CSX's former Belington Subdivision

CSX's former Belington subdivision was originally constructed in two parts. The first section was built by the Grafton and Belington RR, a subsidary of the B&O Railroad, in the late 1800's south from Grafton, WV, along the Tygart River to tap the coal fields around Belington, WV. In 1892, H.G. Davis' West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railroad reached Belington from Elkins, establishing a connection with the G&B ( B&O ). In 1905, the WVC&P was merged with several other railroads in the region to form the Western Maryland Railroad, a company which would play a vital role in railroad tycoon George Gould's transcontinetal railroad dream by providing a source of revenue from the vast resources found in the area.

When Gould went bankrupt just short of his goal, the dream collapsed and the Western Maryland Railroad became the Western Maryland Railway after a lengthy receivership. However, the majority of traffic on the Belington sub still came from the coal mines located between Elkins and Belington, mainly around Norton, WV, inaddition to some interchange traffic with the B&O. In 1940, the B&O and the WM combined their seperate branches between Elkins and Belington, which resulted in trains using the WM between Belington and Norton and the B&O, ex-Coal and Coke Railroad, line between Norton and Elkins. During this era, the Belington line was regularly served by a WM turn out of Elkins and also a B&O turn from Grafton would switch several local industries in south Elkins, reached via the trackage rights. In the 1970's with the advert of the Chessie System, the Western Maryland was folded into the B&O and the B&O into the C&O. Operationally, this merger did not greatly impact the Belington Subdivision until the late summer of 1983 when Chessie closed the Blackwater Canyon grade between Parsons, WV, and Thomas, WV. As a result, all traffic formely using the Thomas Subdivision was rerouted via Elkins to Belington, then over the B&O to Grafton and other points. Unfortunately, the traffic volume was in a steady decline and by the early 1990s, the only traffic originating on the line was from a stone mine near Norton and several industries concentrated around Elkins and Belington, usually worked by a once a week turn out of Grafton. Through traffic was determined by the mines east of Elkins on the Tygart and Laurel Subdivisions and when this coal traffic dried up, CSX decided to abandon the entire Belington SD along with the Tygart and Laurel Subdivisions in 1996. Forunately, the state of WV stepped up and took control of the railroad in the autumn of 1998, forming a new railroad with an old name... But then, that's another story - See the West Virginia Central Railroad.

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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. B&O GP-30 #6919 has the lead of a westbound Laurel Bank man as it snakes along the Tygart Valley River towards Grafton on 5/31/87 - This photo was taken from US Rt 250 at Belington. The second set of engines visible behind the lead units was used as the helper out of Laurel Bank and was returning dead to Grafton after being split up due to bridge restrictions.

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Photo by Ron Stafford. CSX #6456 is on the point of a westbound B813-21 - the Grafton to Elkins local - approaching Belington, WV on November 22, 1993.

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Photo by Chris Strogen. CSX #2667 is passing through Belington, WV, on November 8th, 1998. This Elkins Turn was the last train to operate over the Belington subdivision.... Oddly enough, no one even bothered to tell the train's crew! The next week, the West Virginia Central RR took over operations.

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Photo by Ron Stafford. An Elkins Turn passing through Norton, WV

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Photo by Chris Strogen. This photo looks like it could have been taken in a model railroad scence. On a cold January 25th, 1998, CSX Road Slug 2313 and mate leads B813 south under the road underpass at Norton, WV. The two boxcars in tow are bound for a lumber plant in Elkins.

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Photo by Ron Stafford. An Eastbound Grafton - Elkins Turn, B813-22, with CSX 6816 is at Aggregates, WV on October 21, 1996 enroute to Grafton. The trains is passing the JF Allen's plant.

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A work train led by Chessie GP30 #3037 is passing through the flood plain north of Elkins, WV, in the early spring of 1985.

[CSX Belington Subdivision Timetable]