Grafton, West Virginia has been a railroad town since the Baltimore and Ohio's mainline between Baltimore and Wheeling first reached it in 1852. From that point Grafton grew to reach its apex in the 1920's when steam power and the amount of freight moving over its lines were also at a pinnacle. Unfortunately as a result of many factors, namely the introduction of the diesel locomotive, Grafton's railroad operations began to decline less than thirty years later as steam related jobs were cut and local businesses began switching from rail transportation to newer, more efficent forms of transportations. Before and during this traffic decline, Grafton served as the headquarters of the B&O's Monongah Division, the primary division
which included all the B&O and later the WM lines throughout the northern part of WV, in addition to several lines in Ohio. Grafton's decline continued through the 1970s and into the 1980s when the Chessie System abolished many long time jobs and operations from the terminal, while others were moved to different locations on the system. Even so, Grafton remained the focal point for the B&O and WM lines in the northern and central sections of the state and inversly grew as the terminals in Fairmont, Elkins, Benwood and Rowlesburg were shut down. Unfortunately, two other major events were taking place which would have a far greater impact on Grafton operations. The first was the St. Louis Mainline downgrade in 1985 which removed all through freight going from Cumberland, MD, to Cinncinati, OH. With the severing of this line, Grafton went from a primary terminal on a mainline to secondary status almost overnight. The next few years were even more devasting when many mines of the mines in the area which Grafton served began to close, resulting in fewer mine turns. The period between 1985 and the mid 1990s can often be considered the lowpoint for Grafton with trains being far fewer than the previous years, in addition to the demolition of several structures in the yard, including the Grafton roundhouse. During the latter part of that period Grafton began to undergo a physical metamorphis with a partial rebuilding of the yard and servicing facilities which allowed a better flow of traffic. The yard was also rebuilt to accomidate trains longer than 60 cars so that road crews would not have to double cuts together before departing. To accomplish this, the middle yard crossover switches and tracks connecting the east and west yards were torn out along with the original yard office. Several of the short tracks of the east and west yard were then connected as one through track without switches - for more information please see the yard map. In late 1997 new CTC SBD style traffic signals began to replace the old B&O color position lights around the town, a project which was completed in April of 1999 with the elimination of D Tower as the control point for the power switches and signals between Berkeley Run and GN Tower. New buildings have also been erected in the Grafton engine terminal, in part because of CSX selling the Grafton Station and Hotel where its offices were located to the city. Another change affecting Grafton is the which subdivision it's located in - prior to 1994, Grafton was part of the Bridgeport Subdivision until CSX moved the Mountain Subdivision boundary to Berkeley Run Junction allowing a simpler form of paperwork and operation. Following the Conrail Takeover in June of 1999, the Grafton Service Center (The Grafton Ready Track and Shops) as it's officially known, now services and inspects locomotives not only for the old Monongah Division lines, but also units bound the MGA Mine District coal fields in southwestern PA and northern WV. On average, Grafton can dispatch and receive over twenty trains a day, along with servicing a large number of locomotives. In the summer of 2000, an around the clock Yard Turn was re-introduced to the yard after more than a decade of absence, replacing the two shift a day District Turns.
[ Layout of Grafton Yard ]
This map shows the current configuration of the Grafton Terminal and Yard along with track names, signals, etc.
[ Railfan Guide to Grafton, West Virginia ]
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Two SD70MACs are the power for the afternoon Cowen Turn as it passes under the Liberty Street signal. This train is on Beech Two North and will cross over to the Cowen main at Berkeley Run Jct located behind the photographer.
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Photo by Jose Nevarez. A train of empty coal hoppers is tied down on the Beech Street passing siding near the Liberty Street Xing during the summer of 2000. The two AC locomotives are typical power for Grafton, although the GE - EMD lashup identifies this train will most likely be bound for one of the coal mines in the upper Cowen coal fields which does not require CSX to flood load the train.
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CSX #322 has the lead of a Robinson Run Turn as the train heads west past the Beech Street signals on August 16th, 1999.
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Photo by Jose Nevarez. Three trains are stacked up at Beech Street awaiting either crews or orders to guide them through the interlocking limits. The middle track, B1N, with the two SD60s is usually kept clear of trains for through movements between D Tower and Berkeley Run Junction, while the other main track (on the left) and the passing siding (on the right) are often used for storing trains and hoppers until either its crew or power is ready.
