Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-01-12
NOTES ON FIRST KEN
TUCKY RAILROAD.
Ry J. NJ.

The first Railroad in keutacky,
the Lexington and Ohio. VS.
chartered 10 1880 and first rail aid
at Lexington October 1851 on the
proposed route to Louisville VIA
of Frankfort The track was A.
bars OF iron and one half inch thicL
three inches broad and twenty
feet long laid on stills OF stone. TIED
at frequent intervals by iron eros
rods. This manner of construction,
proved unsatisfactory aud wa
changed to wooden cross ties
though ii was some years b-iore
the tt rail was invented. Tn.
frs: motive power used for moving
cars was hcIsrs. The father OF
the writer's father, George S
Maret assisted in the construction.
and track la, Ing on the road be
tween Lexington ard Frankfort,
tue road reaching the latter point
early in 1855. The coaches had
bars across the windows to proven,
putting the head or arms out, be
cause the rock cuts made originally
Tor bOrse cars were only wide
el, lugh for the new cars to pass
ind were not widened until ten
wears lat-r.
1t was IN 1912 that the Baldwin
! Locomotive works al Philadelphia
mad e the first locomotive, naEaed
tie SPANIEL Boone, that was used
on this road. Later others were
added and named Simon Kenton
Ben Logan &c. These locomotives
usually had their safety Steam
valves set to blow off at l2o
pounds. Cabooses were unknown
IN those days. Conductors and
brakeman had TO rough it out the
best they could. They early
used the red signal on rear cars.
The fl st 4 rails used on Louis
vile and Frank fort road came from
England via New Orleans and the
river route" 10 Louisville. Thi:
road was opened in 1851. A.
locomotives bore names Instead OF
numbers until late in the sos
when some roads began using
numberS.
The fast track laying o. L. s
n. road was done in the summer
IF 1855 nom Louisville to Brooks
Station, distance of IS miles
There was small traffic OF light
country produce carried on the
constructlou train. Whel thu
track reached Salt River, a passen
ger ar left Shepherdsvill. in III,
morning attached to the WORK
tram going into city for naierIa
and returned 10 afternool. Aitei
the track b d been laid to Lebanon
Junction the managers turned
THEN attention towards Lebanon
. which division was lung alter
wards called the Lebanon branch
8 tor the liberal aid that was vo,eC
by Marion county provided the
track reached Lebanon by Novein
Der 1857. The roaa preached
there on Oct 81. TheFrack wa
, laid TO Crab Orchard about 1856!
and reached Mt. Vernon 1868
where the terminal remained some
thing like two years until the big
, I'LL was hulShed then moved OF
: to Livingston where il stopped
. .or Something Like IS Seafs Lesur'
, its extension 10 JelIico connectin,
: Knoxville and South East
Train orders by telegraph ca m'
. into use many years aiief the intro
| duction of railways.
1t is said the FIRST train order t,
move train on the L. * N. wa
i'll 664 when Ionduct r w. w
Sweeney sent commercial dispatcl
| from Elizabethtown 10 the Superip
: endent Louisville, asking if i
vas sale Tor him to venture dow
, Muldraugh's Hill on acc unit o.
the Rebel Cavalry reported il
. Elizabethtown 10 have burned on,
of the trestles. He was ordered il
reply 10 proceed with caution
dowa the hill and thence te
| Louisville. which he did without