The Chesapeake &Amp; Ohio Railway
South Charleston, WV -- Ashland, KY
Introduction.
This tour of what is today CSX Corporation's Kanawha Subdivision is part of Frograil's self-guiding tour of the famous ex-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway mainline from Tidewater to the Mid-West. The overall tour Introduction is here. As of August 2007, there are over 395 miles of the overall C&O tour completed. As for this segment alone, we have about 39 miles completed between South Charleston and the eastern edge of Huntington, and Andy Wade is working on extending it to Ashland's Russell Yard.
As with all tours in the railfan guide, you will be able to print out this text and hit the road, but before you do, we suggest you take a long, hard look at our tour guide page -- it's got some good tips on it.
Contents And Navigation
Contributors
Andy Wade. Research and text from the yard office in South Charleston all the way to the eastern edge of Huntington..
Train Gifs. All train gifs used within this tour are from the Ed Bindler's train gifs site, which is here.
Peter Furnee, CSX logo
Wayback Machine. http://www.webarchive.org. These cats have expired/old/ancient Web pages in their database. Search Google for the Wayback Machine. Thru their database, I was able to print out a Kanawha Subdivision Station List, with several of the mile points that will help you tourists. This service is, I believe, a function of the Library of Congress.
Tony Hill, Webmaster -- the guy who makes Frograil go. Any first person singular pronoun used in this text refers to Tony Hill, unless otherwise specifically mentioned.
Help
If you'd like to contribute to this, or any other tour, please contact me, and let me know what you'd like to do. We'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
Area Attractions
There is far more to do in this part of West Virginia than just watch trains! Indeed, your family will love you for taking them on a vacation to "Wet and Wild" West Virginia. The fact that you get to see some trains is merely a bonus! Besides the specific locations listed below, realize that hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, and biking opportunities abound throughout the entire area.
Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences
Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
Life Support. You're within rock throwing distance of I-64 and US-60 for this entire tour segment, so life support will not be an issue.
Geology and Geography. Throughout periods consisting of millions and millions of years, what is now central West Virginia was (not to put too fine a point on it) the bottom of the ocean, or at least part of a shallow ocean's floor. Ton after ton after millions of tons of sand, clay, calcium bodies of microscopic marine animals, etc., gradually formed a dense rock, known as sedimentary rock, because it consists of compressed sediments. After Africa crashed into what is today North America, and after the glaciers retreated more recently, what is today West Virginia began to rise. Imagine holding a cork under water, using a lot of weight and pressure, and then gradually releasing that weight and pressure. As the land rose and broke thru the surface of the ocean, erosion started to take place.
What had been a flat plateau began to be carved by rivulets and streams, and eventually as the land rose and the streams carved, the mountainous geography of much of the state evolved. All those mountainous acres had to be drained by streams and rivers, and there was, indeed, a mighty river, the Teays River, that flowed north from somewhere in the vicinity of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, up thru Virginia, and into southern West Virginia. There were also major tributaries of the Teays flowing from what is today Pennsylvania and the northeast. From there, the river flowed all the way across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and into what is now the Mississippi River valley. The last bouts of glaciation changed virtually all of the landscape north of West Virginia, and that included damming the Teays to the extent that the river was essentially obliterated west of Scary (just northwest of Charleston), and eventually was replaced by today's Ohio River. The broad valley of the Teays, from Scary to Huntington still exists, however, and this tour will go right thru it.
Millions of years after the formation of the Teays (pronounced as in "days"), the railroad surveyors followed the logical course of action and designed their right-of-ways along river valleys. Indeed, all the way from Hinton, thru Charleston, and out to Huntington, the C&O follows what is primarily the valley of an ancient river. The name itself comes from the valley being named after Thomas Teays, a hunter and trapper who lived in the valley for some time.
Driving. In West Virginia, there are only 2 types of surfaces: Mountains and valleys. Valleys in the state tend to be occupied by a stream/river, a railroad, and at least one highway/road. Most of this tour is on significant highways, but there is some back country driving. Many of the roads look like dinky little country roads, but don't be fooled. All the log trucks, coal trucks, autos, etc, etc, have to use the same roads, and the drivers KNOW those roads. They drive fast, and you'd better be paying attention to driving, rather than wrassling with a scanner or map.
