Union Station
The most significant railroad serving Louisville was Louisville & Nashville. With main lines northeast to Cincinnati and south to Nashville, and secondary main lines to Lexington and Evansville. Union Station was served by a spur extending north from A Street Tower, junction of the Cincinnati and Nashville lines. The Lexington line diverged east at HK Tower, on the Cincinnati line. The Evansville line diverged west at SW Tower, on the Nashville line. The Lexington line was more prominently used by Chesapeake & Ohio trains using trackage rights towards Ashland KY, where connections were made with C&O main lines east into Virginia. C&O used Central Station in Louisville, using the L&N Water Street Line between the station and MN Tower. Also using Union Station was Monon and Pennsylvania Railroad, both of which had lines extending north to Chicago. Monon used Kentucky & Indiana Terminal trackage west through Louisville, crossing the Ohio River into New Albany IN. Monon's own trackage extended north from VI Tower. West of Union Station was a connection from L&N to Pennsylvania Railroad.
Significant Locations and Distances from Station
Clagg (2 miles N) - PRR Ohio River Bridge.
Mark (1/2 mile W) - junction of L&N, PRR Indianapolis Division.
Kentucky St. (1/2 mile S) - junction of L&N, Union Station trackage.
K&I Jct. (1 mile S) - junction of L&N, K&IT used by Monon west to New Albany.
A Street Tower (2 miles S) - junction of L&N lines to Cincinnati, Nashville.
SW Tower/Strawberry (6 miles S) - junction of L&N Nashville line, Evansville line.
MN Tower (6 miles E) - junction of L&N Cincinnati line, Water Street Line.
HK Tower/Anchorage (17 miles E) - junction of L&N Cincinnati line, Lexington line.
DI Tower (6 miles NW) - south end K&IT Ohio River Bridge.
VI Tower (7 miles NW) - north end K&IT Ohio River Bridge and K&IT trackage.
Central Station
Four railroads used Louisville Central Station, which was operated by Short Route Railroad. Operating east of Central Station was Chesapeake & Ohio, using trackage rights via Louisville & Nashville east to Lexington, were C&O trackage continued east to Ashland KY, where connections were made with C&O main lines east into Virginia. Illinois Central trains used a segment of Pennsylvania Railroad trackage to reach its own line, which extended southwest to Fulton KY where it connected with the main line south to New Orleans. Baltimore & Ohio and Southern Railway used Kentucky & Indiana Terminal trackage west through Louisville, crossing the Ohio River into New Albany IN. At DI Tower, south of the Ohio River bridge, another K&IT line formed a belt around Louisville, connecting at LS Jct. with the SR line east to Danville KY. And at VI Tower, north of the Ohio River bridge, K&IT connected with the B&O line northeast to Cincinnati, and the SR line west to St. Louis. In New Albany, SR actually used trackage rights via PRR between Ade and State.
Significant Locations and Distances from Station
MN Tower (2 miles E) - junction of L&N Cincinnati line, Water Street Line.
Preston Street (1 mile E) - east end SRR trackage, connect with L&N.
Floyd Street (1 mile E) - SRR connection with NYC.
5th Street - east end Central Station.
9th Street - west end Central Station.
11th Street (1/2 mile W) - SRR connection with IC.
13th Street (1/2 mile W) - west end SRR trackage, connect with K&IT, IC.
Main (1/2 mile W) - connection of IC with PRR for trackage rights.
ICRR Jct. (2 miles SW) - south end PRR trackage, connect with IC.
DI Tower (2 miles NW) - south end K&IT Ohio River Bridge, K&IT junction south.
VI Tower (3 miles NW) - north end K&IT Ohio River Bridge and K&IT trackage.
Ade (3 miles NW) - west end K&IT Ohio River Bridge, connect with PRR.
State (4 miles NW) - junction of PRR, SR with trackage rights.
LS Jct. (7 miles S) - south end K&IT trackage, connect with SR.