Trains in Oldham County
Part of the Bluegrass Train Experience Passport Trail
Located just 25 minutes from downtown Louisville on I-71, the quaint historic downtown of La Grange offers a unique sight for first-time visitors. As a freight train rolls through town, the bells and vibrations fill the air. Surprisingly, the train passes right down the center of Main Street, offering locals and tourists an awe-inspiring view of up to 20 trains a day. La Grange is a notable train town in Kentucky and is the subject of many photography exhibits, blogs, and movies.
However, the train doesn’t just arrive in La Grange and stop. Historically, the train started in Pewee Valley to bring visitors and Pewee Valley residents back and forth from Oldham County to Louisville! Pewee Valley and Crestwood have a rich train history steeped in luxury, Civic War history, Shirley Temple’s Little Colonel, and Duncan Hines. And we can’t forget the train derailments of days gone by! Today, CSX owns the freight train and tracks through Oldham County, which has become a unique fixture to living there.
The phenomenon of having a train run directly along public streets without separation is called on-street running or street running. In La Grange, the rails are embedded in the roadway pavement, allowing trains to share the street with pedestrians and automobiles. Safety is a top priority, with trains generally traveling at reduced speed (usually 10 mph) to ensure the well-being of all. Because La Grange is a street-running town, many shops, restaurants, and museums call it home.
As it runs through the rest of the county, the train represents something different. In Buckner, the trains drop freight to existing warehouses on an offshoot of the main tracks. In Crestwood, a semi-tractor trailer is often stuck on the tracks because it attempted to cross a spot too high for its underbelly. But in Crestwood, you can see and hear the train passing while walking through the Maples Park, home of Oldham County Tourism’s Visitor Center, so it’s alright.
No matter where you are in Oldham County, the freight trains that pass through Pewee Valley, Crestwood, and La Grange offer a unique, up-close ambiance that would be missed if they stopped. The Bluegrass Train Experience is different in each town. Still, we invite you to visit each of the three cities to learn about their history, snap a selfie for Facebook and Instagram, and see Oldham County as a must-visit destination for trains!
La Grange, Kentucky
Coming 2024! Bluegrass Train Experience Passport
In La Grange, the ambiance of the train as you shop and dine downtown is part of the town’s charm. La Grange in Oldham County is famous for its street runner on Main Street, which is the only one left in America. Tourists and photographers from around the world visit La Grange to capture the train passing through town. You can even watch the train passing in real time on Virtual Railfan. Do you love trains? Book an overnight stay in one of several vacation rentals by the tracks.
You’ll find the Train Observation Tower in front of Main Street Bourbon and Ale House, where you can grab a bite and sit out on one of two decks by the tracks. The train’s speed limit in downtown La Grange is 10 mph, allowing you to fully appreciate the train as it passes by the walkable shops, galleries, and restaurants with outdoor seating by the tracks. Recently, three new attractions have opened in La Grange, including an escape room!
The La Grange Railroad Museum & Education Center, located just past Main Street Bourbon & Ale House and the observation tower, is a captivating destination for history enthusiasts and train lovers. The museum features outdoor rolling stock, including a steam engine, a dining car, and a caboose. Visitors can rent the dining car for private functions. Housed in the original L&N Train Depot built in 1914, the museum showcases railroad artifacts and displays, as well as model train layouts spanning over 800 feet of HO-scale track.
Check out the Trains on Main Trip Idea for more suggestions and insider tips!
Pewee Valley, Kentucky
Coming in 2024! The Bluegrass Train Experience Passport Trail
Pewee Valley owes its existence to the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad (L&F). The original settlement in this part of Oldham County was Rollington, which became a town in 1847, thanks to the Kentucky House of Representatives. Rollington served as a stopover for travelers between Middletown and Westport, Louisville and Brownsboro.
The glamorous Pewee Valley Train Depot was a glamorous transportation hub and community center. Passenger service stopped in 1933, and the station was demolished in 1960 to straighten LaGrange Road. Today, the town square has been redesigned and only a red caboose remains in its place. In August 1962, the curve around the former depot was straightened.
The railroads serving Pewee Valley maintained a Railroad Section House on Mt. Mercy Drive for many years. The name “section house” on a railroad generally applies to the dwelling houses supplied by the railroad company for the use of the men employed, particularly on the track, as foremen or track hands. It is essential that the men employed on track work live on their section, or as close to it as feasible, to always be on hand in case of emergencies and to avoid losing time in going to and from work. Where the railroad route does not pass through thickly settled districts, a railroad company is forced, for the reasons mentioned, to build unique houses, known as “section houses.”
The Louisville, Anchorage & Pewee Valley Railway, also known as the ‘Accommodation Train,’ ‘Short Line,’ and ‘Commuter Train,’ was a game-changer for Pewee Valley. Established in 1902, it allowed Pewee Valley residents to work in Louisville while still enjoying the benefits of living in Pewee Valley. In 1901, the Louisville, Anchorage & Pewee Valley Company introduced an electric streetcar service called the Interurban, which ran from Beard’s Station in Crestwood to downtown Louisville. While the Interurban was usually reliable, mechanical problems occasionally interrupted service. On July 10, 1911, hundreds of passengers were stranded for hours when lightning struck the line’s high-tension wires. Passengers on the Anchorage, Pewee Valley, and LaGrange cars were affected.
The Interurban served the people of Pewee Valley for over three decades before ending passenger service on August 10, 1935, due to competition from automobiles and the Great Depression.
You can see and learn more about the Interurban in the room dedicated to it in the La Grange Railroad Museum.
Crestwood, Kentucky
Coming 2024! The Bluegrass Train Experience Passport Trail
During the 1850s, Crestwood, then known as Beard’s Station, was a lush area abundant with hardwood trees. It was Joseph Beard, a philanthropist and landowner, who played a pivotal role in its development. He acquired 263 acres of land and generously donated ground for the extension of the railroad from Louisville to Frankfort, which opened in 1851. Prior to the train, the primary mode of travel was via stagecoach.
As the railroad was being extended, Beard’s Station became a crucial stop along the line, connecting the town to the rest of Kentucky and becoming one of the few privately owned railway stations of its time.
The station, once a humble stop along the railroad, soon became a magnet for tourists from Louisville. They flocked to this peaceful retreat, seeking respite from the bustling city life and enjoying the luxurious setting of the countryside.
In addition to a post office, three distilleries, a dairy, a bank and several other businesses that dated back to 1869 were thriving. In 1880, “Beard’s Station” was shortened to just “Beard,” jokingly referred to by train conductors as “Whiskers.”
In 1901, “Beards” witnessed a new wave of progress with the arrival of the Louisville, Anchorage & Pewee Valley Electric Railway. This significantly changed the transportation system and lifestyle. The community, formerly known as ‘Whiskers,’ was officially renamed Crestwood in 1909, likely due to its location on the crest of a ridge that was once hardwood countryside.
Passenger trains continued to run “on the crest” until the Great Depression and the rise of automobiles in 1935 when train transportation switched to freight.
Later, in 1969, two significant Crestwood events happened. Interstate 71 opened, and on October 30, 1969, a major train derailment occurred when a steel pipe fell between two train cars, causing rocket propellant to explode. Five fire departments and over 70 people extinguished the fire.
Today, a CSX freight train replaces passenger trains, and a large pavilion is erected in place of the original Beard’s Station Depot. You can find it along the tracks on Railroad Avenue near the rear entrance of Maples Park. The Oldham County Tourism office and Visitor Center is inside the Park.