Trackside Guide to the Fairmont Subdivision

This part of the guide will cover railfanning the Fairmont Subdivision from Fetterman, WV to Valley Falls State Park. All roads shown on the below map are accessible without 4 wheel drive, although in winter months it is recommended. I've also placed icons where signals and DTC Block Limits are currently located, which can be used in conjunction with the signal/DTC lists on the timetable page.

Fetterman

The first town you'll encounter on the Fairmont Subdivision after leaving Grafton is the small town of Fetterman, WV, MP BS282.7. Directions on how to reach Fetterman is covered in the Grafton Railfan Guide so I'll cover the highlights here. Fetterman has only one road crossing which is reached via Sycamore Street. Sycamore Street can be reached by turning off Boyd Street right before the intersection with US Rt. 50. This crossing is a few feet north of the Fetterman yard signal and a crossover from the No.1 track to the No. 2 track. Take notice if you're chasing a train, don't get caught on the opposite side because the road leads to a dead end at a paper plant- FYI: This plant produces several carloads every day or so for CSX. On the east side of the Sycamore Street Xing is a small gravel road that runs alongside the tracks for a very short distance, before rejoining Route 50 near a Go Mart. That's all for Fetterman besides a local Go Mart at the junction of State Route 310 and US Route 50, which is a good place to stop and get gas before heading north.

Departing Fetterman

You have two options in departing from Fetterman if you're chasing north. The first option is to take US Rt. 50 west to an intersection a few miles west of Pruntytown, WV, where US Route 50 and US Route 250 split after converging in Pruntytown. At this intersection, US Route 250 goes north to Fairmont while US Rt 50 heads towards Bridgeport. Your second option is to take Rt 310 from the Go Mart intersection north to Fairmont. Neither of these roads can be considered chase roads because with the exception of a few miles on Rt 310, both are away from the tracks. The Rt 50/250 route is about 18 miles long from Fetterman to Fairmont and there are very few roads which provide access to the line. The SR 310 route is about four miles shorter than the previous one but WV Rt 310 is a much more winding road. However several more roads break off from WV 310 to provide access to the tracks at different locations. Trains take about 50 minutes to reach Fairmont after leaving Fetterman so you can take your time in driving.

US Rt 50 and 250 north to Fairmont

At the intersection of US Rt. 50 with SR 310, take Route 50 pass the gas station and over the Tygart River. Country Road 40, which is an alternate road from Grafton, intersects on the other side of the bridge. At the intersection is a monument to the first Union soldier killed during the American Civil War, a precursor to the battle of Philippi. Continue on Rt 50 for about 5 miles through the small town of Pruntytown until you reach and intersection where US Rt 250 breaks off from US 50. Rt 250 goes to the north (right) while Rt 50 keeps going straight to Bridgeport and other points west. Take US 250 for about 6 miles when you'll pass the Apple Valley Country Club - you should see a sign - which is next to a small convience center located on the right. Continue for approx. 1 mile when you'll see a two lane road go to the right in a sharp curve. This road is County Road 250/26, Colfax Road, which runs about 3 miles east to the Tygart River valley at Colfax, WV, MP BS294.5. See Part II of this guide for information on Colfax, WV and the continuation of the Fairmont sub north.

WV SR 310 north to Fairmont

Leaving Fetterman on WV State Route 310, the tracks will remain on your left as the road begins to climb the hillside above them. 310 will stay in this position until about 2 miles further north when you'll the location of several trackside industrys. The large blue builing below the road is the Rex Hide chemical plant which loads it's products in strange looking black tank cars. On the north side of the Rex Hide plant is CY Tower -the tower is long gone- where the Fetterman running track (the track closest to the road) rejoins the main track at a spring switch, which is also the marker between the Fetter and Coff DTC blocks. CSX parks empties bound for or loads from the MGA Mine District here, in addition to the same track at Fetterman. From CY Tower to the Tygart River Campground, 310 is separated from the railroad by an old run down golf course. About 1 mile past this golf course is the Tygart River Campground, where a medium sized bridge allows the railroad to cross Wickwire Run. After passing the Tygart Campground, 310 leaves the track and follows a valley prone to flooding for a short distance until the road begins to climb over a large hill, the first of several. After reaching the top, you'll descend into a small valley where you'll begin to climb another hill after passing by the famous (to us at least) Uncle Sam mailbox. After reaching the top of this hill, you'll cross into Marion County from Taylor County and descend a short distance into another flood plain. At the bottom of this bowl is where the Rock Lake Road turns off from SR 310 - about 3 miles north of the campground- to the left. See the below section on how to reach the track from this point. After passing by the Rock Lake turnoff, keep going on 310 until you reach the Downtown Fairmont exit of I-79. Continue to Part II of this guide.

Valley Falls

Valley Falls is the location of a WV State Park which the Fairmont Subdivision cuts in half. However, in order to get there before the train, you'll have to go straight to Valley Falls when the train begins to leave Grafton yard - you can't pace it, say from Grafton to Fetterman because you'll never make it in time. Likewise, if you see it at Valley Falls you, won't see it again until downtown Fairmont if you hurry - the reason for this is below. After turning west - left - off SR 310 (assuming you were headed north), follow Rock Lake Road for about 1 mile when you'll reach the community of Rock Lake, a collection of houses around the constructed Rock Lake. Take the road to the left - theres a big sign which points to the state park- at the first intersection and follow it around the lake until you come to another intersection with a Valley Falls sign - note: the speed limit is low for the next two miles so if you don't think you have enough time, turn around and head back north. Here another road goes back around the lake to your right while a road heads up a hill to your left - take this road to the left to reach Valley Falls State Park. Valley Falls is opened daily during daylight but closes shortly after dark. To reach the track, continue on this road for less than a mile when you'll descend into the Tygart River Valley - A mile later you'll see the river and track off the the left. Valley Falls is based around a medium sized waterfall and rapids on the Tygart River with the Fairmont subdivision running through the valley portion of the park. An old iron bridge allows pedestrians to cross over the track to the river and also gives railfans a good location for photos. Use common sense however, because the park rangers have been known to work in cooperation with CSX police in stopping tresspassers.

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Notice and Disclaimer: These guides and Northern West Virginia's Railroads DO NOT recommend or endorse any form of tresspassing, whether on railroad or private property. I have tried to list locations which are on public roads or property, but if I have made a mistake, please adhere to posted signs or the wishes of the landowners. Remember to use common sense and think saftey! Also, please note these railfanning guides are published for your entertainment purposes only. While I have tried to make these guides as accurate and easy to read as possible, some mistakes may exist unnoticed. As a result, use at your own risk because I do not wish to be held accountable for someone's ruined trip - Thank you for your understanding.