I was just wondering if there were many Chessie System(C&O, B&O, Western Maryland) or Norfolk and Western fans out there in cyberspace. Having lived in West Virginia all of my life, these are the main railroads I saw growing up. Of course C&O is the favorite railroad around here. Later I remember seeing some Conrail. I didn’t think I would miss those light blue engines but now I do.
ya got a C&O fan right here!! [:)]
N&W and Virginian fan here. What you saw in WVA depended on where you lived, same as in Virginia. In Rich Creek/Glen Allen, Merrimac/Christiansburg, Roanoke, or Tidewater, Virginia, one got the best of all worlds in my book.
I never saw the great steam actually operate in WVA, but I have seen some of the trackage. Watching a mallet drag coal out of some of those little hollows must have been something. I know it was on Blue Ridge.
My only early memories of the C&O were those blue, yellow, and silver streamliners coming thru Williamsburg.
I live in peru indiana. at one time we were the cross roads of the c&o, and the wabash, and the nkp. the c&o had a huge round house , a large machine shop and later on a modern deisel shop. The wabash had a large round house and repair shop. now all the c&o tracks buildings and even the big cement coaling tower are long gone. Also all the nkp tracks are gone. The only thing left in town now are two main lines of the n&w and two or three sidings east of town. As a kid i spent a lot of time sitting by the tracks of the c&o or the wabash and watched the big steamers come in and drop there trains and head for the round house to be serviced. I sure miss those days. Now i model those roads.
jim h. @ cjhov@comcast.net
Will be modeling N&W and Virginian plus other lines.
N&W fan right here. But not nearly as diehard as Spencer(Virginian) or NigelMisso.
I’ve got a small army of N&W & Virginian hopper, an A class 2-6-6-4, and Y3 2-8-8-2.
Big fan of C&O, particularly their steam. Those locomotives looked like BUSINESS! Even though I model Rio Grande steam, I couldn’t help but get an Allegheny, one of their handsome Mountains, and a 2-6-6-2. As far as I’m concerned, C&O was the Rio Grande of the East. I model WWII era, and C&O has ‘loaned’ me some motive power to get over the traffic crunch. And I’m keeping them busy, believe me. Quite a railroad, and QUITE the steam power!
Tom[:P][:P]
What part of WV do you live in? I live in clarksburg. Just a note the new museum being built at the old Western Marlyland station in Elkins will be running some pre chessie steam power if an agreement can be reached with CSX. Everything atleast as I have been told will be ready to go by july if CSX will agree to some reasonable terms for trackage rights? If your ever in clarksburg on a saturday afternoon I would like to invite you to the clubhouse to join us in running all the great pre chessie era power.the link below is pictures of the layout for the club. I usually run every saturday between noon and 5 pm Terry.
Very nice club layout and pictures Terry. I live in Huntington. I used to be a member of our local club but just don’t seem to be able to have enough time to be a member. I have a friend in Hinton and have a real soft spot for it. Thanks again for the invitation.
WVHagan
An INexact quote from David Morgan -
In the final analyis, it may be determined that the finest reciprocating steam locomotives the world ever saw came from the captive shop of a private road in Roanoke, Virginia. N&W’s Roanoke Shops.
I love my Virginian; my great grandaddy did help build it, but I just don’t think anyone challenged the steam locomotives that N&W designed and built for their specific needs. I wi***hey could bring 2156 home to stay with 1218 and 611. Even more, I wish Winston Link had been able to get them to save a K2 and a Y6b.
Very nice looking layout and equipment there Terry (I like the Class A best 
)
You can add me to the list of B&O/C&O/WM lovers. I spent my early childhood near the old Pere Marquette line in Michigan, hence my affection for C&O. Then when my family moved to Maryland, I gravitated to the B&O and modeled that road extensively. Now I have started modeling the ‘modern’ stuff [CSX] since that is what I can see in ‘real life’ any day of the week. I still enjoy train watching whenever I get a chance to do that.
It’s like that Joni Mitchell song “Big Yellow Taxi” says, about not knowing what you had until you lose it. I didn’t like the Conrail engines back in 1988 when I lived near the former Reading main line in Wyomissing, PA - all I could think about was “They took away the green-and-yellow diesels!” Now with all the mega-mergers, there is less variety of locomotive paint schemes[sigh]. I’m glad to see that Norfolk Southern is thriving, but man I wi***hey would adopt a different paint scheme, other than…black and white[xx(]!
Grew up in Huntington and now have the luxury of driving a mere 8 miles to watch the constant NS and CSX parade at Berea, OH. Although the NS can be a monotonous string of black GE’s, they do sprinkle in some western power.
CSX on the other hand is always laced with BNSF and UP units. Even red and silver warbonnets are not that scarce through here.
While lving in Cincinnati saw the C & O, B & O and N & W both passenger and freight operations. Also saw the PRR, NYC, L & N, Southern and probably some lines I’m forgetting. Rode C & 0’s George Washington Cincinnati-DC-Cincinnati and a truly good experience. Also rode NYC’s James Whitcomb Riley Cincinnati-Chicago-Cincinnati and other trains including the NYC Xplorer and L & N’s Hummingbird.
Enjoy all of the above railroads.
I model the C&O and the C&O under the Chessie Banner…Of course I have some B&O power under the Chessie Banner as well.[:D]
Hope you don’t mind, I’ve got a bunch of N&W 40’ hoppers I am going to rename them North Western and use them to haul coal.
The Stockton coal mine is north west from where we live (other side of our wee Island). Two SD40-2’s in N&W paint will be used for power.
[:I]Hope I’m not insulting you guys.
Ken.
Yes, but N&W stands for Nickle Plate & Wabash.
Rick
N&W Fan! Loved their homebuilt power, A, J and Y’s
I thought N&W stood for Norfolk & Western?
Ken.
you got a Chessie,B&O,WM and C&O Fan Right Here!!!
In 1964 the Nickle Plate Road and the Wabash were absorbed and disappeared into the N&W through merger. Us fans of the NKP and Wabash remember our favorite roads thru the joke that N&W stands for Nickle Plate Road and Wabash.
Rick