The Pan American, Flagship Train Of The Louisville and Nashville Railroad

The Louisville & Nashville is not well remembered for its passenger services although its flagship and most popular train, the Pan American was a fairly successful operation for several years. While most of the L&N’s passenger trains and services were dropped or cancelled prior to the creation of Amtrak in the spring of 1971, the Pan American remained until the end ceasing operations on April 30, 1970 one day prior to Amtrak’s startup. Interestingly, the Pan American train inspired several songs including "Pan-American Blues" by DeFord Bailey, "The Pan-American" by Hank Williams, and "Pan-American Boogie" by the Delmore Brothers.

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 Pan American (named because of the service L&N provided hauling Central and South American goods through Gulf Coast ports) began as a heavyweight operation in 1921 serving Cincinnati and New Orleans although with the streamliner revolution hitting the nation in the 1930s the train was reequipped in the 1940s with lightweight, streamlined cars featuring diners, sleepers, lounges, and observations.

The train was a quite successful operation although because it competed in a market dominated by the Illinois Central with its Panama Limited and City of New Orleans the Pan American was often overshadowed. Still, for over five decades it provided reliable, efficient, and friendly service between the Gulf Coast and Midwest.

Like with the rest of the rail industry, by the 1960s the L&N was looking to get of the passenger train business. 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, making news all over the country! Still, while most of the L&N’s fleet was discontinued by the late 1960s, the Pan American carried on until the end when Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail operations on May 1, 1971.

For more reading on streamliners like the Pan American you might want to consider the book Streamliners: History of a 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 an excellent, comprehensive and 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.