NEWS

Keep up with the latest Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust news:

June 2, 2025

Beautify Loretto Partners with LBPT

At their most recent board meeting, Beautify Loretto voted to officially support Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust and its mission.

"It is great to see people come together to

work to improve their community. Beautify Loretto

since their founding has made major strides

towards their goal of improving and beautifying

the City of Loretto through various initiatives and projects. The railroad was once a major part of Loretto, and as the Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust works to preserve the history of the railroad, we believe our efforts will compliment those of Beautify Loretto in bettering the community. We are very grateful for Beautify Loretto's support, and look forward to working with their organization in the future." -LBPT President, Maison Young."

"Beautify Loretto is very pleased to be partnering with the nonprofit organization Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust. With our community's rich history, the railroad played a major role in the establishment and growth of our town. From being a connector to major cities, to carrying passengers to work, a day of shopping or a night on the town, to providing postal service to the community and carrying much-needed supplies to local businesses, the railroad was multi-functional. It also played a big role in the expansion of the Sisters of Loretto.
Some of us can remember a time when it was common to see trains traveling through the center of town and hear that clickety-clack on the rails and the locomotive blowing its whistle. We would wait patiently for the train to end to receive a friendly wave from the man in the caboose. I'm betting there are still people in the area who have the pennies they placed on the tracks for the train to smash.
It's very important to preserve history and Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust has taken a major step in preserving the history of our railroad and we are very grateful for that." -Beautify Loretto President, Diane Mattingly

March 27, 2025

Kentucky Railway Museum Partners with LBPT

At the March meeting of the Kentucky Railway

Museum board of directors, all non-abstaining

members of the board voted unanimously to

partner with and support Lebanon Branch

Preservation Trust and its mission.

"As the operator of the largest remaining

portion of the Lebanon Branch, collaboration with Kentucky Railway Museum is a key component to our organization's future. Additionally, the mission of the Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust aligns with Kentucky Railway Museum's mission to preserve the history of the railroads of Kentucky. The successes of LBPT will benefit and complement KRM and its operations. We look forward to working with KRM, and together the two organizations should be able to accomplish great things." -LBPT President, Maison Young.

Photo courtesy of Diane Mattingly of Beautify Loretto.

February 24, 2025

LBPT Presents Statue to Beautify Loretto

Lebanon Branch Preservation presented a fiberglass train statue to Beautify Loretto as a donation to be displayed within the city Loretto. This statue will commemorate the community's railroad heritage and honor those who worked for the railroad.

The Louisville & Nashville Railroad was chartered in 1850, and laid tracks through the Loretto area between 1854 and 1857. Later in 1866 the City of Loretto was founded along the railroad at milepost 57, at a point nearest the Sisters of Loretto in Nerinx, KY. A railroad passenger and freight depot once stood in the community, being built in 1878. The last train operated through Loretto in 1991.

February 6, 2024

L&N 156 Returns Home

Lebanon Branch Preservation Trust members returned L&N caboose #156 to home rails on L&N's Lebanon Branch after decades of static display in private ownership. It was built in 1952 by the International Railway Car & Equipment Company for the Monon railroad as their number C-363. Later it was renumbered to 81504, and then was transferred to the L&N in the 1971 L&N-Monon merger. First being L&N number 909, it was later renumbered to 6909, and finally 156. L&N assigned this caboose to their Louisville Division, and at the end of its career it operated on L&N's Lebanon and Greensburg Branches in the late 1970's/early 1980's.

On July 18th, 1980 caboose 156 brought up the rear of the last train to ever leave Greensburg, KY. Finally in 1983 it was retired, and was sold to the conductor who used it, John Coulter, who moved it to his property in Parksville, KY. In 2013 it was sold as part of an estate auction and found its way to northern Alabama. For the last decade it sat on static display at a private residence in Ardmore, Alabama. On February 6th, 2024 L&N 156 was transported by truck and arrived at Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, KY where it is currently being restored to operational condition.