The Cheat River Grade is located between Blaser, West Virginia, and the west end of the Cheat River bridge in Rowlesburg, WV, with a ruling grade of 2.10 % against westbound trains descending Laurel Mountain. Blaser was a busy point on the West End during the steam era where the three main tracks from Newburg Grade narrowed to two mains down to M&K Junction. K Tower was built in 1912 following a major right of way re-alignment - see the Newburg Grade section - to control this interlocking until the B&O modernized the plant in 1956 by closing the third track between "K" and WS Tower at West End. The Blaser interlocking was then remotely controlled by WS Tower until 1985 when "WS" was also closed, resulting in MK Tower at M&K Junction taking over until the late 1990s when the Blaser's plant was simplified for control by the CI Dispatcher in Jacksonville.
The Cheat River grade was originally double tracked in 1888 and remained so for the next one hundred years until 1989 when a major derailment occurred. In the early morning of February 11th, 1989, a coal drag started downhill from Blaser with the head end crew fast asleep and the lead units still pulling after the climb up Newburg Grade. Fortunately the helper was still on the rear and its crew was able to apply the train's brakes by an emergency application, saving lives but derailing over thirty loaded hoppres between the Flower Garden and the Tray Run Viaduct. Both tracks were destroyed by the derailment and CSX decided to save costs and rebuild only the #2 track, resulting in the current single track mainline between M&K Junction and Blaser. East of Blaser the railroad leaves the Pringle Run valley and enters the valley of the Cheat River through a notch in Laurel Mountain near Buckhorn Run, the first of four streams that the railroad crosses during its descent to Rowlesburg. Buckhorn Run required a 100 ft stone retaining wall to be constructed near Clement's Fountain, or the Flower Garden as its called by CSX, so that two tracks could fit along the steep valley wall. The wall began to subside in the 1990s forcing CSX to dump tons of fill material over the side and install stablization rods in a successful effort to prevent any further collapse. Immediately east of the Buckhorn Wall is the previously mentioned Flower Garden where B&O passenger trains would stop during the early years to allow passengers to enjoy a spectacular view of the Cheat River far below. This practice soon ended as traffic levels rose but the Fountain and Gardens survived for quite some time because of the continued care by the B&O until the area was razed sometime after World War II. The next valley crossed by the Mountain Subdivision is the steep Tray Run Valley which is bridged by a large stone four arch viaduct. This double track stone structure is the third viaduct to be built over Tray Run in 1907 after the original cast iron bridge was replaced in 1887 with a wrought iron design. During the Civil War the original viaduct was a major target of roving bands of Confederates insurgents and also of the great Jones - Imboden raid of 1863, both of which failed to destroy or even damage the structure resulting in the viaduct being included on the back of West Virginia's state seal.
The 58ft tall Tray Run Viaduct seen from across the Cheat River Valley at Manheim.
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The West End crossed its third valley on Cheat River Grade less than a mile farther east where a viaduct similar to the original Tray Run bridge was constructed over Buckeye Run. During the previously mentioned double tracking project the B&O opted not to construct another viaduct across the Buckeye Run valley as they had done at Trays Run, but instead built a large fill and wall over the valley which was completed by 1884. The railroad crosses its fourth and final obstruction half a mile further east at Kynes Run. Due to Kynes Valley not being deep enough to warrant another viaduct or wall, the B&O constructed a simple fill across the valley which is now called 76 Fill. After crossing the last major impediment on this grade, the West End continued its descent to the Cheat River through the town of Rowlesburg which is named after a construction engineer who helped build the West End, Thomas Rowles. Following the washout of the Cheat River bridge in 1985 and the reduction of the line across the river to a single track, a switch was installed between 76 Fill and Rowlesburg which served as the western end of the single mainline from M&K Junction. However, this interlocking was removed by 1993 following the previously mentioned coal train derailment in 1989 that reduced Cheat River Grade to one track. At one time Rowlesburg had the honor of boasting a helper station for both the Cheat River and Cranberry Grades until M&K Junction was opened in 1913. This small station was located on a flat section of land between the still standing Rowlesburg Station and the western bank of the Cheat River that was later donated to the town by CSX following the flood of 1985. The decision to close the Rowlesburg helper station in the early 20th century was mainly a consequence of the fact that increasing train length in this era precluded westbounds from pulling far enough upgrade to allow the helpers from Rowlesburg to couple onto the rear for the shove to Blaser. Rowlesburg's R Tower controlled the interlocking at the helper station until a runaway demolished it in the mid teens of the 20th century resulting in the transfer of its call letter, "R",across the river to a newer tower, ushering in the end of the Rowlesburg era and the beginning of the M&K one. Following the introduction of the high powered SD locomotives in the 1970s, helpers on westbound empty hopper trains between Rowlesburg and Blaser are usually not required if the train is under 4800 tons and enough power has been placed on the front to move the train up Laurel Mountain. The daily westbound mixed freight sometimes requires a helper for the climb to Blaser if the train is over 4500 tons, although this helper is usually applied to the east at Piedmont and left on over the sixty miles between there and Blaser.