The Railroad -- General. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, as the name implies, was built to link the mid-west (at Cincinnati) to the deepwater port at Newport News, Virginia. The economic justification was found in the coal in the middle portion of the railroad, which could be inexpensively shipped either to the east or west from central western Virginia and central West Virginia. The physical condition of the road bed probably rivals that of any on the CSX system, and trains seem to glide along effortlessly.
The Railroad -- Traffic. Traffic is at least 80+ percent coal. Almost all trains between the Coal River Subdivision's wye at St. Albans and the John Amos American Electric Power plant near Scary will be aluminum hoppers carrying coal to the plant or going back for more. The rest will be grain (be warned, the westbound grain empties do track speed all the way through here) and the occasional manifest freight. Foreign power is relatively rare compared to NS's line across the Kanawha Subdivision, largely because CSX uses it's modern AC power for coal trains, and maintains a fairly tight rein on them. That said, however, lease units are often found on grain and manifest trains. There is zero intermodal and autorack traffic on this line.
Compass vs. railroad directions. The entire ex-C&O is timetabled east to west. We will try to be clear as to whether we're talking about timetable or compass directions. Be advised, however, that the hills and rails can easily get you turned around. This is definitely one place you would benefit by having a compass with you. You don't need an orienteering-quality device at all -- a simple Boy Scout compass is more than adequate. You just have to be able to positively identify compass north to help you get your bearings.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. I definitely recommend you get a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, study it before your trip, and copy pertinent pages for your field work. Recent advances in aerial images available to the public make Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, MapQuest, and other sources a valuable tool for planning. Again, study the aerials before your trip, and you'll be much better prepared for the actual tour.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
AG. An at-grade crossing.
CR. A county road. Major county roads are expressed like this: CR-26. Secondary county roads, in this case one branching off CR-26, would be written like this: CR-26/5.
CRL.A combat railfan location.These are identified with a [CRL] annotation, and are spots where those that truly want to see everything will go. Some of these have not been checked out during on-the-ground research, so be careful, and be safe.
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless I mention otherwise, these are usually not worth the time and trouble to drive to.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
NFOG. Not found on the ground. Many of the ancient country roads, fire roads, logging roads, etc., are still on the maps, but don't exist on the ground.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend or condone walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing and exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or in any other part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic.
Site Listing
The Tour
If you're continuing the tour from the Hinton - South Charleston segment of the C&O tour, you're at the corner of F Street and 1st Avenue in Charleston. If you're just starting the tour, take exit 56 from I-64 in South Charleston. Go north on Montrose Drive to the exit for 2nd Avenue. This will curve down to 2nd. Go west until any left. This latter will take you to 1st Avenue, which hugs the tracks all the way to F Street. For a write up of the yard office area, see the Hinton - South Charleston tour segment.
South Charleston -- Jefferson Road. Head away from the yard office via 1st Avenue, and take a left onto E Street. This will take you up to US-60/MacCorkle Avenue and a traffic light. Traffic lights are important thru the valley, as there is a ton of traffic concentrated on too few major streets. Take a left on US-60, and you'll pass Riverwalk Plaza shopping area, which has a Kroger, some fast food, and a BB&T Bank. Less than half a mile from the plaza, you'll pass by the exit/entrance ramps for I-64. Skip these and keep going to the next intersection, which is Jefferson Road/WV-601.
Traffic here is nightmarish shortly after rush hour, as this is an artery leading to the Southridge shopping area to the south. Take a left onto Jefferson and continue a short distance to the grade crossing. Viewing is quite good, but there is major traffic, and shooting from public property can be somewhat awkward. However, if you need to get trackside in a hurry, this spot will do.
