Mammoth Cave Railroad
Encyclopedia
Mammoth Cave Railroad ("Dinkey Train") was a short rail line with a small train off the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
(L&N) that went to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky
. The tiny 9 miles (14.5 km) railroad from Glasgow Junction (Park City
) to Mammoth Caves was started in 1886 and operated for 45 years. The complete Dinkey Train consisted only of a "dummy" 0-4-2
T type steam locomotive
and a wooden coach to carry passengers and their luggage. Among the many stops on the way to Mammoth Caves were Diamond Caverns, Grand Avenue Cave, Procter Cave and Hotel, Chaumont Post Office, Union City, Sloan's Crossing, and Ganter's Hotel. The Dinkey Train could obtain speeds of 25–35 miles per hour on the lightweight rails.
and 1880 there were about 40,000 to 50,000 passengers annually of the L&N Railroad that stopped off at Glasgow Junction, and then took a stagecoach to Mammoth Caves. Colonel Larkin J. Procter owned and operated this stagecoach line that began at Bell's Tavern. Procter also owned the Mammoth Cave Hotel and estate.
The Mammoth Cave Railroad was not built by the L&N, although it owned the railroad rights to Mammoth Caves. A contract was entered into between two companies whereby the L&N would lease its rights. In 1874 Procter chartered the Mammoth Cave Railroad with his brother George and other investors. They leased the railroad rights to Mammoth Cave from the L&N Railroad. The new railroad acquired four used steam engine locomotives. They were Baldwin "dummy" steam engines formally used on street railways in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee
. They also acquired two wooden passenger coaches and two wooden combination coaches and baggage cars. Usually at any one time there were two sets of Dinkey Trains operating. The coach cars had open vestibules
and were heated with a coal stove. They were always painted red.
Before the actual construction work began the L&N agreed to lease the railroad rights to Mammoth Caves for 25 years from the completion of the spur railroad. The actual work on the railroad did not begin until 1880 when the first short part went to Diamond Cave. Construction stopped again until July 1886 when Jim McDaniel and Henry Chapman resumed work on the roadbed. The railroad officially opened for business in November 1886 under this 25 year lease from the L&N. It cost $3 per ticket when it first started running as is recorded in the Mammoth Cave Hotel register on November 8, 1886. The first passenger was a W. F. Richardson. The hotel register reads
The cost of the entire Mammoth Cave excursion in 1913, including roundtrip railway fare, cave fees, hotel, and meals was $11.75. Also at this time there were additional services that included a side trip to Colossal Cavern for $1.50 and a bed inside a Pullman Sleeper
for $1.75 (90 cents each if two occupied the space).
in 1926 put the final nails into the coffin. The Dinkey Train discontinued service February 28, 1929. It was replaced temporarily by a railcar
for mail service until 1931 when it finally shut down permanently. On the first of August 1931 the railroad ceased operations.
The Mammoth Cave museum collection at the Mammoth Cave National Park contains Baldwin steam engine number 4 and passenger coach number 2 located at the line's terminus. This display is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
as "Hercules and Coach No. 2. The abandoned rail line was converted to the Mammoth Cave Bike and Hike trail in 2004. The trail currently starts at Sloans Crossing Pond, however work is underway to have the complete 9 miles (14.5 km) trail from Park City to Mammoth Cave National Park terminus display of the Dinkey Train at the hotel.
" locomotive filled up with water at Glasgow Junction before it made the 9 miles (14.5 km) journey pulling the coach up the Chester Escarpment, gaining 200 feet (61 m) in elevation about every mile. The two component train on the spur went through a series of hills and valleys. It would wind its way over a trestle
at Doyle Valley and eventually come to Mammoth Cave hotel and estate. The train carried at least a three man crew that consisted of a train engineer
to run the locomotive, a boiler man to stoke the engine, and a conductor
to tend to the passengers. Many times there were up to seven employees to operate the railroad train. On rare occasions the train pulled additional cars besides the passenger coach. Most famous of the steam engine locomotives was number 4, which was called Hercules.
The reason the small steam Baldwin locomotive was called a "dummy" was because it was boxed up to look like a passenger street car. The idea was to prevent the horses from being spooked when it came close to them. Most times horses are very sensitive to mechanical machines and loud noises. Its condensing engines operated without the noise of escaping steam. It covered the mechanics of the rods, linkage, pipes, bolts, rivets, and most of the moving parts.
The steam engine locomotive was made to look like an ordinary street car for other reasons as well. The mechanics were covered and boxed up in this manner because the raw engine parts were considered to be too brutish to be on city streets. These steam engine locomotives used at the Mammoth Cave Railroad were originally constructed in this "dummy" style by Baldwin Locomotive Works
.
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
(L&N) that went to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The tiny 9 miles (14.5 km) railroad from Glasgow Junction (Park City
Park City, Kentucky
Park City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 517 at the 2000 census. It has historically served as a gateway to nearby Mammoth Cave National Park and Diamond Caverns, a privately-owned cave attraction....