4500 freight
4800
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CW44AC #387 and SD70MAC #722 are roaring through the Blazer interlocking onto the single track Cheat River Grade on July 3rd, 1999. In the late 1990s SBD style color lights replaced the B&O CPL style signals at Blaser and at a new signal location near Tray Run.
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CSX #8109 on the point of Q316-23 is about to knock down the Blaser singal on April 25th, 1999. Blaser is not actually located on Cheat River Grade, but on the mile long section of almost level track between the summit of Newburg Grade at Tunnelton and the summit of Cheat River Grade half mile east of Blaser near the old road bridge.
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The Helpers on the rear of an eastbound coal drag are drifting underneath the Blaser road bridge towards the Flower Garden on a hot and humid day in July of 1999.
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Photo by Rich Borkowski. An eastbound coal drag is rounding the curve into the Cheat River Valley at the Flower Garden as the two units hold back their train.
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This sign provides the history of the Tray Run Viaduct and of the Buckeye Run Viaduct. The sign was photographed in July of 1985, 4 months before a flood washed it away.
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An eastbound PEPX coal train is descending Cheat River Grade as the lead units pass over the Tray Run Viaduct. The hillside excavation to the east of the viaduct resulted from the blasting of a second main track into the hillside in 1888.
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Taken from across the valley with a 300mm lens, two Chessie (B&O) SD50s are leading a train of empty hoppers west over the Tray Run Viaduct in 1985.
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Photo by Terry Moore. Eight locomotives are on the point of Q316 on July 7th, 1992, as the power crosses the Viaduct. The old 1888 viaduct abutments can be barely seen hidden underneath foliage at the bottom center of the photo.
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The Rowlesburg Helper set is returning lite to Grafton for servicing on June 4th, 1999. The engines climb out of Rowlesburg on the hillside above the Cheat River and Rowlesburg- the track continues along the hillside in the background. Today's B.241 is made up of 3 of CSX's original 10 SD60s - 8701, 8705, 8706.
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The Rowlesburg station was originally built in 1873 as a small service building across the tracks from the old Rowlesburg depot. In 1879 it was enlarged to the current station and has survived over a hundred and twenty years of floods, fire, economic low points and train derailments. The greatest threat however, came from CSX, who threatened to demolish the structure. Fortunately, local Rowlesburg citizens stepped in and saved the station, moving it away from the tracks onto a new foundation.
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The Chessie System units on the point of this westbound empty hopper train - without helpers - are powering up for the climb out of the Cheat River Valley in Rowlesburg, WV, during the summer of 1985. In the background partially hidden by diesel exhaust is the old double track bridge taken out by the Flood of 1985. A Video Capture Still.
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The two ACW44s making up today's Rowlesburg Helper are in idle as they follow 80 loads of southwestern PA coal through M&K Junction in early April of 2000. The signal marking the eastern end of the single track from Blaser can be seen in the distance as the grade begins to rise just east of the interlocking.
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After cutting off 115 empty hoppers in the yard, two units from a westbound train have picked up two ACW44s in the yard which had served as the power for the previous week's Kingwood Subdivision switcher. The four lite units have pulled onto Bridge 92 over the Cheat River to clear the home signal, before backing east to pick up another two units on the #2 main. Signs of recent flooding are apparent along the riverbank in this March 13th scene.
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Photo by Jerry Doyle. On a hazy summer day common to the Alleghenies, Q316 is crossing the Cheat River at Rowlesburg with a colorful lashup of CSX, Chessie and Seaboard units.
Q316 receives three DTC blocks east from Rowlesburg to Altamont on the #1 main before the Defect Detector at Blaser (Flower Garden) kicks on. It is then heard reporting an all clear on the mixed freight, followed by the crew clearing the Tray Run signal. Condensed Clip
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