Spring Hill -- Chesapeake Avenue. Cross the tracks via Jefferson and take a right onto Kanawha Turnpike/CR-12. You are now south of the tracks. There are some streets that lead you close to the tracks, but we will proceed to a couple of nice photo spots, instead. Take a right onto Chesapeake Avenue. Cross the tracks AG and park north of the crossing. This spot is perfect for morning eastbounds, and there's even room to stop and wait -- a rare thing in the Charleston vicinity.
There is a set of crossovers at station point "Spring Hill" in the area, at MP CA 458.7.
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Spring Hill -- Chestnut Street. Continue west via Kanawha Turnpike to a right onto Chestnut Street. There is a traffic light at Chestnut. A rather unique business is on the left next to the grade crossing. The Chessie Auto Wash Depot (or something like that) is actually built to resemble an old depot like that in St. Albans. Get your car washed, and they'd probably let you fan for a while there. There is ample space for photos on the south side of the tracks. There are no spectacular curves or trestles, just a nice open area.
Spring Hill -- Kanawha Turnpike. Once again, go back and head west on Kanawha Turnpike. If you've been wondering why we don't say "Go on out to US-60 and head west", you'll soon understand. Kanawha Turnpike draws right up next to the main line just a short way west of Chestnut Street. It's a bad place to stop, but there is a small church parking lot left of the main road. As long as it's not Sunday or Wednesday, go on up there and practice being unobtrusive. It's a bit of a long shot across the road, but walking across to try to take pix is exposing yourself to danger, as there is a lot of traffic and the shoulder area is tight.
Spring Hill -- Rock Lake. Continue west on Kanawha Turnpike, passing what was long ago the Rock Lake swimming pool (and not so long ago was a Putt-Putt). Take a right onto Rock Lake Drive and go under the tracks. The parking lot on the left has a nice view, but the power poles are very close together, between the lot and the tracks. Once again, if you need to grab a quick shot, go ahead, because the next railfan location will take a few minutes to get to.
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St Albans -- Spruce Street. Take Rock Lake Drive north to US-60/MacCorkle Avenue and take a left (Be careful, as people blowing thru red lights have caused nasty wrecks at this intersection.) to continue west. You'll come to Jefferson, which has become a rather rundown area. You'll probably be shocked at the number of shady establishments along the road [Webmaster's note: Be aware that "shady" as used by Andy has nothing to do with a place to stop under the trees on sunny summer days!]. Essentially, there are a few views of the tracks, including one crossing, but we rate the entire area as NARL, as obstructions are the rule, rather than the exception.
You'll see Kanawha Terrace -- completely separate from Kanawha Turnpike -- break off to the left, but keep going straight on US-60, as the underpass for Kanawha Terrace is NAG/NARL. Suddenly, you are in St Albans, so watch your speed. After you break out of the trees, look to the left. The fourth street should be Spruce Street; take it and go south a few blocks to the AG crossing. The tracks are on a low fill in this end of town. Decent photos all around.
St Albans -- Walnut Street. Drive south via Spruce for a few more blocks and take a right onto Kanawha Terrace. You'll pass Chestnut Street, and then should take your next right onto Walnut Street. The AG crossing is similar to that at Spruce Street, but with triple the street traffic. It's a good spot in a residential neighborhood, however, and you can get decent shots from the south side.
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St Albans -- Wye. Go north on Walnut to US-60/MacCorkle Avenue, take a left, and look for a Cici's Pizza and a K-mart to the left. Before you get to this shopping area, take a left onto Boone Street. Boone will take you thru an underpass [which I described in 1999 as "what must be absolutely the world's worst underpass", and Andy confirms that it's just as nasty as ever: "a disgusting, dingy, and likely flooded underpass"]. If you survive the underpass, make an immediate right into the wye area. Figure out where to watch trains in a location that isn't trespassing,
This is a busy junction, with loaded and empty coal trains going every which way, but it's a tough photo place, because you never know what's going where. A scanner would help. Photos or not, it's a good place to just sit and relax, and let the trains come to you. The wye is at MP 495.0.
There used to be a few engines parked at the yard office, but Nick Keller reports that CSX has discontinued this procedure.
