The Decline

The Decline. . (By Dave Schroeder.) In the years following World War II, railroads across the nation were in transition. Mechanization was reducing the number of workers needed on the job. The expansion of the long-haul trucking business also had a negative effect on railroads. As a result, the Ludlow yards began to shrink. Some of the old repair shops were leaded to other businesses, and the roundhouse, which dominated Davies Street between Oak and Linden Streets, was demolished. Perhaps the greatest symbol of the decline of the railroad in Ludlow was the demolition of the Ludlow Depot, which was announced for 1968. For generations, Ludlow residents had been catching trains heading south. This option was no more. The railroad had once provided employment to more than 500 workers in Ludlow. By the 1980s, that number had been reduced to a tiny fraction. , Despite the loss of much of the railroad infrastructure in the city, the bridge (extensively rebuilt in 1922), several old shop buildings and the foundation of the roundhouse still remain. The sounds of trains gliding along the tracks and an occasional whistle still remind Ludlow residents of what once fueled the city. Despite the loss, many still remember the glory days of the Cincinnati Southern in Ludlow. The stories keep the culture alive and well in our little river community.