The Railroad Tourist                    
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West Virginia


                                                                   Photograph Courtesy of Gene Bowker (http://genebowker.com/) 

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West Virginia, being situated between Baltimore, Maryland, and the Ohio River, is home to some of the nation’s earliest railroad routes and infrastructure. As a result of this location, the nation’s oldest railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, chartered in 1827 to connect Baltimore with expanding sources of trade in the west, was by the 1830’s building lines to and through the state.

Adding to the lure of the state for railroads, West Virginia proved to be the repository of some of the nation’s largest and richest coal veins, as well as being an abundant source for timber, natural gas and oil. By the 1870s, lines were being extended into many regions of the state. Major railroads, including the Chesapeake & Ohio, the Norfolk & Western, the Western Maryland, the Virginian, and others, battled rugged mountain terrain to lay routes through many spectacular settings, especially the New River Gorge. Today West Virginia is served by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Amtrak, as well as by various shortlines.

For a railroad tourist, there is an abundance of sites to visit, explore, and enjoy, including the famous North Bend and Greenbrier rail trails, the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley (and other) excursion and dinner trains, numerous inns and bed-and-breakfasts that overlook rail lines, and twenty-two railroad museums.

  • Ansted; HAWKS NEST STATE PARK LODGE; 49 Hawks Nest Park Road; 304.658.5212; www.hawksnestsp.com: CSX and Amtrak. Heavy traffic. Ask for Gorge-view rooms on the 3rd or 4th floor.

  • Barboursville; HAMPTON INN; 1 Cracker Barrel Drive; 304.733.5300; http://hamptoninn.hilton.com: CSX and Amtrak. Light traffic. Ask for east-facing rooms, floors 2 through 5.

  • Bramwell; BRAMWELL DEPOT; Southern Interpretive Center of Coal Heritage Trail; 100 Simmons Avenue; 866.858.8959; www.bramwellwv.com/depot; Norfolk & Western, year-around, daily; railroad building (replica), equipment, displays.

  • Cass; CASS SCENIC RAILROAD; Cass Scenic Railroad State Park; Highway 66; 800.225.5982 or 304.456.4300; www.cassrailroad.com: Seasonal, varying schedule, railroad buildings, equipment, excursions, dinner train, displays. NOTES: a restored mountain logging railroad that offers geared steam locomotives climbing steep mountain grades and navigating two switchbacks on trips of varying length and duration.

  • __________; CASS SHOWCASE AND HISTORICAL MUSEUM; Cass Showcase and Historical Museum; Highway 66; 304.456.4300; www.cassrailroad.com: Ex-West Virginia Pulp & Paper operation, seasonal, daily(through Labor Day) and partial week, railroad buildings, equipment, excursions, displays. NOTES: 1]. This is a national treasure, the site virtually unchanged dating from the early 1900s; 2]. Excursion covers the site of extensive logging operations; 3]. Maintains a collection of eight geared locomotives representing all three varieties of this unique type of locomotive.

  • __________; COMPANY HOUSES; Cass Scenic Railroad State Park; Highway 66; 800.225.5982 or 304.456.4300; www.cassrailroad.com/cottages.html: Available year-around and overlooking Cass Scenic Railroad (a seasonal operation) departures (light), twenty former company houses, accommodating from 4 to 16 guests, have been totally refurbished to feature bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens, television, cooking utensils, tableware, towels, dishcloths and linens.

  • Charleston; THE FRESH SEAFOOD COMPANY CAPITOL MARKET; 800 Smith Street; 304.344.1905; http://capitolmarket.net: Ex-New York Central freight house now home to a farmer's market and eight specialty shops. NOTES: This is a lunch-only eatery.

  • __________; HOLIDAY INN; 600 Kanawha Boulevard East; 304.344.4092: CSX and Amtrak. Light traffic. Ask for rooms on the river side, floors 6 through 11 (trains are across the Kanawha River)

  • __________; MICROTEL INN CHARLESTON SOUTH; 600 Second Avenue; 304.744.4900: CSX and Amtrak. Light traffic. All odd-numbered rooms, any floor.

  • __________; RAMADA PLAZA HOTEL; 400 2nd Ave
nue; 304.744.4641; http://www.ramadacharleston.com/: CSX and Amtrak. Light traffic. Ask for rooms on the backside of the building, any floor.

  • __________; SOHO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT; Capitol Market; 800 Smith Street; 304.344.1905; http://capitolmarket.net: Ex-New York Central freight house now home to a farmer's market and eight specialty shops.

  • __________; WINGATE BY WYNDHAM SOUTH CHARLESTON; 402 2nd Avenue at C Street; 304.744.4444; http://www.wingatecharleston.com/: CSX and Amtrak. Light traffic. Ask for rooms on the backside of the building, any floor.

  • Clover Lick; CLOVER LICK DEPOT; 800.336.7009: Chesapeake & Ohio, static cosmetic restoration. NOTES: A trailhead on the Greenbrier River Rail Trail (milepost 71.2); representative of logging-era stations in West Virginia; not open to the public.

  • Durbin; CASTAWAY CABOOSE; 3 East Main Street; 877.686.7245 or 304.636.9477; http://mountainrailwv.com: Seasonal on a varying schedule. Caboose is dropped off at a remote wooded location by the Durbin Rocket (see Excursions) to be picked up 1, 2, or 3 days later.