St Albans -- Captain D's. From the wye, it's probably easiest to head west via US-60/MacCorkle Avenue, so go back under our favorite underpass, and take a left. Be on the lookout for a Captain D's fast food restaurant on your left. Turn into the parking area and proceed back to the tracks. Signals are visible in both directions.
Don't be startled if you pull around here and come face-to-face with an idling pair of engines on the nose of a westbound coal train.
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St Albans -- Station Area. Once back on US-60, look for 5th Street, take a left, and go into town. There is a handsomely restored C&O depot between the tracks and the intersection of 4th Street and 4th Avenue. It's just about the best railfan site in the town, other than perhaps the wye. It's on the south side of the tracks and is great for photos in both directions.
St Albans -- Downtown. The crossing on 5th Street is AG and is nice and wide open. The 3rd Street crossing is NAG/NARL. The 2nd Street crossing was not observed, but the C Street crossing was, and is a reasonably good spot from the south. Virtually all along the downtown area, the tracks are on a west-northwest/ east-southeast bias and on pretty much a straight line, so signals are within sight of most crossings.
St Albans -- B Street. From 4th Avenue, take a right onto B Street. Park before the crossing, and you'll have a good view of eastbounds crossing the Coal River, just a few yards to the west of the crossing.
Amandaville. From B Street in St Albans, go south to 6th Avenue, take a right, and then another right onto West Main Street. This will carry you across the Coal River and into the Virginia Heights area. Take your first right onto Riverside Drive, which will follow the river north, and will carry you to the community of Amandaville. Pass Rust Street, and you'll see the tracks. Eastbound trains are often held west of Riverside Drive, as there is a considerable distance to the northwest with no grade crossings.
As you approach US-60/MacCorkle Avenue, take a left onto Jones Street. This will swing 90° to go north as Oliver Street, and will meet US-60/MacCorkle Avenue. Take a left, and you'll soon cross the tracks on a NAG/NARL overpass. Unfortunately, the neighborhood in the vicinity of the overpass has deteriorated, becoming run-down, poor and very dangerous, largely because of drug-related activity. Besides the overpass itself, we believe the entire area to be NARL. You need to use proper judgement as to whether you wish to fan anywhere in this area. Never fan without at least one male buddy.
When you get to the intersection of US-60 and US-35 (a very busy and somewhat dangerous intersection), take US-35 north to follow the railroad and the Kanawha River north. Perhaps 1/2 mile north of the intersection, you'll enter the community of Marlaing. You'll probably not see this name on any map, unless you have a Kanawha County or USGS 7.5' quad map. Look for 1st Street to the right, and take it to the tracks. The crossing is wide open, with the tracks almost dead north-south.
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Marlaing -- Old 84 Lumber. Proceeding north from the community of Marlaing, US-35 will rise up to go over the railroad. Before going over the tracks, take a left into an old 84 Lumber facility, or at least what used to be an 84 Lumber outlet. The building itself burned to the ground recently. Use some horse sense here. Rhodes Brick and Block is located just northwest of the road you want to take to the crossing, so that should be a better landmark. This vestigial road may or may not have a name, but the aerial view on MapQuest has a label for Tompkins Crossing. There is a private crossing, at grade, although no map shows such a crossing. East facing signals are clearly visible, and often a westbound coal train will be idling east of the road.
Scary -- Tompkins Crossing Road. Get back to US-35, take a left to continue north, cross the tracks and enter Putnam County. Look for a crossroad with Tompkins Crossing Road, and take a left, and drive back to the tracks. You can get decent views of eastbounds here, but westbounds are tough, as the tracks are almost north - south. Also, shadows from the US-35 overpass can be a problem at times. The previously described location is probably better most of the time.
Scary -- Ventroux Road. A little north of Tompkins Crossing Road via US-35, look for a crossroads with Ventroux Road. If you need to get trackside in a hurry, this road will get you there, but understand that the railroad is on top of a very steep hill, and the area is heavily wooded with little place to pull over. That said, if you take a left from US-35 and go up to the top of this steep, steep hill, you'll be trackside.
