Rollin' on the river. Meadow River Heisler #6 and her Lerro Photography photo freight roll lazily along West Virginia's Greenbrier River, showing off some of the recently rebuilt riverside trackage on the old C&O mainline, between Durbin and Cass. This particular image was made on a big, horseshoe bend in the river, near MP 89.1.
What was once a busy freight line was all but abandoned in 1985, when storms and flooding dealt what should have been a final death blow to this line, wiping out large stretches of riverside track. At the time, few thought that anyone would find a use for what remained of the line, and no one could imagine it would ever be rebuilt. More than a dozen years ago however, the owner of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad offered a bold dream of finding a way to revive and unite many of the abandoned lines south and east of Elkins, and bringing them to life as scenic tourist operations. At the time, it seemed like a pipe dream, but in the ensuing years, it gradually got done, piece by piece. Late in 2021, the final spikes should be driven, re-uniting Cass and Durbin, essentially completing the project and paving the way for a host of new scenic railway journeys in wild, wonderful, West Virginia.
Scenes depicting steam operations on the old C&O Greenbrier Division between Cass and Durbin, WV, featuring Moore-Keppel Climax #3 and Meadow River Heisler #6.