) to Mammoth Caves was started in 1886 and operated for 45 years. The complete Dinkey Train consisted only of a "dummy" 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
T type steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
and a wooden coach to carry passengers and their luggage. Among the many stops on the way to Mammoth Caves were Diamond Caverns, Grand Avenue Cave, Procter Cave and Hotel, Chaumont Post Office, Union City, Sloan's Crossing, and Ganter's Hotel. The Dinkey Train could obtain speeds of 25–35 miles per hour on the lightweight rails.
History
Between the ending of the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and 1880 there were about 40,000 to 50,000 passengers annually of the L&N Railroad that stopped off at Glasgow Junction, and then took a stagecoach to Mammoth Caves. Colonel Larkin J. Procter owned and operated this stagecoach line that began at Bell's Tavern. Procter also owned the Mammoth Cave Hotel and estate.
The Mammoth Cave Railroad was not built by the L&N, although it owned the railroad rights to Mammoth Caves. A contract was entered into between two companies whereby the L&N would lease its rights. In 1874 Procter chartered the Mammoth Cave Railroad with his brother George and other investors. They leased the railroad rights to Mammoth Cave from the L&N Railroad. The new railroad acquired four used steam engine locomotives. They were Baldwin "dummy" steam engines formally used on street railways in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. They also acquired two wooden passenger coaches and two wooden combination coaches and baggage cars. Usually at any one time there were two sets of Dinkey Trains operating. The coach cars had open vestibules
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
and were heated with a coal stove. They were always painted red.
Before the actual construction work began the L&N agreed to lease the railroad rights to Mammoth Caves for 25 years from the completion of the spur railroad. The actual work on the railroad did not begin until 1880 when the first short part went to Diamond Cave. Construction stopped again until July 1886 when Jim McDaniel and Henry Chapman resumed work on the roadbed. The railroad officially opened for business in November 1886 under this 25 year lease from the L&N. It cost $3 per ticket when it first started running as is recorded in the Mammoth Cave Hotel register on November 8, 1886. The first passenger was a W. F. Richardson. The hotel register reads
The cost of the entire Mammoth Cave excursion in 1913, including roundtrip railway fare, cave fees, hotel, and meals was $11.75. Also at this time there were additional services that included a side trip to Colossal Cavern for $1.50 and a bed inside a Pullman Sleeper
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
for $1.75 (90 cents each if two occupied the space).
Closing operations
The Mammoth Cave Railroad with the Dinkey Train ran successfully from 1886 until the mid 1890s, after which the L&N abandoned the line. The stockholders then reformed the company under the same name and assumed full control from the L&N in 1903. In 1904 an Indianapolis judge drove the first car to the caves which represented the doom of the railroad line. The establishment of the Mammoth Cave National ParkMammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...
in 1926 put the final nails into the coffin. The Dinkey Train discontinued service February 28, 1929. It was replaced temporarily by a railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
for mail service until 1931 when it finally shut down permanently. On the first of August 1931 the railroad ceased operations.
The Mammoth Cave museum collection at the Mammoth Cave National Park contains Baldwin steam engine number 4 and passenger coach number 2 located at the line's terminus. This display is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as "Hercules and Coach No. 2. The abandoned rail line was converted to the Mammoth Cave Bike and Hike trail in 2004. The trail currently starts at Sloans Crossing Pond, however work is underway to have the complete 9 miles (14.5 km) trail from Park City to Mammoth Cave National Park terminus display of the Dinkey Train at the hotel.
Dummy
The "steam dummySteam dummy
A steam dummy or dummy engine, in the United States of America and Canada, was a steam engine enclosed in a wooden box structure made to resemble a railroad passenger coach....
" locomotive filled up with water at Glasgow Junction before it made the 9 miles (14.5 km) journey pulling the coach up the Chester Escarpment, gaining 200 feet (61 m) in elevation about every mile. The two component train on the spur went through a series of hills and valleys. It would wind its way over a trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
at Doyle Valley and eventually come to Mammoth Cave hotel and estate. The train carried at least a three man crew that consisted of a train engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
to run the locomotive, a boiler man to stoke the engine, and a conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
to tend to the passengers. Many times there were up to seven employees to operate the railroad train. On rare occasions the train pulled additional cars besides the passenger coach. Most famous of the steam engine locomotives was number 4, which was called Hercules.
The reason the small steam Baldwin locomotive was called a "dummy" was because it was boxed up to look like a passenger street car. The idea was to prevent the horses from being spooked when it came close to them. Most times horses are very sensitive to mechanical machines and loud noises. Its condensing engines operated without the noise of escaping steam. It covered the mechanics of the rods, linkage, pipes, bolts, rivets, and most of the moving parts.
The steam engine locomotive was made to look like an ordinary street car for other reasons as well. The mechanics were covered and boxed up in this manner because the raw engine parts were considered to be too brutish to be on city streets. These steam engine locomotives used at the Mammoth Cave Railroad were originally constructed in this "dummy" style by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
.