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Scary -- Big Scary Road. Just a short ways north from Ventroux Road, the Kanawha River goes straight north, and we will head west. Scary is the entrance to the Teays Valley (see Geography), and I-64, CR-33, and CSX all occupy this ancient river valley -- everything is here but the river! At the intersection of US-35 and CR-33/Teays Valley Road, go northwest on CR-33. The first road to the left is Big Scary Road/CR-44. Take the left and park near the crossing.
The railroad is making a broad curve to the west, and it's on a high fill, way above everything else.
At this point in the tour, you have several options. If you're in a hurry, such as trying to pace a train, go back to US-35, and head north to I-64. If you're not in a hurry, and don't need to see every crossing, continue north and then west on CR-33 to Scott Depot. I'll provide instructions for you under Scott Depot -- Nottingham Drive. If you're a combat railfan, however, Frograil is now going to take you cross country to Scott Depot.
Scott Depot -- Hedrick Road. Continue west on Big Scary Road/CR-44. You will very shortly pass the point at which the Bills Creek Industrial track joins the main line, but it is not accessible. The industrial track can be seen from both US-35 and CR-33/Teays Valley Road. The main function of the track is access to American Electric Power's John Amos power plant. There is absolutely no public access to the area of the plant. One half mile west from the junction is the location of a defect detector. (MP CA469.7 "Scary" for the junction; CA470.2 for the DD)
There will be no railroad access for several miles, so enjoy the countryside. Don't enjoy it so much that you miss the turn onto Hedrick Road/CR33-2 on the right. If you miss that turn, you can spend a whole lot of time driving around, up, over and down mountains. A GPS unit would be a real pal for this part of the tour.
Hedrick will take you up to an AG crossing. The crossing is very nice, as CSX passes a large rock in a scenic area. Graffiti vandalism has detracted from the scenic value of the rock itself.
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Scott Depot -- Nottingham Drive. Continue north on Hedrick Road, which will take you out to CR-33/Teays Valley Road after a few zigs and zags. Note that the name of the road will vary between Teays Valley, Scary, and Mt. Vernon road. All the same CR-33. Take a left to get on CR-33 heading west. [Note: If you came from Scary via CR-33/Teays Valley Road, you pick up the tour again at this location, and will note Hedrick Road coming up on the left.]
In the Scott Depot area, look for the Scott Teays Elementary School and a Dairy Queen on you right. Turn left into Scott Lane/CR46-2. Scott will do some odd things, but just stay on it. Take a left on Nottingham Drive. This crossing offers a good view of east-facing signals as well as the line emerging from a deep but wide cut. However, a man lives in a small building about 100 feet east of the crossing, and may not appreciate the casual railfan hanging around. This is a good spot, but not one at which you want to spend a lot of time.
As a general comment pertaining to this location and the next two, this is another area that sees drug related activity at night. Do not railfan here at night, unless you have plenty of company.
Scott Depot -- Scott Lane. This is an OK place to see trains, if you need to get trackside in a hurry. It is, however, between two sets of signals facing away. In addition, several dogs seem to roam free around here, and while likely benign, why chance it? Take your shot and go.
This is, quite probably, the location of the original Scott Depot, and is MP CA473.8.
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Scott Depot -- Hamon/Valley View. You have been good tourists and have put up with the difficulties of railfanning in the mountains, so you deserve a very nice railfan location. Here it is. Go back up Scott Lane to your first left. We do not know the name of this road. Take it, and it will T at Hamon Drive/Valley View Road. Take the left on the latter, and this will take you to the best railfan location in the area. It's AG, and there are open grassy areas in the NW and SW quadrants, and relatively accessible spots in the other two quads. This is a most excellent crossing compared to most in the state of West Virginia.
Teays -- South Poplar Fork Road. Get back on CR-33 and take a left to continue west. Just before you get to WV-34, look for a crossroads with Poplar Fork Road. If you need life support or access to I-64, you can take a right here, and the interstate area is just north. If you want to visit a "wonderful" railfan location (Andy's specific description), take a left instead, and go south for less than a mile to an AG crossing. Photos are best from the south side of the tracks.
