Foley Alabama Train Museum

Title:
Foley Alabama Train Museum

Description:
The first depot was built on this site in 1905 when the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Line came to Foley. The railroad was once known as the Bay Minette and Fort Morgan Railroad. At that time, logging was an important industry in this area and the railroad was built to help move the timber out of the area. At one time, there were two trains per day going in each direction - one to Foley and the other to Bay Minette. These trains were wood burners. They had fairly high smokestacks in order to deaden the live sparks that could cause fires in this timber area. There was also wire netting stretched across the smokestack to help keep the cinders from flying into the woods. Wood racks were found along the railway so that the wood burners would always have a supply of wood. The settlers would cut and haul their wood to these racks. When the wood was loaded into the train's tinderbox, the engineer would sign a "wood ticket." The settler would turn in this ticket for cash. The trains would also bring in passengers from the North who were coming to Baldwin County to buy land and build homes. In Bay Minette travelers would transfer from the main line to a small coach. This small passenger train became known as "The Pine Knot Special." The train would make many stops along the 36-mile trip from Bay Minette to pile on wood or to let people off near their farms. Foley became a growing and thriving community. The railroad served as a means to get the various crops to market. Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco and cucumbers were some of the main crops that were shipped on the railroad. The first depot that was built in 1905 burned to the ground in 1908. It was rebuilt and served as the center of activity for the community for many years. In 1971, word was received that L & N was going to discontinue service to Foley and would destroy the building. John Snook, owner of Gulf Telephone Company bought the building for $1.00. He cut the depot and the freight area into two parts and moved them to Magnolia Springs. There it stayed for approximately twenty-four years and served as storage for Gulf Telephone. In the early nineties, Mr. Snook deeded the depot back to the city of Foley. In 1995, it was returned to the original site and renovations were begun to make the depot into a museum for the city.

Author:
skyscanu

Tags:
Train, Trains, Museum, Railroad, railroads, boxcarr,