|
Nestled along US Route 250 in northern
Pocahontas County sits the small hamlet of Durbin West Virginia. In its
heyday, it was a grand place, where people strolled the streets, and
patronized the many shops. Passenger and freight service on the line
boomed, and agency stations and flag stops sprouted up all along the line.
There were so many stops in the early days that the saying was “a train had
to back up in order to have whistling distance for the next station.”
By the 1920s, the logging boom was over,
the mills were closing, and passenger service on the line was reduced to a
crawl. Freight service continued to thrive due to the through service
available under a 1923 agreement between the C&O and Western Maryland
Railroad for the interchange of rail cars at Durbin. Traffic passing
through Durbin was so steady at one time that there were eight employees at
the Durbin Depot. The line experienced another boom during World War II
when gas rationing curtailed automobile travel. However, following the war
passenger travel declined dramatically. Passenger service on the Greenbrier
Branch was terminated on January 8, 1958. Freight service continued for
almost 21 more years, and the last freight train rolled the rails on
December 28, 1978.
For the next quarter century the train
whistles would be quiet in Durbin. In 1996 the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley
Railroad incorporated to bring back rail excursion service to Durbin. The
new owners, avid rail devotees, began to make repairs on the line. While
much
track was in satisfactory condition, several washouts
left track and tie sections alternately hanging in mid-air and lying in the
riverbed. Eventually, all was made ready, and operations commenced.
In 2002, the Railroad acquired Climax #3,
a 92-year-old steam logging locomotive, which now has now been restored and
powers the Durbin Rocket on its scenic run along the Greenbrier River.
These trips, which transport you back in time 100 years into the past, take
approximately an hour and a half. The Rocket offers “Moonlight Fire
on the Greenbrier Rail Excursions” one Saturday night each
month, June through October, when the moon is full. The lucky patrons begin
their journey with a down-home meal served at the Depot, followed by a
moonlit ride along the banks of the Greenbrier River. The first excursion
for the 2004 season is the 4th and 5th of June.
In addition to the Rocket, the Durbin &
Greenbrier Valley Railroad also operates the Cheat Mountain Salamander Rail
Bus offering two daily excursions, one to the magnificent High Falls of
Cheat, and the other to the logging ghost town of Spruce. Round trips take
about three hours; the memories last a lifetime. Rail fan weekend, High
Ballin’ for History, will be April 24 and 25 in Durbin. Spend the weekend
riding and celebrating trains and train history.
The Durbin Rail opens on Saturday May 1
and operates weekends-only through May. During the peak summer and fall
months, days of operation are Thursday through Monday. Weekend excursions
resume Nov. 1 to Nov. 29. For up-to-the-minute schedule information and
reservations call 877-686-7245, or visit them on the web at
www.mountainrail.com
Durbin will host its third annual Rails
and Trails Festival May 29 and 30th. This celebration
commemorates the anniversary of the arrival of the first steam train in
Durbin and features crafts, food, entertainment, and—naturally—train rides!
|
Photo: Stephen Shaluta
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
Photo: Stephen Shaluta
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
|