Teays -- Teays Lane. From immediately south of the railroad on South Poplar Fork Road, go west on Teays Lane/CR-32/1. This will parallel the tracks for some distance, and then go right to cross the tracks. There are signals at this location, and there is ample parking and viewing space on the southwest side of the crossing.
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Hurricane. Cross the tracks to the north, bear left, and follow Teays Lane/CR-32 all the way north to WV-34. Take a left and head west towards HurricaneBetween Teays Lane and Hurricane, you'll be far from the tracks, so relax and enjoy the ride. As you enter the Hurricane area, you'll see a city park and a small reservoir on the left. Very high on the hill overlooking the park, the CSX line may be seen. The park is free, and you can walk all the way up to the tracks if you wish, but be careful not to trespass.
About a mile beyond the park via WV-34, the railroad will once again appear on your left, and will cross a dilapidated eyesore that might possibly be called a viaduct. Less than another mile ahead, the road rejoins the railroad across from Hurricane High School. Continue into Hurricane. You'll quickly pass straight through an intersection and ascend over the tracks. Immediately past the tracks, turn right. Then you can turn left to go down Main Street into downtown Hurricane. Less than a half mile ahead, there is a small parking area and a white gazebo wedged in a corner between the tracks and the fire department. Stop here, walk out to the tracks, and check out the view! The gazebo itself is about midway between a set of crossings.
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Hurricane -- Desperate Crossings. We will give you two crossings you'll encounter on your way west from Hurricane, but they are not good railfan locations. Indeed, they're just one smidgen up from NARL, but if you are desperate to get trackside in a hurry, these will at least allow you to take a shot and move on. [Webmaster's Note: One thing that might help you thru here is that for some reason, Google Earth in Hurricane and points west is very clear and precise -- much better than MapQuest's aerials.This is some really nice imagery.]
From the gazebo on Main Street, continue southwest on Main to a right via an underpass under the tracks; I can find no name for this one block long street. This will T at Putnam Avenue, where you should take a left. Slog around the bends as Putnam heads up to intersect with Virginia Avenue/CR60-10. Take a left on Virginia Avenue to leave Hurricane heading west. You will come out of downtown and the tracks will appear on the left. As you meet the tracks there will be a grade crossing to the left; this is Hale Street, but it is unmarked as such. If you care at all for your car or tires, do not take it. It is incredibly rough and steep and drops you straight onto someone's driveway. Also, there are no lights or gates here and the line curves behind some trees just to the west. Evidently it is as dangerous as it looks because a wooden cross stands beside the cross buck. Ignore this spot unless you are very desperate for a quick picture, although one more AC4400CW would hardly seem to merit taking such risk!
Keep going west on Virginia Avenue, although it may change names at some point. The only other crossing along here is Shaw Lane. It is similar to Hale Street, although not as rough. It has no street sign and is a gravel road that drops straight onto a driveway on the other side. Slightly better than Hale, but there will be nicer spots on down the road (thank goodness).
Culloden. Keep heading west on Virginia. A mile or so out of Hurricane, you'll enter Cabell County and then will intersect US-60/Midland Trail. (This road just keeps showing up, doesn't it? There is a crossing of the tracks via US-60 just to the southeast of this point, but it is NAG/NARL and under serious construction.) Slowly turn right onto US-60 and immediately turn left onto Dudding Lane. This is a seriously narrow road. Keep it until you cross the tracks at grade shortly ahead. The tracks are in a small cut and are somewhat curved. Power lines are on the north side, if Andy remembers correctly, and private property runs right up to the line on both sides. However, a decent shot could be had here if something were coming. It's worth a visit, but nothing more.
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Culloden -- Charleys Creek Road. A little more than a quarter mile west of Dudding Lane on US-60, hang a left and go down Charleys Creek Road. This is arguably the best grade crossing between Hurricane and Barboursville. There is ample space to park all around, there are good views to the east and west, and east-facing signals are visible to the west.
