"After the Civil War, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad took the lead among southern companies in improving rail systems and regional economic development. Through two world wars, federal government control, internal crises, external dissension, the Depression, and the great Ohio River flood of 1937, the L & N Railroad remained one of the country's most efficient lines. It is a southern institution and a railroad buff's dream.".

"In History of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, eminent railroad historian Maury Klein provides a fascinating look at the L & N's long and tumultuous history, covering leaders such as Albert Fink and Milton Smith and highlighting the characteristics that distinguished the system from other American railroads.

Including comprehensive descriptions of the railroad's equipment, operation, and traffic at all stages of its development, Klein tracks the L & N's incredible growth into an integrated system of more than five thousand miles. A new introduction by Klein details the L & N's history in the thirty years since the book was first published."--BOOK JACKET.