Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Mountain Sub

how many trains a day do you see on that line?

The CSX Mountain Sub has 1 scheduled freight each way a day, Q316 and Q317. These are Cumberland to Cincinnati trains that run via Grafton and Huntington, WV.

The main business on the line is of course coal. This business varies depending on current customer and mine needs. Typically you can see anywhere from 2 to 5 coal trains each way a day on the Mountain Subdivision.

For more information see the following website.

http://www.wvrail.railfan.net/westend.html

Chris

wvp2000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The CSX Mountain Sub has 1 scheduled freight each
> way a day, Q316 and Q317. These are Cumberland to
> Cincinnati trains that run via Grafton and
> Huntington, WV.
>
> The main business on the line is of course coal.
> This business varies depending on current customer
> and mine needs. Typically you can see anywhere
> from 2 to 5 coal trains each way a day on the
> Mountain Subdivision.
>
> For more information see the following
> website.
>
> http://www.wvrail.railfan.net/westend.html
>
> Chris



Chris, when you say 2 to 5 each way, plus the manifest each way, you must mean in 24 hours. My mileage varies considerably in the sense that I don't think I've ever managed to bag more than 4 moves in daylight over the Mountain.

BobE

BobE Wrote:
> Chris, when you say 2 to 5 each way, plus the
> manifest each way, you must mean in 24 hours. My
> mileage varies considerably in the sense that I
> don't think I've ever managed to bag more than 4
> moves in daylight over the Mountain.

Certainly the 2 manifests would be per 24 hours. I guess I was lucky the day I came
through there, I caught Q316 (I think) at Keyser, and a coal train cresting the
grade at Altamont. Missed a 3rd one right behind him (I think...heard radio chatter on
the scanner, but didn't know the area enough to find it).

A GOOD day on the Mountain would be Q316, Q317, one or two empty trains and one or two loaded trains. That seems to be about the normanl level of traffic in daylight. Even that may require some chasing and or moving around to catch them. The Mountain is definitely not "set up and watch them roll" territory. But for your effort, you will be rewarded with some of the best sights and sounds in the east...

Al Moran,
The SD80MACKing

Does anyone know what the traffic was like say in 1968-1969 time frame over the Mountain Sub?

I thought that traffic over the Mtn Sub was all w/b coal empties ??

At least as far as coal was concerned.

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought that traffic over the Mtn Sub was all
> w/b coal empties ??
>
> At least as far as coal was concerned.


You are thinking about the North Mountain Sub in Va. We are talking about the Mountain Sub from Cumberland to Grafton...

Al Moran,
The SD80MACKing

csx6574 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P Wrote:
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I thought that traffic over the Mtn Sub was
> all
> > w/b coal empties ??
> >
> > At least as far as coal was concerned.
>
>
> You are thinking about the North Mountain Sub in
> Va. We are talking about the Mountain Sub from
> Cumberland to Grafton...

and to make it even more confusing, the North Mountain sub is south of the Mountain
sub :) The North Mountain sub is an ex-C&O line that runs to Clifton Forge VA. The
Mountain sub is ex-B&O, and runs both coal loads and empties (since it isn't a through
route)

Have been out of town on work business in Southern West Virginia and have been away from the computer to respond.

Yes, my orginial reply listed that traffic on the Mountain includes through "Q" freights Q316 and Q317 which are Cumberland, MD to Cincinnati, OH trains. In addition to this we have the coal traffic which varies on a day to day basis. This coal traffic can be anywhere from 2 to 5 trains each way. Two trains being a slow day to five trains being a busy day.

To further clarify my earlier statement when I said trains per day, I meant 24 hours. 24 hours=1 Day. Daylight train movements as everyone knows varies even more depending on the time of the year.

The train count can also vary depending on what section of the Mountain you are as Alan stated. Coal traffic on the line comes from a variety of areas. Some coal is brought down from the Monongahela coal fields around Waynesburg, PA via the Fairmont Subdivision. The Mountain also receives coal trains from the other two lines west of Grafton - the Cowen Sub and the Bridgeport / Short Line Subdivisions. To further complicate things, coal is also loaded by the one remaining tipple on the Mountain, the Whitetail Mine, which is not far from Newburg, WV. Lastly coal is also moved off the remaining tipples of the former Western Maryland Thomas Subdivision,and also the sporadic coal off the Georges Creek Subdivision.

To complicate traffic patterns even more, eastbound loaded coal trains are often doubled together at Keyser's yard. If you were say at Viaduct Jct. in Cumberland and see a 160 car coal train come off the Mountain Subdivision, that was actually two separate 80 car drags coming over the grades west of Keyser. Eighty car trains are predominately the standard length of eastbound trains from Grafton to Keyser. Empty movements are likewise confusing depending on your location, as empties can be terminated in Keyser, M&K Jct or go straight through to Grafton for points to the west.

Hope this clarifies the B&O Mountain Subdivision traffic for a 24 hour ( 1 day) period. If you have any questions feel free to post or drop me an email.

Chris