Milton -- East Mud River Road. Go back out to US-60/Midland Trail and go several more miles west. There are no good views and no crossings through here so just watch the road. As I-64 appears on the right, watch for Morris Memorial Hospital Road/CR60-39 on the left. Take it and slow way down. This road will scare you if you are not from the mountains. Just take it easy. You will pass the old veterans' hospital for which the road is named; Andy thinks it's now a nursing home. Beside this dilapidated building, James River Turnpike cuts in from the left. Keep going straight ahead on what is now James River Turnpike/CR-25.
A mile or a little more after leaving US-60, East Mud River Road will be on the left. Take it. Less than a quarter mile out, you will come to a high overpass, as the tracks are in a very deep cut. You will have to park somewhere along the road because the bridge is narrow, making this spot a challenge as people's front yards run right up to the road. It would be unsafe if any significant volume of traffic used this road, but it is pretty quiet. There is a good long view to the east and a curving chasm of rock walls, little trees, and vines to the west. Shadows will be a problem much of the year -- this is perhaps a winter location. Come here when it's foggy, and you have yourself a very creepy spot.
Milton -- West Mud River Road Bridge. Get back to James River Turnpike and keep going west toward Milton. A little less than a mile down the road, take West Mud River Road on the left. You will go under the main, which is on a bridge that spans the Mud River. The supports are covered with graffiti. More annoying obstructions include trees and power lines on both sides. I would recommend heading on into Milton if you know something's coming, but the old bridge might be worth a look if the CSX is having a slow day. Obviously, slow day or fast day, if you're into railroad architecture and engineering, you will not want to pass up this structure.
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Milton -- Blenko Glass. Go back to James River Turnpike and continue into Milton. A little less than a mile from West Mud River Road, there is a nice spot to the left where you can pull up next to the tracks and not be bothered. Power lines are between this spot and the line, and there's nothing but a mountainside across the tracks. However, this is as good as it gets in Milton, and you could probably dodge the wires. Across the road is Blenko Glass. They give tours on certain days. Unfortunately, the only time Andy has seen their little spur line used is for CSX hi-rail trucks to go from road to rails.
Yates Crossing. A little road dives over the hill straight beside Blenko. Do not go out here. The road crosses the line three times. Each one is a pinchy little underpass with no view at all on either side, and you are more likely to have a wreck than find a suitable angle. Also, it is immediately west of the Blenko Glass works that Google Earth's resolution tanks, and you are left with virtually no helpful aerials. Turn right on Fairgrounds Road and pass Blenko, heading out to US-60.
Turn left (west) on US-60. You will continue through Milton and go over the CSX beside an industry called Engines Inc.; oddly enough, it appears they work on rail cars (not engines). The road is just far too busy to be a very good spot, although a good view of signals can be seen to the north (right). If you really wanted to, you might get away with parking on the shoulder near the bridge and running up for a shot. However, Andy wouldn't chance it. We consider this a definite NAG/NARL. South and east of the US-60 crossing, the railroad has been hugging the south margin of the Teays Valley. When you go over this overpass, the railroad has made an almost 90° turn to the northwest, and goes well north of I-64 to make another 90° turn to head further west.
From this overpass, go about a mile and a half to Yates Crossing Road on the right. Take it a mile or so out, going under I-64, and you will find a very wide open, accessible grade crossing. There would be ample space to pull off to the south if CSX hadn't piled up gravel there. There are little areas to pull off to the north but that puts you right at someone's front door. There is a surprising amount of traffic for such a little road, and I actually encountered a semi cab trying to navigate the crossing. There is an airstrip (Ona Airpark) and apparently some industry a little farther out this road. No more crossings, though, so turn around and go all the way back to US-60.
Just east of crossing at Yates Crossing Road, there is a defect detector at MP CA 489.6.
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Ona. About a mile and a half farther west on US-60, take Howells Mill Road to the right. You will shortly come to a low bridge on which the CSX goes overhead. It is crossing the Mud River to your left. There is a bit of space where a very skilled driver could park just past the bridge; however, although the spot is worth seeing once, Andy could find nowhere to take good photos.
This is a good spot to ponder the geologic history of this location. As you watch the not-so-mighty Mud River meander along, try to imagine being well under the surface of the mighty Teays River here. All gone because of a bunch of ice!
