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| Frisco Lines: Engine 1050 St. Louis, Missouri |
Rod Locomotive
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| 1897 Rogers 4-6-0 (Back to the Future Part 3) |
This was the typical
steam engine that would be found in the flat plains of the United
States. You typically wouldn't find this train in WV due to the large
wheel base and the terrain that the locomotive had to trek. The larger
wheels helped the train travel large distances, but this in turn made
the train stiff to turns (had to take gradual long turns). The train
also didn't have the power or the gripping force to overcome the grade
in the West Virginia hills.
There
needed to be a locomotive that was able to traverse the steep inclines
and the winding valleys of West Virginia. The next locomotives are known
as gear locomotives which helped to overcome the problems of rod
locomotives. Click (website) to learn more.
Shay Locomotive
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| Shay #5 |
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| Lima. OH |
Perhaps the most
popular geared locomotive is the shay locomotive. This locomotive was
built in Lima, OH where the majority of geared locomotives were designed
and built. The train was able to traverse the steep grades of the West
Virginia hills and with its small wheel base it could go through the
valleys.
The shay's can still be seen running at the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
in Cass, WV. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park also contains other geared
trains like the Heisler and Climax locomotives. The YouTube video is
showing one of the largest shay's (shay #6) and the last built.
Climax Locomotive
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| Durbin Rocket Durbin, WV |
The climax was built in Cory, Pennsylvania. A train that was not built for speed, but to be able to have the torque needed to travel up large grades. This geared locomotive differs in that it is like a four wheel drive train where the three trucks are connected through a drive shaft that was powered by the two inclined cylinders. The train also featured a two speed transmission to travel faster on flat track. Durbin is located in Pocahontas county just north of Cass where the shay's are located.
Heisler Locomotive
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| Heisler #6 Cass, WV |
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
The B&O came about due to Maryland wanting to establish its connections to the west and north. At the time (1828) canals were supported by the government and seen as the future of transportation. Because of the success of the B&O and other railroads and invention of the train that led to the success of the railway. The first track was laid in 1828 in Baltimore, Maryland and it reached West Virginia (then Virginia) in 1834, in present day Harpers Ferry, WV. The construction of the railroad is found throughout West Virginian, like Wheeling, Parkersbug, Moundesville, Fairmont, and other towns (B&O mainline). During the Civil War, this railway was of vital importance to the union due to the connections to major cities in the north. There are historical battles/sabotage in WV(at the time Virginia) over the B&O railroad.Click on the link for an article that describes the importance of the B&O to the north and how the south fought for the rights. (Click Here) Another interesting fact is when the United States entered WW1, the government took control of the railroad and returned it back to the stakeholders in worst condition.
The video and website listed are great resources to get a first account of the history of the B&O railroad. Jim Surkamp is a prolific writer that takes account of Jack Snyder and his amazing knowledge of the B&O.
Civil War Scholars: Jim Surkamp writes about the rich history in WV and America. This is a great site and all of the posts are easy to read. I have posted some of the interviews with Jack Snyder in the page.
The video and website listed are great resources to get a first account of the history of the B&O railroad. Jim Surkamp is a prolific writer that takes account of Jack Snyder and his amazing knowledge of the B&O.
Civil War Scholars: Jim Surkamp writes about the rich history in WV and America. This is a great site and all of the posts are easy to read. I have posted some of the interviews with Jack Snyder in the page.
