Kanawha County

jonathan · November 29, 2010, 09:04:33 AM

For Thanksgiving we travelled from Virginia to Kentucky to visit family (yes, too long a drive). The highlight of the trip, for me, was the drive on I-64 through West Virginia. It was railfan heaven.

Many features to spot, especially through Kanawha County. We crossed the Kanawha River at least three times over those great, green truss bridges, and saw many complex rail bridges, some still operational. In fact, I saw the name "Kanawha" so many times, I expected to see a 2-8-4 parked somewhere along the route... no such luck. However, there were large CSX yards, with enough rolling stock to leave me with the perspective that coal is still king.

A far distance from the highway, I spotted a round, concrete coaling tower. I believe Walthers still offers that structure in HO. While not operational of course, it looked like someone is still maintaining the structure as a historical site. Couldn't get close enough for a photo (too bad).

I can see why so many choose to model this area, as there seemed to be more railroad than highway everywhere along WV.

I also found the exit for the Cass Scenic Railroad. Gotta start planning that trip for the future.

This is a great drive for folks who are into trains!

Regards,

Jonathan

ebtnut · November 29, 2010, 04:58:41 PM

Jonathon: Of course, that's mostly C&O country back in the day. A LOT of coal still comes out of the hollers from the various subdivisions that branch off the main line in the New River and Kanawha River valleys. Once the Virginian got up to the valley, and interchanged with the New York Central. Then there was the Nicholas, Fayette and Greenbrier RR, which was jointly owned and operated by the C&O and NYC. There were a number of interesting short lines, too, such as the Kelly's Creek RR and the Kelly's Creek and Northwestern, the Winifrede, and the narrow gauge Mann' Creek. Cass, of course, is worth a whole weekend, including the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley and it's Climax.

jward · November 29, 2010, 06:13:16 PM

if you really want to see the best west virginia has to offer, chase a coal train east out of grafton. watch it pick up helpers, then grind its way over the mountains to cumberland, fighting gravity the whole way.

there is so much fascinating railroading in west virginia. for trains, the kanawha valley is the easy part. most of the coal comes from branch lines way back up into the mountains, where the trains must fight steep grades and sharp curves. once they reach the mainline in a river valley, the going is generally alot easier, at least until they run out of valley and have to cross yet another mountain.

heading east out of charleston, the c&o had the easiest crossing of the mountains of any eastern railroad except the new york central across upstate new york. they were able to move 180 car coal trains over the mountains with just two locomotives most of the way, only getting helpers to push them from hinton to the alleghany tunnel on a grade most railroads would have loved to have.

b&o on the other hand had no easy way east out of coal country, and had to climb two major mountains, dash across a windswept plateau, then ease their way down a third mountain. the western maryland had it even worse, with steeper climbs and curves so sharp no 6 axle diesel could travel the line between elkins and cumberland.

NMWTRR · November 30, 2010, 09:56:01 PM

Reading this made me want to get my n scale west virginia model railroad out and run it.

I remember when I lived there back in 1981 to 86 one time they ran a steam engine through Charleston. When they blew the whistle it was amazing to hear the echo through the hollers! :-)

J3a-614 · November 30, 2010, 11:54:19 PM

jonathan · December 01, 2010, 06:50:39 AM

Whew is right!

I could sit and watch those steamers all day.

Thanks.

Jonathan

J3a-614 · December 01, 2010, 07:38:58 AM

You're very welcome.

West Virginia owes a very great deal of its development to railroads. Fringe benefits for us railfans include some wonderfully spectacular scenery and equally spectacular and huge locomotives to move trains through it. On top of that, it's been interesting to note how so many West Virginia railroaders are (or at least were) so relaxed about what they did, and were friendly partially because of that. I still recall the trackworker at Cotton Hill who was willing to share his water on a hot day, and recall how he said water "was the most underated drink in the world." Considering how sodas blow me up like a balloon, I would have to agree!

Only one link here, but it has only 7,577 entries under West Virginia (but the search apparently also brought up a lot of Virginia pics, too):

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php

On the South Branch Valley, a former military Alco in yellow with green stripes:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346989&nseq=13

On the former Virginian Railway; this line crosses the Kanawha River at Deepwater, about 10 miles behind this train:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346909&nseq=14

Cotton Hill:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346745&nseq=18

Looks like former Canadian power on an industrial road:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346513&nseq=24

What may have been the last logging road in West Virginia was the Meadow River Lumber Company, which partially operated on trackage rights over the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier, a road jointly owed by the C&O and of all things, the New York Central (which had a branch from Point Pleasant running to Charleston and beyond, the former Kanawha & Michigan). This diesel replaced a Heisler locomotive in about 1965; that steamer is now Cass Scenic No. 6:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346094&nseq=31

How I would love to see this scene repopulated with As, Js, and Ys:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=345141&nseq=52

Not all the power here was huge:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=344954&nseq=59

The last surviving Lima K4 (all the others are Alcos):

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=344337&nseq=85

On the South Branch Valley:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=344275&nseq=87

Hawks Nest:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=342734&nseq=149

Now, if only we had some people who would put West Virginia railroads to better work for tourism, as is done in Colorado.

Have fun exploring!

News:

Kanawha County

jonathan

ebtnut

jward

NMWTRR

J3a-614

jonathan

J3a-614