West Virginia Coal Hauling Railroads
By Thomas W. Dixon, Jr.
96 pages
This book details how the various railroads that served West Virginia hauled the principal; product of that state--bituminous coal.
West Virginia was long known as the nation’s top coal producing state, and the only feasible way to transport coal from mine to market was and is by railroad. A number of major railroads served the various coalfields in the state: C&O, Norfolk & Western, and Virginian served the southern portions of the state, and each became world-famous for its coal hauling. They were known as the “Pocahontas Roads” because of that famous, thick, rich coal seam that they served.
B&O and WM served the northern and central West Virginia coal fields and received a great amount of their revenue from this large business. The book also has data on the New York Central that tapped some coal in the central area of the state, as well as some of the other short lines that fed coal into the major carriers or to river barge traffic.
The book illustrates trains in West Virginia in their typical environment with the typical types of steam locomotives they used, especially in the period 1945-1960. The photos, maps, and drawings cover the late steam era with just a little bit about the early diesel years. This was the highest period of coal development and modernized production and transportation.
This one volume will tell the reader all about how coal originated at the hundreds of mine tipples in West Virginia and then was taken by rail to the users all over America and all over the world!
Photos, maps, drawings, historical background.
BK-22-503 $24.95 Softbound 64-126 pages
