Welcome to the Wilmore Caboose Park!

The Railroad which passes in front of the caboose is actually owned by the city of Cincinnati.  The line started at Kings Mountain, KY in 1873, and reached Cincinnati in 1877 and Chattanooga in 1880.  Due to the lines twisty curves and tunnels in the Cumberland Mountain area, the railroad, especially that south of Danville, became known as the "Rathole". 

The Southern Railway purchased all of the stock of operator Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (CNO & TP) in 1970.  Southern Railway merged with Norfolk and Western in 1982, creating the corporate operator of the line today, Norfolk Southern. 

Trains on the line have many and diverse originating and terminating points.  Several trains running through Wilmore begin in Chicago. Others begin in Atlanta.  Trains also head toward Columbus, Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Louisville.  A coal train with a destination of the Brown Power plant just south of Wilmore visits on average four times a week and originates in the mines of Eastern Kentucky.   It is one of the busiest north-south routes in the nation. 

Locomotives pulling the trains represent, for the most part, the newest of diesel electric technology.  The most common locomotive is the 4000 horse power model C40-9W built by General Electric in Erie Pennsylvania.  However, other GE locomotives and lots of General Motors' locomotives also pull tons and tons of freight north and south on the line. All Norfolk Southern locomotives have initials under the cab window that tell who originally purchased the locomotive. Several will still have CNO & TP on them!

While waiting for the train, anticipate some of the unique items you may see in Wilmore from time to time:  locomotives from other railroads, such as Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Wisconsin Central, CSX (the coal train is a CSX train), and Canadian Pacific or Canadian National.  Also, military and other heavy equipment is sometimes just behind the locomotives.  Special trains can include the circus trains and the Kentucky Derby train.  On occasion, a caboose may even be on the end of a movement.  There are often surprises on the railroad!

Speaking of cabooses, the caboose here is of Southern Railway heritage, and specifically caboose number X365. We hope you enjoy visiting the park and your stay in Wilmore!

The image above is a rendering of the east side of the museum. (Courtesy of Buddy Burton).

.