A Clinchfield Railroad 4-6-6-4 gets under way with a long string of northbound coal hoppers at Ridge, N.C., in 1952. Floyd A. Bruner photo […]
Clinchfield Challenger
Tag: Appalachia
Rare-milage excursion announced for Buckingham Branch Railroad
LOUISA, Va. — The Washington, D.C., Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has announced a rare-milage excursion over 50 miles of the Buckingham Branch Railway — former Chesapeake & Ohio territory — on Sunday, April 26, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Doswell Special will begin in Louisa and travel the railroad between […]
C&O Historical Society George Washington Train Show announced
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. — The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society will host its annual George Washington Train Show on March 21-22. The show takes place in two venues: the C&O Railway Heritage Center (701 Main St.) and the Clifton Forge Armory (724 Commercial Ave.). A $5 admission grants access to both venues. The show is […]
Consolidation vs. cow on the Virginia Blue Ridge
A crewman on Virginia Blue Ridge 2-8-0 No. 6 (ex-Southern 385) coaxes a cow off the track at Tye River, Va., in July 1954. Today this engine is at the Whippany (N.J.) Railway Museum. H. Reid photo […]
EM-1 cresting Newburg Grade
Baltimore & Ohio class EM-1 2-8-8-4 7620 crests Newburg Grade in West Virginia with eastbound coal in 1948. William P. Price photo […]
Last coal mine on original Western Maryland Railway slated for closure
DAVIS, W.Va. — The last operating coal mine on the right-of-way of the original Western Maryland Railway, a facility in the mountains of rural northeastern West Virginia, is slated for closure this spring. Mettiki Coal’s Mountain View Mine, owned by Alliance Resource Partners, announced on Jan. 29 its plans to lay off nearly 200 employees […]
The Baltimore & Ohio Ridgely Division layout in HO scale
Facts and features Name: Baltimore & Ohio Ridgely Division Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: extension: 8 x 8 feet, entire layout: 20 x 28 feet Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio, Western Maryland Locale: central West Virginia Era: 1967 Style: around the walls Mainline run: NA Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: No. 6 Maximum grade: none on main […]
WM diesels for smoke abatement
Two Western Maryland F3s haul a 2-10-0 and its train on the outskirts of Baltimore. The diesels were on the train for just a short distance to keep the Decapod from running afoul of municipal anti-smoke laws. Francis Riffle photo […]
News photos: CSX Santa Train makes annual gift-giving journey (with video)
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The CSX Santa Train distributed more than 15,000 toys, 6,000 train safety books, and 5,700 backpacks filled with gifts, gloves, and hats on Saturday (Nov. 22) as part of part of its 83rd trip on a 110-mile route through Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. “The CSX Santa Train embodies the best of what […]
Detailed schedule released for CSX Santa Train
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — A detailed schedule has now been released for the 83rd CSX Santa Train, the Appalachian holiday tradition launched by the predecessor Clinchfield Railroad that makes its annual run from Shelbiana, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., on Saturday (Nov. 22, 2025). CSX employees, along with volunteers from partner organizations such as Appalachian Power, Food […]
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum awarded $100K grant
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has received a $100,000 grant from the State of Tennessee. The grant, administered by the Tennessee State Museum, is for capital maintenance and improvement projects. The museum will use the funds for additional improvements to its Grand Junction depot area. Specifically, the museum will fund three projects […]
The astonishing 5-week transformation of No. 331
Horneman Enterprises, an engineering firm specializing in rail equipment restoration, has rebuilt 4-4-0 Harrisburg, Lincoln & Lancaster Railroad No. 331 — formerly No. 63 Leviathan — from a completely torn down to the boiler, to operational in 5 weeks. The rebuild completed the locomotive’s FRA 1,472 day inspection, which was accomplished over the course of […]
