I’m from Ohio and may be venturing to the Huntington, WV area at the end of the month. Having never explored this area before, I’d like to get to know each crosstie by it’s last name prior to going. [:D] I know Amtrak runs “The Cardinal” through Huntington on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, according to Amtrak.com. On the east-west former B&O line, you should receive trains Q316 and Q317, along with whatever coal trains are running. Now then, aside from this, how busy would the New River Sub. be? I know the Cardinal goes through the New River Sub. What daily trains (scheduled trains) go through the New River Sub? I have heard several grain trains, coal trains and mixed freight trains daily? And about how many in 24 hours? Same applies for Norfolk Southern in this area. How busy are they? How many trains in 24 hours? Thanks in advance.
In addition to the railfanning portion of this trip, I’d like to go shoot some stuff around the Huntington, WV Locomotive Shops. According to the Bull Sheet, CSX 9119, 9120 and 9122 are located there. I’d like to shoot them before their demise. Along with this, we will journey up the river 20 miles to check Russell out. I am interested in both of these locations. So anyways, thanks in advance for the help.
This is only what I’ve been told, but I did see pix some time ago: IF it isn’t off limits, the ex-C&O station at Kenova should offer an interesting shot of the old Chessie depot. This was the old C&O main, now CSX, of course, but a very busy coal-hauling road still. Looking toward the Ohio River the exx-N&W main line, now Norfolk Southern line from Norfolk to Columbus, OH (and parts north) “flies over” above CSX track. I have been told that what looks like a viaduct is actually the beginning plating of the approach to the NS’ bridge across the Ohio – this would be a little west of Huntington, WV. This is also a major coal-hauling route and TRAINS has kept us up to date about how most of the tunnels in West Va. are being expanded or daylighted so that double-stacks can pass. When it does, should be a major COFC route.
Kenova (acronym of KEntucky, Ohio and west VirginiaA, is hard by the stream (Big Sandy IIRC) that separates West Va. from Kentucky. I know that the passenger in a car going Interstate-highway speed on I-64 EB from KY into W.Va. and Huntington exits, gets barely a glimpse of tracks. Going WB the passenger can’t glimpse it (wrong side) and even if the driver could, well, he’s the driver. IOW it’s not very far south of I-64 and right on the border. I have seen photos on another site that depict the Kenova station in C&O days with a Chessie passenger train. The photo was taken with the depot to the left of cameraman, cameraman looking north, Chessie track on cameraman’s right, Chessie varnish on track closest to platform – and that impressive viaduct that really is the lead-in to the bridge crossing the Ohio is just something to accept intellectually – it really does look