Trackside Guide to the Mountain Subdivision

This part of the guide will cover railfanning the Cheat River Grade and around M&K Jct. As the key shows, the red lines are CSX track, the yellow lines are primary roads, such as State and US Routes and green is the secondary roads, county roads for the most part. All shown roads are accessible without 4 wheel drive, although in winter months it is recommended. I've also placed icons where signals are currently located, which can be used in conjunction with the signal lists on the timetable page. If you haven't read the Grafton to Blazer guide and need to know how to get to Rowlesburg, click here.

Rowlesburg

The town of Rowlesburg, MP BA253.9, is located in a bowl at the bottom of both Cheat River and Cranberry grades. Rowlesburg is a small town, with a solitary gas station / store and a few hundred residents. The Cheat River flows to the east of the town while the track runs through the 'middle' of town. Arriving in Rowlesburg on Rt. 72, Buffalo Street , you'll first see the Mountain subdivision's track after rounding a curve in town next to a graveyard. Before you cross the Mountain sub's tracks, to your right you'll see the Cheat River Bridge and beyond that M&K Jct. In front of you is the old Rowlesburg Station, in poor repair, having survived the flood of 1985 that almost washed it downstream with the rest of the town. If you're waiting for a train, there are several good locations in the area to choose from, the Cheat River Grade, M&K Jct and of course the town. If you've chased a train up to Tunnelton or Blazer and are still following it, go here for directions. Westbound trains open the throttle up for the climb from M&K Junction to Blazer, while eastbound trains will drop down the grade and go through the town at speed with airhorns blasting at the grade crossing west of the station. Another point of interest is the Cheat River bridge or Bridge 92 to the railroad, which is located between the town and M&K Junction. To reach the bridge, cross the track and follow Buffalo Street (Rt.72) past the Exxon station for a very short distance until you reach an intersection where you can only go to the left or right - State Rt. 72 goes to the left, Salt Lick Road (County Road 51) goes to the right and straight ahead is a park. Take Salt Lick Road to the right and you'll cross over the Cheat River, with CSX's Bridge 92 on the south side and the Kingwood Subdivision track on the eastern side of the road bridge.

Cheat River Grade

The single track Cheat River Grade begins on the west side of Bridge 92 and runs appox 5 miles up to Blazer, WV. This portion of track is not accessible by vehicles except in Rowlesburg and about a mile west of Rowlesburg at 76 Fill. In Rowlesburg the grade reaches 2% on the west side of the Buffalo Street grade crossing and begins the climb out of the Cheat River Valley. In order to reach the 76 Fill's Carrico Xing, take Rt. 72 left from the intersection mentioned in the Rowlesburg section. Go about 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile until you see a road running up the hill to the track. Take this road and in a very short distance you'll reach the crossing. With photographing eastbound trains, don't cross the track unless you don't care to see the train again until Amblersburg. Other than this crossing, there is no other way to reach the track via a road. A major highlight on this grade is the Tray Run stone arch viaduct. You can see this viaduct from two locations, the first place is right below it on the road. From Rowlesburg take Rt. 72 north for about 1 mile. A white sign is enscribed with the history of the viaduct and also lets you know you're approaching it, so look on your left for the valley it crosses. Watch closely or you'll drive right past it - the viaduct is above you and there's no good place to pulloff right in front of it. The road doesn't offer the greatest position for photographs or watching trains but its an interesting historical and scenic highlight. For a better view, head back to Rowlesburg and cross the Cheat River and the Kingwood sub track on County Road 51. After crossing the Kingwood sub, take a left onto County Road 80, the Manheim Road and proceed about 1 mile until you reach the small town of Manheim. From Manheim, you can see the viaduct across the river on the opposite shore. Because of the growth of trees, the best time photographs is when the leaves are off the trees. You'll need a high powered lense, I'd say greater than a 150* to get a good closeup although lesser powered lenses can accomplish a wider shot. Best time with light on the viaduct is in the morning with the sun to the east, behind you. Well, thats about it for the Cheat River Grade, onto the Junction!

M&K Jct to Amblersburg

To reach M&K Jct from Rowlesburg, continue past the Exxon in Rowlesburg until you reach a three way intersection. Take a left onto Salt Lick Road and cross the Cheat River. After crossing the bridge and Kingwood sub track, you'll see a gravel road break off to the right and follow the track. This road is a CSX access road to MK Tower.... NO tresspassing signs are present.Continuing past this turnoff, you'll reach a rickety old single lane bridge - if you meet another vehicle on the bridge, its a game of bluff to see who will back up. Power is kept in M&K Jct for helper assignments on the Mountain subdivision and mine turns on the Kingwood sub, although sometimes there is separate power for both jobs. An old engine house still exists at M&K Jct, a leftover from the helper station which use to operate there and is another highlight on the Mountain subdivision. Leaving the road bridge, take a left and follow CR 51 down a small hill to track level where the road is right next to the tracks. Trains go the maximum speed limit through here, 30 mph, so I find the best method is to get a shot off from the road bridge of the front end and then go onto Amblersburg and get a shot of the front end again and the helpers. Likewise, you can get a photo of the headend at McMillian and again at Amblersburg with the both the front and the helpers, but doing all three locations is pushing the envelope. From this point the road leaves the track and heads towards McMillian, WV. Continue on to Cranberry Grade and Terra Alta, WV.

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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.