Abandoned rails outside of Providence, KY. Photo by Howard E. Espravnik, May 2011.
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The Western Kentucky Railway applied to the TSB on January 7th, 2011 to abandon this line. They were all ex-Illinois Central coal haulers. The railroad's interchange had been with CSX in Providence, Kentucky. Three coal mines had used these lines.
Approximately 40 miles of track are being abandoned, all of it in Western Kentucky.
Howard E. Espravnik Indiana 7/25/2011
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These tracks use to run past my fathers granmothers house, which would be over to the right hand side of the pict. I deft remember that substation is the background... me and my cousins use to throw rocks at the substation as well as when trains came through we would throw rocks at the coal cars....also where the grass is that use to be a hughe coal field...
Mark cincinnati, OH 3/8/2012
the right hand side of picture 2. Last time I was down there in mid 90's I remember seeing some CSX trains
mark cincinnati, OH 3/8/2012
In Elmer Sulzer's book "Ghost Railroads of Kentucky" on age 149 it shows the portion from Clay to Dixon already being abandoned at the time of printing of the book,about 1967. The text states the ICC granted a request to abandon this section on March 17,1937. Was this the same railroad or a different one?
Brian D. Gray Cannelton, IN 3/19/2012
What is that red light on top of the crossbuck shown in picture 14 used for? God bless.
Cbalducc Cleveland, MS 9/11/2012
The light was so the crew could see that the crossing protection was functioning from a distance.
Dave Delaware, OH 1/20/2013
I was an engineer on the WKRL the red light on the cross bucks was there to warn traffic. The crossing is on HWY 109 down in a valley, you could see the light on top before you crested the hill.
kane madisonville ky 3/24/2013
Is there anything left of this railroad line or has it all been cut up by now? That and what is left of the mines and industries it once serviced. Thanks for any info, I'm rather intrigued by short coal haulers that are still around.
Stephen Lane Williams Grove, PA 2/23/2014
It has since been took up and sold as scrap, the roadbed remains but as far as the track goes, its gone. I was going to go down therr and explore before it was took up but never got the chance to do so. No telling what u will find on that old railroad line.
David Fugate Mortons Gap, KY 12/25/2014
