Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX in New River Gorge, Pt. 2, Prince/Piney Creek

Back in 2010 I went to the memorial event for the coal miners who died in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster; the service was held near Beckley, WV. At the time I took a took around the area and came across Raleigh Yard on the Piney Creek Sub, which branches off the CSX New River Sub at Prince, WV, and heads towards Beckley and the Winding Gulf and Raleigh coal fields. (Correct me if I am wrong. Back then, I was struck by the bridge over the New River, as well as the old C&O character of the yard in Raleigh, and a PC gon I found in it.

I hoped to eventually see a train here, but no luck in 2010. But in 2016...see the next few posts (and Happy Thanksgiving)

1. Piney Creek Sub bridge across the New River towards Prince
2/3. Raleigh Yard

Previous post on the New River Gorge: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4149563,4149563#msg-4149563



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/16 10:08 by inCHI.

---

---

---

Skip to 2016, this October. I was on a trip with my girlfriend and we had eaten dinner in Beckley. As we walked out of the restuarant, I heard a horn, and immediately thought - gotta find that train, when else will one be seen there. Or, how long before all these mines close and no trains run. A quick turn down another street showed it passing by a road crossing on the south side of town, and I figured it was going to Raleigh Yard (from whatever mine is over near NS at Eccles.

4. Catching up to it was a bit confusing. First I went to Raleigh Yard, figuring I'd barely make it. But while I heard horns in the distance, nothing was near. Finally, I remembered that the wye was partly out of service. So I drove around to it, just as the train was starting to move again. What you are seeing here is Raleigh Yard/Prince towards the left, but the bridge on that leg of the wye apparentely collapsed a few years ago, so now CSX has the train do a reverse move after going around the other leg of the wye.

5, 6. Coming through Raleigh Yard, past the old C&O tower and a single tank car sitting in the yard (obscured in this photo.

---

---

---

7. I wouldn't normally post so many shots of something similar but I think this was a neat moment - pouring rain, mud and old rails and relics, the engines throttling up and smoking like in this photo...

8/9. Another not so great shot, as there was very very little light here, but the rain was certain pouring as the engine crosses over the "Glen Morgan" sign and over another small bridge as a pickup races by in the rain.

---

---

---

I've never done a nightime train chase of a West Virginia branch line. So I went with the safe option; head down to the New River at Prince. My girlfriend was putting a lot of trust in me that I had any idea of what I was doing, ha. Credit to her for allowing it!

10. After about an hour, the sound builds and headlight appears. The train is passing what might be the first cut of loads, but in the darkness I couldn't tell.

11/12. What I always wanted was a train on that bridge. I didn't really plan this well, with my limited equipment. I would have been better off with a tripod and a slow shutter speed, but that isn't what I took out under an umbrella. So I got something, but not quite what I wanted.

---

---

---

Lastly, the trains moves on to Prince. But at this point I have no idea what the manuever was. The head end power cut away from the cars and moved ahead past Prince station. That left helpers on the rear, across the river, and another cut across the river. Not sure what would have come next but it was time to head out. 

---

---

---

Great shots.  It's actually interesting in your first few, as they built a new road bridge so just seeing the bridge alone in the shot is pretty cool.

As far as the train, those cars in Terry Siding have been stored for a couple of years now.  They haven't moved from that spot as far as I can remember.  If there were motors on both ends, it was more than likely a push-pull move.  They'll run the trains out of Quinnimont Yard just east of Prince with one or two motors on each end, so they do not have to find a way to run around or protect the shove going up to Eccles.  My guess is that east leg will never be rebuilt, since they can do the push-pull move and have no need for it.  I was there a couple of years ago with a couple friends of mine, and there was a rockslide at the west end of Raleigh Yard, so it took them a day to clear it up, then we caught a train going to Eccles after it was cleared up.  I took a flash shot on the west leg, but it's on a friend's camera and I haven't had a chance to recover it..

Very interesting and great pis, First one is proof positive you can have curved track thru a straight truss bridge. Next to last in the rain very artistic, but I know inChi, and he is very artistic.

great shots...of one of my favorite piece of railroads