The Depot at Russell, Ky.

I've lived in Russell for thirty years and today was the first time I have walked over here and looked around this depot.

Hmmmm, it's also a museum. And they serve lunch!

There's a nice old caboose on display.

And a military memorial.

The bricks are inscribed with the names of deceased C&O employees.

Inside the caboose.

Russell was once home to the largest independently owned railyard in the United States, some say in the world. It boasted 240 tracks (182 miles total), including the huge Raceland Car Shop for building C&O's freight equipment, along with the caboose shop there, a large engine terminal (servicing motive power from five C&O subdivisions), and at one time a huge crosstie processing plant of the American Creosoting Company (replaced in 1963 with Chessie's ribbon-rail welding plant).

It starts here in Russell and runs about 8 miles downriver to Wurtland and the car shops.

Russell is also home to the C&O Railroad YMCA.

 When it was closed and abandoned in 1992 it held the distinction of being the oldest and longest continually operated restaurant in the states. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for over 103 years. It was the place to be at 2am for biscuits and gravy after a night of running the bars in Ironton or Huntington!

Back to the depots

The depot in Ashland, Ky.

The depot in Ashland is the largest and most stately of the three.

It's used as the headquarters of the PNC bank.

No caboose here, they have a dining car parked on a siding!

I peeked thru the locked doors. Looks like they use it as a meeting room. Neat!

The depot in Catlettsburg, Ky.

Here they are getting ready to set up a caboose on display also.

I am assuming they are going to restore this thing!

It'll be interesting to see how this progresses. It's right behind the bank I use so I can check on it every Friday.

I'll keep ya posted!

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EDIT

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Found a video on YouTube from the guys that moved the caboose.