RJ Corman's WV Line: CSX Coal Drags on the Loup Creek Branch - 8/9/2022

8/9/2022.
Footage from a gorgeous summer day on the Loup Creek Branch (RJ Corman's "West Virginia Line") in the New River Gorge area between Pax and Thurmond, WV.

This former Chesapeake & Ohio branch runs from the coal mine in Pax to the CSX New River Subdivision in Thurmond. The line primarily sees CSX run-through coal traffic to and from the mine. The CSX loaded and empty coal drags on this branch typically run between Thurmond and the coal piers in Newport News, VA. On the branch, RJ Corman provides helpers on the front or rear (depending on direction) due to the steep mountainous grades in both directions.

Heading towards Thurmond, the line is upgrade from Pax to Mt Hope, requiring helpers on the rear. From Mt Hope to the New River in Thurmond, the line is downgrade along the Dunloup Creek. At Mt Hope, outbound loaded coal drags usually pick up a second cut of loads brought out by RJ Corman (due to the amount of storage space at the mine). Empty coal drags usually drop off a cut of empties there heading back to the mine.

RJ Corman uses two former Southern Pacific SD40T-2s for helper service, and also uses a former Burlington Northern SD40-2 occasionally. On this day, the two SD40T-2s were on the rear of outbound Z549 (CSX C206 - eastbound loads) and lead the inbound Z549 (CSX E206 - westbound empties) running long hood forward with CSX power on the rear. At Harvey, RJ Corman placed the SD40-2 upfront for the trip heading back to Pax.

Thurmond is known as the "Heart of the New River Gorge," and is where the Loup Creek Branch crosses the New River into town and connects with the former C&O mainline. Thurmond once had the richest banks of West Virginia, but is now a ghost town in the New River Gorge National Park. The former C&O depot is now a visitor center and museum, and is also a station stop for Amtrak's "Cardinal."

Train symbols in this video:

CSX C206 - eastbound coal loads
(Pax/Thurmond, WV to Newport News, VA)

CSX E206 - westbound coal empties
(Newport News, VA to Thurmond/Pax, WV)

Both loads and empties run as Z549 on RJ Corman