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A Robinson Run Turn has two SD70MACs in the lead as it crosses over the Tygart River in the early spring of 2000.
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Photo by Jerry Doyle. In this photo taken from the infamous Grafton foot bridge, a slug set lays over in front of the old roundhouse with several steam era shops visible in the background. The terminal is still filled with Chessie power, even though it's well into the CSX era.
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CSX SD50 #8502 and MofW pumpkin #9713 pull 37 empty ballast cars through the Grafton Terminal on July 17th, 1999. This train is bound for Newell, PA, over the Fairmont Subdivision.
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An E080 Newell Turn is heading west out of Grafton over the B&O's original Wheeling mainline as the two GEs pass two SD80MACs' and their train of loads sitting on the #1 Fetterman Running Track.
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Under threatening storm clouds, two ACW44s on an E127 from Newell pull a train of empties off the Fairmont side and through the interlocking in front of the now inactive D Tower during the late spring of 2000.
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The yard leads in front of the station are busy on March, 25th, 1999 at approx 9:30 AM. Q316 with lead locomotive #8583 is crossing over onto the Eastbound, while a U800 without power sits on 2 North. Two SD70MACs are awaiting a crew to take an empty T812 west to Cowen on 1 Main in front of the station, while GP38-2 #2674 on the B719 waits on the Sand Track.
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Photo by Jose Nevarez. In this scene, a loaded drag is preparing to depart the yard in the early morning hours of August 22 bound for Newell, Pennsylvania.
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It's June 13th, 1999, and it's obvious the Conrail CSX / NS merger has taken place. Conrail SD50 #8050 on the B705-13 parades through Grafton yard showing the Conrail blue with a string of cars in tow. The twenty boxcars were brought from the Heaters Lumbermill south of Burnsville on the G&B.
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A view of the Grafton engine terminal from the overlooking road bridge in 1985.
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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. On April 17th, 1977, the eastbound Amtrak Shenandoah has stopped at the Grafton station to pick up passengers after completing its journey over the Parkerburg Branch. A westbound hopper train led by a GP-30 is passing on the left and in the background, the now demolished coaling tipple still stands as several WM units stand guard.
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Photo by Terry Arbogast. On the night of October 5th, 1987, a three car CSX OCS with CSX's two former Clinchfield F units are laying over on the Hill Trackin front of the station.
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This view is of the old B&O Grafton Station and Hotel that was built around the turn of the 20th century (1911). In front of the station is a recently arrived empty coal train from Cumberland, led by two SD70MACs.
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It's 4pm on July 16th and the scene is the West Grafton yard. E165 off the Fairmont subdivision is being pulled underneath the Bridge Street overpass by the #2 District Turn while two SD70MACs are backing out of the engine terminal to couple onto the other end of the E165, soon to become an E135 Cowen Turn. The west SD70MAC of the Rowlesburg Helper can barely be seen at the upper right of the photo.
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The large collection of cabooses common to the middle yard before their demise is apparent in this photo taken during August of 1985.
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Photo from the Strogen Collection. In this 1995 view, CSX has already began rebuilding the middle of Grafton yard by connecting four short yard tracks into two long ones in the middle of the photograph - 64 and 75 tracks. A third long track, 96, has recently been installed and covered with ballast while the W7 track is being rebuilt with fresh ballast already laid down. 17 track is on the far left next to Three Forks Creek while the B&LE hoppers on the far right are on the #1 main track.
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Photo by Markolf Gudjons. Q316 with the usual mixed power is laying over on 17 track near the location of the old scale house awaiting a Mountain crew to take it east to Cumberland.
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After picking up a new set of three SD60s, the Rowlesburg Helper is heading east to Hardman through the east end of the Grafton Yard in the summer of 1999.
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The day following the 1998 Christmas Holiday shutdown finds a long Q316 departing East Grafton Yard, while the three SD60s making up the Rowlesburg Helper wait in the long shadows on the X Track. The helpers on this day were cut into the mixed freight at GN Tower.
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A rather early Q317 is about to pass through the East Yard bridge's shadow as it crosses through Dewey Junction. Dewey Junction has since received a remote radio controlled switch mechanism allowing the throw to be made from the relative comfort of a locomotive.
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Photo by John Plishka. Restored B&O caboose #C2445 is one of the railfan highlights in Grafton, WV. This caboose was put on display next to Main Street in downtown Grafton as a reminder of the town's rich railroad heritage.
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