Venice Gondolier - 08/15/2020
by Larry Humes, Class of 1965
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Venice,
Florida
"THE OLD
TRAIN
STATION"
Opened
in 1927
by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the depot helped
bring the
Kentucky Military Institute, the Army Air Corps and Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey Circus to Venice. In 1932, the Kentucky
Military
Institute of Lyndon, Ky., selected Venice as its winter headquarters.
As
part of the yearly tuition, all students were given the opportunity to
ride a special "L&N" train between Louisville and Venice, arriving
in early January and departing the beginning of April. KMI
discontinued use of the Venice campus in 1970. Final Seaboard Coast
Line
passenger train service occurred in 1971. |
(Email from the author - 6/5/2016)
Midwest Florida Sunliners Paperback – 1979
by R. Lyle Key Jr.
"Over the years, various diverse types of specials operated between the
Midwest and Florida, but perhaps the most unusual was the train that
annually carried Kentucky Military Institute from Louisville to the
school's winter quarters in Venice, Florida. KMI began wintering in
Venice in 1932 after it purchased two old hotels from the BofLE..
The Brotherhood had planned to convert the former hotels into
retirement homes for engineers, but the Great Depression forced it to
abandon that venture and sell the properties.
After
their Christmas break, the Institute's cadets, faculty, and staff
reported to Louisville Union Station where they boarded the
Florida-bound KMI Special. The trains's consist naturally varied
over the years, but the special that departed Louisville on January 5,
1951 was made up of 8 coaches, 2 diners, and a baggage car. To
facilitate loading, the latter car was spotted on a siding near the
school which was about 13 miles from Union Station. The KMI
Special ran on L&N [to] Montgomery, ACL [to] Tampa, and SAL to
Venice. It used the Perry cut-off until 1957, when regular
passenger service ceased on that line, and after that, it began running
via Jacksonville. Like most military schools, KMI fell onto hard
time in the 1960's, and in 1964, the specials gave way to extra cars
added to the South Wind. KMI ceased its winter exodus altogether
in 1968."
On
page 155 of that book, I have a Charlie Castner photo of the KMI
Special that departed Louisville Union Station in January of
1963. The train appears to have five cars and was pulled by
L&N E-unit #797. The first coach behind the baggage car
appears to be on of the light colored SAL cars.
SAL=Seaboard Air Line Railroad
ACL=Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
L&N=Louisville and Nashville Railroad
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1945
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Pre-1945
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CADETS
AT THE
VENICE DEPOT
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Venice
Archives and Area
Historical Collection
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Venice
Archives and Area
Historical Collection
I
can say positively that this picture was taken upon arrival of the KMI
Special Train in Venice in 1953. The 2nd Lt. at the left is John
Nuzum, then of Akron, Ohio, and the captain handing his luggage up is
Todd Brandon, formerly of Anchorage, Ky. Both were members of the
Class of 1953 as was I.
Edward D. Hagan
1152 Kristen Cove
Jacksonville, FL 32221
Fax & Voice: (904) 786-2776
E-Mail: edhagan@aol.com
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Venice
Archives and Area
Historical Collection
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1950 Saber
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Venice
Archives and Area
Historical Collection
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