  • Elkins; ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS TRAIL; Highland Park (US Route 219 North); 800.422.3304; (Randolph County Convention & Visitors Bureau); www.highlandstrail.org; Other links: http://tinyurl.com/3tb3esv, http://www.traillink.com/trail/allegheny-highlands-trail-of-wv.aspx: 24.5 miles, paved/crushed stone; ex-West Virginia Central & Pittsburg/Western Maryland route first laid in the late 1800s,through rural farmland, woodlands, small towns, and streams. NOTES: 1].]. Also passes through villages of Gilman - Kerens - Montrose - Porterwood - Parsons/Bretz – to end at Hendricks, 3.5 miles north of Parsons; 2]. Historic markers commemorate a Civil War battle fought here in 1861; 3]. There are other parking locations along the route of the trail; 4]. Recommend Elkins to Hendricks for easiest grades.

  • __________; WEST VIRGINIA RAILROAD MUSEUM: Not yet operational.

  • Harper's Ferry; HILLTOP HOUSE HOTEL; 400 East Ridge Street; 703.771.6301; www.hilltophousehotel.com: Currently closed for renovations.

  • Hinton; HINTON RAILROAD MUSEUM; 206 Temple Street; 304.466.5420: Chesapeake & Ohio; year around, by appointment; displays. NOTES: 1]. Housed in the former Cox's Department Store Building; 2]. Hinton is home to the legend of John Henry, events of which occurred at the nearby Great Bend tunnel.

  • Landgraff; ELKHORN INN & THEATRE; U. S. Route 52; 800.708.2040 or 304.862.2031; www.elkhorninnwv.com: Norfolk Southern. Heavy traffic. Ask for rooms on the front side.

  • Logan; CHIEF LOGAN STATE PARK; 376 Little Buffalo Creek Road; 304.792.7125 or 792.7229; www.chiefloganstatepark.com: Year-around, daily, equipment. NOTES: 1]. Located in the heart of West Virginia's southern coalfields; 2]. A Chesapeake & Ohio Kanawha-type 2-8-4 locomotive is on static display.

  • Martinsburg; CAPERTON STATION HOTEL; 229 East Martin Street: Station is open to the public. Hotel is now offices (Not open to the public). NOTES: 1]. Originally the National Hotel, opened in 1849 as a hotel and train station, now serving Amtrak and MARC, with numerous CSX freights passing as well; 2]. Believed to be the oldest train station in America still in continuous use.

  • __________; MARTINSBURG ROUNDHOUSE; 229 East Martin Street; 304.260.4141; http://www.washingtonheritagetrail.org/bc_16.html: Currently undergoing renovation. NOTE: 1]. Ex-Baltimore & Ohion shops built in 1866 to replace a similar structure destroyed by Stonewall Jackson during the Civil War; 2]. It is one of the oldest cast-iron structures in the United States.

  • Matewan; MATEWAN DEPOT; Mate Street; 304.426.6275; www.matewan.org/depot: Year-around, daily, displays. NOTES: 1]. This is replica of the original Matewan Depot that houses a visitor center, museum and gift shop; 2]. Community is the scene of the “Matewan Massacre,” a labor dispute in 1920.

  • New Martinsville; AMERIHOST INN; 166 North State Route 2; 304.455.6100: CSX. Light traffic. Ask for rooms on the river side.

  • Nitro; ECONO LODGE; 4115 First Avenue; 304.755.8341: Norfolk Southern. Light traffic. Ask for rooms in the Queen building, or specify that you want a train-watching room.

  • Pennsboro; PENNSBORO DEPOT; 304.643.2738: Seasonal, partial week (year-around by appointment); buildings, displays. NOTE: Ex-Baltimore & Ohio station, now a trailhead on the North Bend Rail Trail.

  • Princeton; Princeton Railroad Museum; 99 Mercer Street; 304.487.5060; http://www.cityofprinceton.org/MUSEUM.rev.htm: Year-around, partial week/hours vary seasonally, railroad buildings, equipment, displays. NOTE: A replica of the city’s 1909 station; 2]. Dedicated primarily to the Virginian Railway.

  • Shepherdstown; BAVARIAN INN; 164 Shepherd Grade Road; 
304.876.2551; www.bavarianinnwv.com: Norfolk Southern. Moderate traffic. Ask for a river view room.

  • Sistersville; WELLS INN; 316 Charles St
reet; 304.652.1312: CSX. Light Traffic. Ask for rooms on the Route 2 side of the building. NOTES: Mention this website to qualify for a discount.

  • St. Albans; AMERICA’S BEST VALUE INN; 6210 MacCorkle Avenue; 304.766.6231; http://www.americasbestvalueinn.com/bestv.cfm?idp=868&rcode=GCPPCG: CSX. Moderate traffic. Ask for rooms on the front side of the Inn.

  • Tunnelton; Tunnelton Depot; 67 Boswell Street; 304.568.2853: Year-around, partial week (other times by appointment), railroad buildings, equipment, displays. NOTES: 1]. Ex-Baltimore & Ohio station build in 1912, it sits alongside a working CSX route that sees as many as five trains a day; 2]. Tunnelton got its name from its proximity to what was, when it opened in 1852, the longest railroad tunnel east of the Mississippi River.

  • Williamson; SYCAMORE INN; 201 West 2nd Avenue; 800.446.6865 or 304.235.3656; www.sycamoreinn.com: Norfolk Southern. Heavy traffic. Ask for even-numbered rooms, any floor (2 through 4 as there is no first floor).

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