Portrait of the C&O Durbin Line. Folks who've read about, but never actually seen the old C&O Durbin Line may have formed a mental image of picturesque, well-manicured right-of-way along a scenic stretch of the rambling Greenbrier River. The idea of a riverside run in Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia conjures up visions of a paradise for steam charter aficionados. The reality is...well, just a bit different. While the there are some river views, many are obstructed by copious vegetation. There are also long stretches where the tracks aren't immediately adjacent to the river....and there's copious vegetation there too. What you see in this image is very much typical of what this line looks like. It's actually pretty darn photogenic.....just not what you'd expect. In this view, the former Meadow River Heisler #6 runs southbound with a short freight near the Piney Island Siding. With her string of hoppers in tow, we can almost picture her bringing a couple of loads of coal down to Cass, to feed the hungry Shays on Cheat Mountain.
Scenes depicting steam operations on the old C&O Greenbrier Division between Cass and Durbin, WV, featuring Moore-Keppel Climax #3 and Meadow River Heisler #6.
For aficianados of geared steam engines, it's "almost heaven." Here are some scenes from the park's annual Railfan Weekends, as well as some private charters.
