By: Molly Claire Abell
The sky, with its looming presence, gives a harsh glimpse of the day’s events; the L & N trains making quick work of the rails. Children cling to their mothers while friends wait idly as the sun makes its first appearance.
Trains had never been a passion of mine, but a lot can change in a year. Time has a way of shifting us toward new realities we never imagined would become part of our everyday lives.
My journey to the RailPark didn’t begin with trains. It began with people.
In college, I became deeply involved in numerous organizations and clubs, many of them service-oriented, and I quickly fell in love with philanthropy and the sense of connection it brings. Feeling connected to my work has always been a focus in my life, a value impressed upon me by my parents. When the time came for me to find an internship to complete my bachelor’s degree in public relations—along with a minor in Facility and Event Management—a memory flashed in my mind: beautifully arched windows and hand-laid Italian tile at the Historic RailPark and Train Museum.
During my time around the Depot, I began to understand what the building truly meant to so many people. It wasn’t simply a train station preserved in time. It was a symbol of community and history, a place that once carried immense promise for Bowling Green, Kentucky. Although my train knowledge was limited, I connected deeply with the stories I heard from visitors and employees alike. Each conversation revealed another piece of Depot’s legacy.
When I was offered the position of Rental & Event Coordinator, I quickly accepted and hit the ground running. Today, my role allows me to help bring the Depot to life in new ways. From BG Wine Fest to RailPark Rendezvous. I’m not simply planning events; I’m creating experiences for guests that you can’t find at a new venue.
My role encompasses rentals, RailPark events, and group tours. I work in tandem with an amazing team at the RailPark and together we breathe life into our annual events, revitalizing the energy ingrained in the Depot. From contracting leases and arranging rental set-ups to sending invoices and balancing the rental calendar, my day-to-day responsibilities vary just as much as the fluid nature of events themselves.
The RailPark has become more than just a workplace for me. It has been the starting point for my career and an unexpected introduction into the world of trains, their purpose, their history, and the people who helped shape the community through them.
The next time—or perhaps your first time—you visit the RailPark, I invite you to feel the presence of history.
Close your eyes and imagine the wife waiting anxiously for her husband’s return from war. Hear the distant train horn as an L&N locomotive roll into the busy station, the platform alive with travelers, families, and hopeful goodbyes.
You don’t need to understand how trains work or know the vast history encompassed by the Depot to appreciate its significance. Sometimes, all it takes is standing still long enough to feel the presence of the stories that passed through its doors.
It’s a place that found its way into my story and one that will forever hold a place in my heart.
