NS Line Through Charleston, WV

[cmherndon]

NS has a line through West Virginia that parallels US 60 for 25-30 miles between Charleston and Gauley Bridge. I do know it's ex-Conrail as I remember seeing a little bit of action on it in the late 80's. Since encountering it back then, I've always had a few questions.

1.) What is the official name for this line?

2.) Where does run to/from?

3.) How much traffic does it see on an average day?  I was out this way a few weeks ago and saw a couple of coal trains and a local near the DuPont plant.

Any information that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance!

[ccaranna]

I'm taking a stab at this one, but correct me if I'm wrong please-

I believe that the line in question may be the West Virginia Secondary.  If my memory is reliable and my sources are accurate, it was originally owned (way back) by the Toledo and Ohio Central RR, then passed to the NYC, PC, then finally Conrail until NS took it over.  

The line traverses northwest from Charleston, WV through the southeastern part of Ohio, and now terminates in Columbus.  The original T&OC line has been cut since the CR split, with CSX retaining the portion heading northwest to Toledo known as the Scottslawn Secondary.  I've heard that the NS portion sees very light amounts of traffic, though I recall rumors being thrown around that NS wanted to upgrade the line to use as an intermodal corridor.  

Here in Columbus, the line serves the Techniglass plant and other industries as well, though I couldn't list them all.  The old T&OC passenger station still stands just west of downtown in what is now called Franklinton, an old community known as the first settlement in the area back in the late 1700's which is now undergoing a small rebirth in development.  I believe the station was built sometime in the late 1800's and is unusual in its Asian architecture and may be listed on a historical registry.  Sometime in the earlier part of the 1900's, the line was raised over the street to prevent trains from blocking Broad St., (US40, or the "National Road") the main east-west thoroughfare through town.

Anyway, all of my information may be more of a history of Columbus, but I hope it helped!

[ns conductor]

Chuck,

The line you are referring to is the old Kanawha & Michigan, now the West Virginia Secondary.  The Toledo and Ohio Central RR may have had controlling rights before the K&M...not for sure at the moment though.  The T&OC passenger station is on the  historical registry as you mentioned as well.

I worked this line back a few years ago after the split date and it does only see light traffic, with most of the coal going to the old Virginian rails (NS) at Alloy (Deepwater).  Still have the daily chemical/freight trains one each direction daily between Charleston and Columbus, not sure of NS symbol now, 380 and 381 maybe.  That rumor of it becoming an intermodal line is just that a rumor.  NS did replace many, many, many ties from Bannon (Columbus) to Dickinson (Charleston)  a while back, they were in terrible condition when NS took over...imagine that...LOL!  

Moxahola (spelling) hill is a good grade and any tonnage trains over 70 cars has to have a pusher set going west towards Columbus.  All is track warrant territory as well.  Hobson, about 7 miles north of Galipolis, OH, is the home terminal for pools working to Columbus and to Charleston.  Not much there now but back in steam days there was.

Hope this helps out.

Dave

[cmherndon]

Thanks for the information.  I'm out that way semi-frequently, but have never stopped to shoot anywhere. Because I don't believe in paying $8 in tolls for a round trip, I always drive over the Midland Trail instead of the WV Turnpike on my trips out to central Virginia.  Maybe next time I'll try to incorporate some railfanning in if I have time. It would kind of be cool to catch NS and CSX in the same shot, but I'm probably not that lucky.

I was out that way a few weeks ago and then again yesterday and today. I saw three trains (2 coal and a local) on the trip a few weeks ago, but none on this most recent trip.  If NS wants to make the WV Secondary an intermodal corridor, they'll have to do some MAJOR upgrading to it.