be, but I'd love the best spots with lots of traffic/action. I also hope to make it to KRM to see L&N 152 in action.

[Chris Kilroy]

The CSX Main Line (southward to Nashville) and LCL/Short Line (northeast to Cincinnati) subs are the two busiest lines in and out of town, and both feature relatively easy access and decent photography locations once the get away from Osborne Yard in the heart of the city. LaGrange, KY, famous for its street running, is about 25 miles northeast of downtown Louisville off I-71 on the LCL sub. Elizabethtown, Lebanon Jct., and Shepherdsville are a few easily accessible locations along the ML.

NS comes into Louisville from Danville (southeast) and heads to St. Louis via the K&IT bridge, thence along the north side of the floodwall in New Albany, Indiana (just across the river from Louisville's west end). When I lived in Louisville (pre-2004) this line had a good bit of traffic (maybe 12-18 per day), but I can't attest as to what it may be like today.

The CSX Texas sub heads out of town to the southwest toward Evansville and sees only a few trains per day. I've not shot this line so I have no idea as to access or photo spots, but I do know it sees, at most, 4 trains per 24 hours.

The LIRC heads into town from the north, and CSX has been detouring some southbound LCL trains over that sub lately due to curfews and congestion on the short line. These trains head west from Cincinnati over the old B&O then join the LIRC southbound at Seymour, IN. LIRC's main yard is just across the river in Jeffersonville, IN but there are several movements across the old PRR railroad bridge into Louisville per day, not counting any CSX detours. I believe CSX also runs an interchange local over the bridge into Indiana.

Paducah & Louisville also heads southwest toward Paducah, and I know the line sees a fair amount of action, but really don't know schedules, frequencies, etc. I've shot the line around West Point, KY before and was happy with the results.

Last (and very sadly), the former Monon also crosses the Ohio River on the K&IT bridge, but has recently been railbanked from about 10 miles north of New Alabany all the way to the north end at Bedford, IN. There are a couple of neat street running sections on this line just north of the K&IT bridge, but the only traffic on it these days is a local that runs to a Pillsbury plant, and (very) occasional moves north of there to set out/retrieve out of service cars stored on the main line north of Borden (that is almost enough to make a grown man cry).

You'll have plenty going on to keep you busy... Louisville is a great rail town. Unfortunately, the line I always thought had the most character, the Monon (street running, jointed rail, semaphores...) is no longer, but there's still plenty to see!

[crazytiger]

One question: What's the traffic density on the LCL Sub?

[Bryan Jones]

One question: What's the traffic density on the LCL Sub?

around 18-20 trains in a 24 hour period.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[troy12n]

around 18-20 trains in a 24 hour period.

Unless things have rebounded recently, that seems kind of optimistic.

[Chris Kilroy]

Unless things have rebounded recently, that seems kind of optimistic.

I'm obviously not in Louisville anymore, but normally when they're detouring LCL trains over the B&O and down the LIRC it means things are pretty saturated on the Short Line.

[Bryan Jones]

Unless things have rebounded recently, that seems kind of optimistic.

Far from optimistic. This is part of my home territory that I shoot on a regular basis and have close contacts with the railroad. In years past traffic was even heavier than I previously listsed. This is why they use the B&O and LIRC as a relief valve during peak periods and MofW curfews.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[crazytiger]

What would be the most productive time of day? I may not be able to choose, but on the main by my house night > morning > evening > afternoon.

[Bryan Jones]

What would be the most productive time of day? I may not be able to choose, but on the main by my house night > morning > evening > afternoon.

If you are just hanging around here in Louisville your best time of day would be in the afternoon, say 3 or 4pm till sundown. Thats as long as you come around in the next few weeks before the days begin to get too short. During the time period listed above you can score some CSX action coming into and out of town, perhaps an NS train or two, PAL switching at Oak Street Yard and the LIRC transfer coming across the river (LIRC would be first thing, around 3pm or so). You can get the same action in the morning, minus the LIRC.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[milwman]

I will have to remember about this post about Summerail time.