Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | 136 South Main Street, New Haven, Kentucky |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Brill Company, Philadelphia |
| Architectural style | Railroad car |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001344 |
| Added to NRHP | October 08, 1998 |
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car is a special old train car. It's also known as "The Cardinal". This historic railcar is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, you can find it at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Nelson County, Kentucky.
Contents
Meet The Cardinal Rail Car
This cool railcar was built in 1927. The Brill Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, made it. It's a strong steel car. It had a heavy gasoline engine. This engine helped it move along the tracks.
What Made It Special?
The Cardinal could carry 43 passengers. It also had space for their bags. It was about 43.42 feet (13.23 m) long. It measured 8.33 feet (2.54 m) wide. Even though it was big, it only weighed 29,000 pounds (13,000 kg). This made it cheap to run. It cost only 16 cents for every mile it traveled.
Why Was It Called "The Cardinal"?
This railcar was always painted bright red. Because of its color, people called it "The Cardinal". This name was a tribute to the state bird of Kentucky. Just like the bird, the train was a vibrant red!
The "Whiskey Route" Journey
The Cardinal used to travel on a route called the "Whiskey Route". This route belonged to the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad. It went from Frankfort, Kentucky to Paris, Kentucky. There was a main stop in Georgetown, Kentucky. The whole trip was about 40 miles (64 km) long.
The End of Passenger Service
On December 31, 1952, the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad stopped carrying passengers. This meant The Cardinal was retired. Passenger trains couldn't compete with cars anymore. Cars became a much more popular way to travel.
Just eight days before its retirement, The Cardinal had a problem. It broke an axle on Christmas Eve. For the last week of service, the F&C Superintendent, A.E. Parker, helped out. He used his own car to drive the few remaining passengers. He took them from Frankfort to Paris.
The Cardinal's New Home
In 1960, the Kentucky Railway Museum got The Cardinal. This museum is a great place to see old trains. In 1997, The Cardinal was very rare. It was one of only six known gas-powered motor rail cars left in the United States. It was also the only one in the Southeastern United States.
Other Historic Trains at the Museum
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Model 55 Rail Car is one of four trains at the Kentucky Railway Museum. These trains are all listed on the National Register. The other special trains are:
- Louisville and Nashville Steam Locomotive No. 152
- Louisville and Nashville Combine Car Number 665
- Mt. Broderick Pullman Car
A Small Detail About The Cardinal
The Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad actually had two Brill Railcars. They were named M55-1 and #2. It was the #2 car that broke its axle. This happened while it was crossing the Southern Railway in Georgetown, Kentucky.
