The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company was chartered in Kentucky on March 5, 1850 for the purpose of building a railroad line between Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. The first train to travel the railroad from Louisville to Nashville ran on October 27, 1859, and regular trains began running a few days later. During the Civil War, the L & N lay between Union and Confederate Lines and served both sides at various times. The railroad began expanding after the war ended and eventually linked such cities as Cincinnati, Ohio; Pensacola, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Mobile, Alabama. After transporting both freight and soldiers during World War II, the L & N continued to expand, purchasing new track and offering streamlined passenger service with such trains as The Dixie Flyer, The Georgian, and The Hummingbird. In 1969, the L & N acquired part of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, which gave it access to important midwestern rail centers. In 1971, however, Seaboard Coast Line Industries bought the L & N, and the L & N was officially merged into the Seaboard System Railroad on December 31, 1982. In 1986, the Seaboard System and the Chessie System merged into CSX Transportation, which continues to operate trains on what was once L & N track today.