CSX's former Laurel Subdivision

CSX's former Laurel Subdivision is located at the end of the ex-Western Maryland's trackage, deep within the West Virginian hills. Originally built by the Greenbrier, Cheat, and Elk Railroad in 1914, this new line extended west from Spruce, WV, to Laurel Bank (Slaty Fork) where the CSX era Laurel Subdivision began. From Laurel Bank, the railroad followed the Elk River west to Bergoo, WV, serving once numerous coal mines throughout the river valley. Another shortline railroad, the West Virginia Midland, was built in 1924 between Bergoo and Webster Springs, WV, 12 miles farther west downriver. By 1927, the Western Maryland was looking for new acquisitions and the GC&E was acquired by the WM to gain access to the abundant coal deposits located west of Slaty Fork.

In 1945, the WVM RR was also acquired by the WM, this time to reach the coal filled hollows west of Bergoo. The majority of the traffic on the old GC&E was coal which originated from mines located on the Laurel Subdivision, with the exception of a large lumber mill located a few miles west of Bergoo at Barton. This mill produced lumber and the resulting woodchips were frequently found on the Western Maryland lines around Elkins on their trek to the Westvaco plant at Luke, Maryland. At one point in the mid-1950s, as many as five mines were in operation along this section of track, but by the early 1970s many of these mines had been worked out and the number of trains declined. As a result, the line west of Bergoo was sold to the Bergoo and Western Railroad in 1986, a small shortline which owned two GP-9s for the switching duties. By 1994, only one mine was still in operation, the Elk head mine owned by S.S. Buford Inc. CSX decided it was too expensive to operate more than 70 miles of "decaying" railroad for just one mine and dispatched the last train on the Laurel Subdivision, a Laurel Bank turn, on December 29th, 1994, with 74 carloads of Elk Head coal in ths consist. The state of WV then stepped in to try and stop the abandonment, but CSX claimed the line was unprofitable and issued a bulletin removing the Laurel SD between MP BUK 101.7 (Laurel Bank) and MP BUK 121.7 (End Of Track) from service effective at 0200 CST February 13, 1995. Just short of two years later, CSX abandoned the entire subdivision at 0001 CST on January 25, 1997. Fortunately the rail remained down and the Laurel Subdivision was eventually sold to the West Virginia Central Railroad in 1996. However, unless a major customer is found somewhere between Laurel Bank and Bergoo, the WVC may concentrate on getting the rest of its trackage back in service before even beginning to allocate funds to put the subdivision back in service, while letting the rest of the old WM lie dorminant in the green hills of West Virginia.

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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. A Laurel Bank crew is tying over at the Laurel Bank Rest House on October 17th, 1989. The structure was built and maintained by the railroad as a crew dormitory.

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Photo by Ron Stafford. Exactly one year later than the previous photo, CSX 6480 West - Train B778-17 Laurel Bank Switcher - is switching in the yard at Laurel Bank (Slaty Fork) on October 17, 1990. The small grey shanty in the foreground is the former WM train order office and was being used as a crew room (reporting location) at this time. The large two-story building in the background is the Laurel Bank Rest House, which was closed circa April, 1990.

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Photo by Ron Stafford. The same Laurel Bank Switcher working in the yard from a different angle. Laurel Bank was closed as a home terminal circa September 29, 1992 and all Laurel Bank jobs were then called out of Elkins.

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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. An eastbound Laurel Bank Switcher at the east end of the yard on October 15, 1986. The crew was picking up cars for a run up to Spruce where they would set the cars off on the passing siding.

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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. An eastbound Laurel Bank Switcher led by B&O GP35 #3502 is passing the location sign at the east end of the yard on August 30th, 1987.

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Photo by Kevin Scanlon. The Laurel Bank Switcher is picking up a cut of loads at the Hickory Lick mine on October 13th, 1987. The engines are on the mine lead over the Elk River.

[CSX Laurel Subdivision Timetable]