Near Brownsville in Edmonson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Mammoth Cave Railroad
In 1859, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was established between those two cities; a spur line to the cave was completed in 1886. At $3.00 per ticket, the Mammoth Cave Railroad brought visitors 8.7 miles from Glasgow Junction (now Park City) to the mysterious Mammoth Cave. Along the way, visitors were offered the chance to stop off at other local landmarks – Diamond Caverns, Grand Avenue Cave, and Procter Cave.
The landscape was dotted with rolling hills, sinkholes, patches of forest, wooden farmhouses, livestock, and cultivated fields. One of four “dummy” 04-2T-type steam engines pulled a wooden coach or wooden combination baggage/coach car up the Chester Escarpment, gaining 200 feet in elevation in less than one mile. A series of hills took the little train over a trestle at Doyle Valley and on up to the Mammoth Cave Estate and Hotel. Cave visitors, local families, and even wedding parties saw the sprawling Kentucky landscape from dusty glass windows adorning the cars of the Mammoth Cave Railroad.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior .
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.
Location. 37° 11.067′ N, 86° 5.928′ W. Marker is near Brownsville, Kentucky, in Edmonson County. Marker is within Mammoth Cave National park, along the Mammoth Cave Railroad Trail. This 9-mile bicycle and hiking recreational trail follows the old Mammoth Cave Railroad bed. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mammoth Cave KY 42259, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Engine No. 4 (a few steps from this marker); World Treasure Saved (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Guide's Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mammoth Cave National Park (approx. ¼ mile away); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. ¼ mile away); The Great War Monuments (approx. 0.3 miles away); An African American Heritage (approx. 0.4 miles away); Old Riverboat Landing (approx. 0.6 miles away).
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Mammoth Cave Railroad (1886-1931)
Also see . . . Mammoth Cave Railroad (Wikipedia). 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. (Submitted on August 18, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 769 times since then and 66 times this year. Last updated on December 1, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1. submitted on November 28, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on September 21, 2023, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 3. submitted on August 18, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5. submitted on September 21, 2023, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 6, 7. submitted on August 18, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.