Freight cars remain drastically under-represented in preservation due to being less interesting and useful than locomotives or passenger cars to railroad museums; many of which focus their limited funds to restore and maintain passenger equipment that guests can ride inside of and can produce revenue for the organization.

Car #247265 (originally L&N #241499) is one of 199 100-ton covered hoppers (#241450-241649) built for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in October of 1975. This series of cars were the first covered hoppers delivered to the L&N Railroad in the gray with black lettering paint scheme.

The owner of car #247265 has generously donated this covered hopper to Kentucky Railway Museum for historic preservation. The museum plans to repaint the car back to its as-delivered livery, and to utilize this car as part of the Great Freight Experience, photo charters, and Caboose Trains. These events offer unique experiences to the public and provide an opportunity to generate revenue to help sustain the museum. To learn more about those and other KRM experiences visit: https://kyrail.org/train-rides

Before car #247265 can make the journey to Kentucky from North Carolina it needs to have its trucks re-installed. The cost of transporting and re-installing the trucks is approximately $6,500. Additionally, the transportation cost for the car across the national rail network is approximately $3,500.

Please donate to help save this historic freight car, as it may be the only car of this series to survive into preservation! Please help however you can, regardless of small or large. Kentucky Railway Museum is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1954 with the mission to educate the public regarding the history and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them, through the acquisition, restoration, preservation, display, and operation of rail equipment and artifacts.

Note from the Author: I am a member and volunteer with Kentucky Railway Museum, and served on the Board of Directors between 2015 and March of 2026.