L&N Railroad Turntable

L&N Railroad Turntable. I've Been Working on the Railroad. In the beginning most of the trains were passenger, mail, and package trains with two or three cars loaded with general merchandise., Houston County was rich in natural resources including wood products, limestone, and coal shipped from Guthrie and Russellville, Kentucky to points beyond Memphis which made it necessary to reduce the trains (cut trains in shorter segments) at Erin and Stewart to get over Tennessee Ridge Hill. It became necessary to operate solid freight trains over Tennessee Ridge in two runs, therefore, they used a Hill Helper, Pusher, or Goat at Erin to do nothing but push trains to Tennessee Ridge from both Erin and Stewart. This would require a turntable at Erin - so they could turn the engine around to be headed in right direction., The Hill Engine was very busy, as there were a number of extra coal trains operated daily , also through freights and 10 passenger trains. Up until 1930 there was an average of 24 trains per day through Erin, but this number fell way off during the depression years 1930 through 1940. Then during World War II, it picked back up so that tonnage was greater than ever. This included six passenger trains per day - all loaded, six fast freights per day, and about 10 extra trains per day. There was an average of 22 daily trains. The larger, more powerful locomotives permitted them to handle more cars., During the construction of the railroad through Erin, the crews were mostly Irish immigrants., It is rumored that they liked to meet on weekends, compare work, drink and fight. On one such trip after a good 'ruckus' one was taken with the similarity of this area and Ireland, and was reported to have said, "Erin go Braugh,' (Ireland forever). After that, Hollister's Field, as it was known then, was called Erin., Information provided by Ira Lee Bell and Ben Hagler