Monongah Con, an SW1500 and more I was part of a group that visited the Beech Mountain Railroad last weekend and were able to witness multiple trips between the A&O Railroad interchange and the coal mine which the BEEM serves. The mine has closed, so they are loading the stockpiles and will be shutting down soon. Likely a once in a lifetime experience with these final runs. The Beech Mountain has a pair of ALCO S-series switchers, #113 “Old 113” and #115 “Bear’s Blue Ox” that they have used for years. Both have suffered mechanical issues in recent years and only 113 is used sparingly. A few years ago, they got an EMD SW7 numbered 114. With the impending closure of the last mine and only loader on the line, United Coal (who also owns the railroad) rented a pair of former CSX SW1500’s, 1106 and 1118. On this date, 113, the Blue Ox loaded the trains and LTEX 1118 was the “road power” working between the Mine at Star Bridge, WV and the interchange at Alexander, WV. 1118 with the first cut of loads of the day back in Alexander. Fall colors arriving in the hollows of West Virginia. The Beech Mountain is famous for their use of submarine bridges. Here SW1500 #1118 crosses the lower submarine bridge (there are two) near Palace Valley, WV. We had a great time at the annual local railfan convention with this bunch last weekend. Farewell to the Beech Mountain Railroad 1953-2023. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thread Note: The last train was loaded on 11/17/23. The two leased SW’s LTEX #1106 and LTEX 1118 were picked up on 2/18/24 by the A&O and delivered to CSX. The two ALCO’s (113 and 115) and an SW7 (114) remain on the property near the mine at Star, future plans unknown. Locals hoping the mine will reopen, but the chatter through the grapevine is that the nearby coal seams have all played out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last Summer, United Coal / Carter-Roag announced the impending closure of their Morgan Camp mine and Star Bridge prep plant in Randolph County, WV. The origins of the Beech Mountain Railroad began in 1890 with the establishment of the Alexander Lumber Company at the site of current day Alexander, WV in Upshur County. A narrow gauge logging railroad was built along the left fork of the Buckhannon River to bring logs to the saw mill at Alexander. The line was operated and modified through a series of successive operators including the Alexander & Rich Mountain Railroad and the Alexander & Eastern Railroad until 1940. In 1953, a developer from Pennsylvania bought the right of way and rebuilt the line to haul coal for areas near Helvetia to the broader market and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad connection at Alexander. The small Beech Mountain Railroad persevered for decades through multiple shut downs and dormant periods. On November 17, 2023, the Beech Mountain Railroad loaded their last coal train and entered a new period of dormancy. Consequently, the former B&O Pickens Sub (Hampton-Sago-Alton-Alexander) is now out of service. For most of the last 40 years, the Beech Mountain loaded and hauled their trains with a pair of end cab switchers built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), which themselves closed in 1969. These models, called an S1 and an S4 are well over 60 years old and are quite rare to find still operating anywhere in the country. A third locomotive, a similar type locomotive built by the Electro Motive Division (EMD) of GM (gray and red #114) was added just a few short years ago after locomotive #113 (the black one) suffered mechanical problems. On Friday, March 8, 2024, the three remaining Beech Mountain locomotives were picked up by the Appalachian & Ohio Railroad and transported in the cover of darkness to Buckhannon for safe keeping until they are to be delivered to their new owner. On Thursday March 13, the locomotives were delivered to the connecting Durbin & Greenbrier Valley at Belington, WV in for storage. The locomotives will avoid the torches of a scrapper for now and may continue to operate in some fashion. Very early on a snowy Sunday morning, I ventured into town and set up my camera to document this rare sight of ALCO switcher locomotives in Buckhannon, parked just outside the A&O’s shop building. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hopefully all three get saved in one way or another, 2 Alcos and that old EMD would be nice for an organization to restore!
