Ex-Virginian, Deepwater to Elmore (Bob Moore)
by Robert Moore, and first appearing in "THE WHITE OAK TIMES", newsletter of the White Oak Chapter N.R.H.S., P.O. Box 261, Oak Hill, WV 25901. Robert Moore, editor. Reproduced with permission.
GONE - RAIL!
NEW ERA BEGINS AS CONRAIL ENDS
On June 1, The Conrail Story came to an end, as the line was officially
absorbed into the CSX & Norfolk Southern transportation systems.
Conrail's history began with the mid-60's super-merger of the
Pennsylvania Railroad & the New York Central Railroad with
some smaller unprofitable lines into the Penn Central Railroad.
Hopes that the corporate shotgun marriage would cure the financial
ills of the two faltering railroad giants quickly faded with mounting
costs and decreasing revenues. Within a few years, "the super
railroad" faced bankruptcy. Congress stepped in, creating
an unprecedented rail network stretching from the midwest across
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania to New York and into America's
Northeast. The 1970's saw the the great bailout of the defunct
PC result in the formation of the "Consolidated Rail Corporation",
or Conrail, a government-owned & operated railroad.
Abandonment of unprofitable branch lines, elimination of non-essential jobs, and replacement of obsolete equipment helped to trim the ailing railroad to a "fighting weight". Aggressive marketing strategies, modern equipment, and development of more efficient methods move freight over the line figured in the comeback of Conrail through the '70's making the railroad attractive to a mid-80's purchase offer from Norfolk Southern Corporation. As Congress considered the sale of the railroad to NS, Conrail management, with support from CSX Corporation, suggested the idea of a separate corporation. The result: Conrail joined the private corporate sector. There were still three major railroads east of the Mississippi.
Four years ago, CSX and Norfolk Southern entered a bidding contest for the financial attentions of Conrail stockholders. In short, CSX got Conrail, but NS acquired substantial CR properties. In West Virginia, all Conrail trackage would come under the NS flag, most notably the lines from Greenbrier & Nicholas Counties along the Gauley to the Kanawha River, on to Point Pleasant where it crosses the Ohio and continues on to Columbus. Originally built in the 1870's as the Kanawha & Ohio R.R., (later Kanawha & Michigan), it ran from Columbus to Swiss, W.Va. The New York Central System bought the financially-strapped line after World War I.
NYC's 1922 acquistion provided entry into the W.Va. coalfields with key interchanges at Rainelle (via the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier RR, jointly-owned by the NYC & the C&O); at Gauley Bridge with the C&O; the Virginian Railway's northern terminus at Deep Water Bridge, near Alloy; the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Elk River line (the old Coal & Coke Railroad) and the C&O at Charleston; the B&O's Ohio River line at Point Pleasant; and several short lines. These kept traffic moving with coal, chemicals, petroleum & merchandise.
Since the 1930's, the Virginian's only daily passenger train served Charleston via trackage rights over the NYC line. During the VGN's final decade of existence (bought by the Norfolk & Western in 1959), Virginian power was a common sight in the "Central's" Dickinson Yard. Part of an agreement that moved freight between Dickinson & Elmore regularly, trains used Virginian locomotives, with VGN and NYC crews alternating on a 6 month basis.
The most notable sight in recent years was the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus Train traveling from Charleston to Deep Water, continuing south on the old VGN to Princeton and on to Roanoke, the Carolinas, or Chattanooga. All along the line, school children would gather to see the sparkling silver consist with its big red, blue & gold circus lettering.
NS / CONRAIL / CSX: WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
June 1, 1999: the day Conrail property is divided up between the
two eastern railroad giants. Here in West Virginia, the first
NS train of empty coal hoppers, U-91 from Elmore, arrived at 5:00
am at Deep Water Bridge and headed immediately to the big "Power
Mountain" mine near Summersville. It returned by the same
route. Another train of empties arrived at Dickinson yard at 7:00
am on June 2. It was also sent out to Power Mountain. Returning
to Dickinson, it left for Elmore at 7:00 am on June 3. Thus began
the new era of railroading.
The sight of Conrail equipment with painted-over panels indicates its destiny with the new owners: cars lettered NYC belong to CSX; PRR lettered equipment goes to NS. This is a peculiar irony, considering the substantial financial interest that the Pennsylvania RR had for years held in its coal field cousin the Norfolk & Western Railway, which as we know is the "Norfolk" in Norfolk Southern Corp.
The Conrail signs are gone from the Dickinson Yard Office & Car Shop, replaced by a big NS NORFOLK SOUTHERN - The Thoroughbred of Safety proclamation over the east door of the Yard Office. Its old brown exterior now sports white vinyl siding with black trim. Lately, fewer of the big blue Conrail diesel locomotives are tied up in the fuel pit, their sides with big white block letters still proudly boasting of "CONRAIL QUALITY". Instead, there are more of the brutish black beauties led by a white thoroughbred stallion pawing the air on the front hood: the corporate ensign that signifies the business end of NS power.
Aside from the obvious, reliable sources indicate little change at this time. Increased rail traffic over the old Virginian main line from Deep Water Bridge to Elmore is certain, considering the $10 million-dollar-plus investment that NS has made in the overall renovation and upgrade of the line. Just what kind of traffic we'll see: anything aside from coal hoppers is anyone's guess. Geographically, it's an ideal East-West route for movement of merchandise, coal, and chemicals generated by on-line Kanawha Valley clients such as DuPont, Union Carbide, Rhone-Poulenc, FMC & others. While it's premature to speculate on possible freight priorities, Norfolk Southern's new route through the West Virginia mountains appears limited only by the tunnel clearances.
What is clear: expect a substantial increase in train speeds in areas between Deep Water Bridge & Elmore. Speed limits once posted as low as 10 to 20 mph are initially expected to be as much as 20 mph and even 30 mph on selected portions of the line. The improved track through Fayette, Raleigh, and Wyoming Counties means that more trains will be moving faster, increasing the risk of rail crossing accidents, especially here [around Oak Hill] where W.Va. Routes 61, 54 and other highways criss-cross the line. Local residents still like to walk the tracks, too. To change these dangerous habits, increased public awareness to the presence of the railroad is crucial. Now more than ever, projects like Operation Lifesaver are needed to make sure people get the message: nobody wins a race with a train, and railroad tracks are not walkways.
The old White Oak Branch into Oak Hill and the spur to the Carlisle Mine Yard have been dormant for several weeks.This may be part of the work cycle at the mine. It hasn't been that long ago that significant part of this spur was relocated, rebuilt and upgraded to serve the mine. While the rails may be rusty for now, indications are that this too, could change. And if there is one thing that is constant, it's "change".