Collis P. Huntington by Jim Casto

Collis P. Huntington

Here are some pictures from my trip to view the Collis P. Huntington statue in Huntington, WV. The reason for naming of Huntington, WV is due the building of the C&O railroad to the Ohio river. Huntington, WV would become the western terminus for the import and export of goods to the Midwest. Even though much of the railroad was built before the arrival of Huntington, much was destroyed by the Union and Confederates during the civil war. After the civil war ended, the job at hand was to complete the C&O railroad.

Below is video of Jim Casto portraying Collis P. Huntington. The Forest & Rail class was able to meet Jim Casto and learn a great deal of information about the town of Huntington, WV and the C&O railroad.

BIG JOHN

Talcott, WV

Everyone has either heard of the story or listened to the ballad of John Henry by Johnny Cash. This American folklore  has rich history of a black man going up against industrialism. Through his prowess he was able to beat a steam powered hammer. The story took place during the building of the C&O railway in Talcott, WV. Currently the statue is being restored and a park is being built in the legends honor.

Article - WV Gazette: John Henry Statue Headed for Restoration

WV Rail-fan

WV Rail-fan is great website that explains the history of railways.It also keeps an up to date perspective on how the railways are used in the 21st century. This site does a great job to give an overview of the historical B&O railroad. One interesting fact is the decline in mileage of WV railway. This is due to the abandonment of lines that are unproductive or lines that supplied old logging/coal camps.

Cass & Durbin

Great Scenic Railway Journeys is an Emmey award winning series that take's you on a journey of different railways in the world. In West Virginia the series takes a look at Cass and Durbin, and there role within the state. The video talks about the history and what train  enthusiasts/tourists to expect on the railway.

GSRJ Home Page: http://gsrj.com/

Cass: http://www.gsrj.com/cass_prem.html

Durbin: http://gsrj.com/durbin.html

Bob Withers presentation of B&O Railroad

Today I learned the history of the B&O railroad and the type of trains needed to get up a 11% grade. Informative presentation that talked about the history of the type of trains.