Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk Railroad

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150-ton Class C Shay locomotive built for the Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk RR. 1922 photo.

The Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk Railroad (GC&E) was a

railroad in West Virginia operating in the early 20th century. Its main line ran from Bergoo to Cheat Junction, where it connected with the Western Maryland Railway (WM).[1]

History

The railroad began c. 1901 as the Greenbrier and Elk River Railroad, which ran from

Slatyfork) and along the Elk River to Bergoo by 1914; and north along the Shavers Fork valley to Cheat Junction by 1917.[1][3]

The pulp mill in Spruce closed in 1925. Subsequently, the town declined and it eventually was abandoned.[2] In 1927 the GC&E was acquired by the WM.[3]

In 1997 the

West Virginia State Rail Authority purchased the GC&E line (then called the Tygart and Laurel Subdivisions) from CSX Transportation, the successor to the Western Maryland Railway. The state established the West Virginia Central Railroad, which has contracted with the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (DGVR) to operate a heritage railway on portions of the line.[4]

Current operation

The DGVR operates The New Tygart Flyer, The Cheat Mountain Salamander, and The Mountain Explorer Dinner Train over a 70-mile section of the line. The

Cass Scenic Railroad operates on the section of the line from Cass to Spruce.[6]

Plans

In February 2012, John Smith, the owner of DGVR, unveiled a plan to rebuild a 90-mile loop of currently unused or abandoned grade. This plan would see the abandonment of the Southwestern part of the GC&E, as the rails from that line would be repurposed for use on the loop. That section of the line, which runs between Slaty Fork (Laurel Bank) and Bergoo would then become the Elk River Trail. The project is pending a $20 million grant from the State of West Virginia and, if approved, would be implemented by 2015.[7]

See also

  • List of defunct West Virginia railroads

References

  1. ^ a b "Cass Scenic Railroad." The Inter-Mountain, 1988-06-17.
  2. ^ a b Sparks, Richard. "The Ghost Town of Spruce." Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association. 2008-11-28.
  3. ^
    OCLC 26302871
    .
  4. ^ West Virginia State Rail Authority. Moorefield, WV. "West Virginia Central Railroad." Accessed 2009-08-03.
  5. ^ Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. Elkins, WV. "Cheat Mountain Salamander." Accessed 2012-03-07.
  6. ^ Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. "The Town of Cass". Accessed 2013-01-04.
  7. ^ West Virginia Gazette. Charleston, WV. "Plans for a 90-mile excursion train loop proposed." Accessed 2012-03-07.

External links

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