The Humming Bird, The L&N's Connection To Chicago and New Orleans

The Louisville & Nashville is not well remembered for its passenger services although one of its more notable trains was the Humming Bird. The train was a low key, no frills operation affordable to most of the general public although it did receive streamlining and a classy livery of dark blue and silver. The Humming Bird originally operated only between Cincinnati and New Orleans but later a later partnership with the Chicago & Eastern Illinois connected the train with Chicago and St. Louis. Interestingly the train continued to receive good patronage through the early 1960s for intermediate connections. However, by the latter years of that decade interest in rail travel by the general public was fading all across the industry and the L&N wanted to rid itself of the money-losing operation axing the Humming Bird in 1969.

The Louisville and Nashville, a railroad synonymous with the southern states and southeastern US, served major cities from New Orleans and Memphis to St. Louis, Atlanta, and later Chicago. The L&N is also one of the few classic fallen flags to never have had its original chartered name changed at any point throughout its history, serving its home state and the southeast for over 120 years known as simply the Louisville & Nashville. While the railroad would become part of the burgeoning CSX system it was a highly respected and well-known transportation company for much of its existence.

Aside from the railroad’s coal regions, which provided it with significant profits, by being “centrally” located in the southern region and serving eastern as well as western markets it also earned a large amount of revenues from handling freight and passenger trains. For instance it worked with railroads such as the ACL, FEC, PRR, B&O, Southern, and other, smaller lines. With this alliance it handled well-known passenger trains such as the Piedmont Limited, Crescent, and South Wind. Of course, the railroad also owned a few notable trains of its own including the Pan American (Cincinnati-New Orleans) and Dixie Flyer (Chicago-St. Louis-Florida).

Interestingly the L&N never reached Chicago until 1969 when the railroad took over the Chicago & Eastern Illinois’ main line and gained a direct connection to the city from Louisville when it took control of the famous, albeit rather small, Monon Railroad in 1971.

The 1970s also signaled the end for the Louisville & Nashville’s independence. It was during this time that it came under the Family Lines System banner along with the Clinchfield, Seaboard Coast Line (a merger between the ACL and Seaboard Air Line), and a number of other smaller lines. With this came a new livery applied to all of the railroads (with sub-lettering stenciled under locomotive cabs identifying company) and gone was the L&N’s famous gray, yellow, and red livery (which, interestingly, the new Family Lines’ livery also used the same colors).

The Humming Bird has its beginnings dating to 1947 when the L&N inaugurated it as an all-coach streamlined operation between New Orleans and Cincinnati. The equipment for the train came from American Car & Foundry and was most certainly nothing fancy including only coaches, diners, and lounges. On board the train featured none of the amenities often found on other long distance trains like sleepers, observations, or stewardesses. However, this low-key operational approach is partly what the train popular as it was a fast, efficient, and a low-cost means of transportation (the train did receive Pullman service by the early 1950s).

In 1951 the Humming Bird increased its operating territory by providing services to both St. Louis and Chicago via Chicago & Eastern Illinois, which ferried the train between Cincinnati and Chicago. Due to the fact that the Humming Bird operated in a market (New Orleans – Chicago) already dominated by the Illinois Central its success mostly hinged on passengers traveling to intermediate stops between the train’s two terminating cities, a feature that turned out to be highly successful for the train.

It should also be noted that the Humming Bird had a sister train, the Georgian. This train operated between Atlanta and St. Louis, and because it provided the only direct connection between St. Louis and Atlanta proved to popular with travelers through the 1960s.

As with the rail industry in total, the 1960s were not kind to L&N passenger operations in general and the railroad began looking for ways to exit the business entirely. Interestingly, the railroad was so quick to call it quits on the Humming Bird that it discontinued the train in the middle of its run in 1969, stranding passengers and making news all over the country! Needless to say when Amtrak began operations a few years later it opted not to include any of the L&N’s former passenger trains within its skeletal system.

For more reading on streamliners like the Humming Bird you might want to consider the book Streamliners: A History of the Railroad Icon from renowned author Mike Schafer who covers in detail most of the well-known and remembered “classic” passenger trains to operate in the country. If you have any interest in such you should very much enjoy Mr. Schafer’s book.

Also, although a bit pricey the book Louisville and Nashville Passenger Trains: The Pan American Era 1921-1971 by authors Charles Castner, Robert Chapman, Patrick Dorin, and R. Lyle Key will give you a comprehensive, in-depth look at the L&N’s passenger operations from the Dixie Flyer to the Flamingo and every notable train in between. If you want to know more about the L&N’s passenger trains this is a must read. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing these books please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".