Blue Sulphur. Get back to US-60 once again. Go another mile and a half to two miles and look for Blue Sulphur Road/CR-17 to the right. Take it and you will go over the line; however, a chain link fence prevents you from actually taking photos. Newer digital cameras with their very small lens may be workable.
If you do your map work, you'll see an obvious crossing reached by continuing north on Blue Sulphur, and then taking a right on Henry White Road. Andy is emphatic that this single lane track goes thru a relatively poverty stricken neighborhood, and one with a reputation for spawning meth labs and the like. There is an AG crossing, but the area makes Henry White Road a definite NARL.
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Barboursville -- Evergreen Drive. Continue across the tracks on US-60 westbound. There is an overpass of the CSX tracks shortly, but the bridge is busy, narrow, and NARL. As you come down the hill, you enter the Huntington Mall I-64 interchange area (exit 20). The mall has created a little town of its own out here. There are restaurants, gas stations, hotels, shopping areas, and plenty more. This is the first major dose of civilization/life support since we left the Charleston area.
If you don't need to stop, keep going west on US-60. Less than half a mile later, a little road (which is either Goose Creek Road or Trails End Road -- the number is CR-60/8) will break off to the left and dive under the tracks just past White Chapel Cemetery on the right. Ignore this, as it is NAG/NARL. Keep going west on US-60. You will pass an Evergreen Drive on the left; it goes up the steep fill to the tracks. Do not try to park up there; park off US-60 somewhere and hoof it up to the tracks. There are signals just to the west. The signals protect the start of 3rd track leading into Barboursville and the wye area. This is a place to get a picture or two, but hanging out for any extended period of time is not recommended.
Barboursville -- Main Street. A little less than a mile from the mall area, an underpass goes off to the left -- take the left. This connects to Barboursville's Main Street. Immediately after the underpass, go right on Main Street. As you exit the underpass, there are some apartments on the left and the CSX line on the right. Pull into the apartments' parking lot and wait. Andy has done this before and hasn't been bothered, but you should avoid the area in the evenings, when the residents' cars will be parked after work. You will have a very good view.
Barboursville -- Logan Subdivision. Go farther west on Main Street. You will pass some sort of CSX facility and cross the Logan Subdivision as it comes up from the south. This is a good photo location, but you'll obviously miss all of the moves on the main line. Most of the traffic to and from the Logan Sub is coal trains running back and forth between Huntington and Logan. Take a right on Depot Street on the other side of the crossing. You will come to the west leg of the wye. Beyond this the road dead ends in CSX property. This is approximately MP CA 494.7.
Although it looks good on the aerials, this is not a good photo spot; the Main Street crossing is far better for the Logan line.
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Barboursville -- Park Avenue. Get back to Main Street, head west, and take the next right, which is Park Avenue. This will curve around and bring you right up to the line. A massive set of signals guards the main to the west and the wye is somewhat visible to the east. There is no crossing and Park Avenue dead ends, but there is a little grassy area where you could shoot a train going under the signals.
Barboursville -- Old Guyan River Road. If you thought the driving was tricky before, just check this out. From the Logan Sub crossing at Main Street, take Main to a somewhat complicated four- or five-way intersection just on the edge of downtown. Take the right down over a hill to continue on Main Street to an intersection with--big surprise--US-60/Midland Trail. Now, Google Maps and MapQuest show Old Guyan River Road on the other side of this intersection, which also features a CSX bridge overhead. However, that connection is NFOG and you must turn right on US-60. Go a very short distance (CSX goes over US-60 on a NAG/NARL) and go left at the sign that points you toward WV-2. You will cross a river and go left on Mud River Road, which will become Old Guyan River Road. Both road names are part of the same CR-26.
This road goes past a juvenile detention facility and parallels the CSX main for several miles. This road is great for watching trains but is not very good for photographing them, with one reason being that the trains are consistently high over the road. There are a few little areas to pull off the road. You'll go under I-64, and the road will swing broadly from northerly to northwesterly. The sun will be perfect somewhere along in here, depending on the time of day. There are some private(?) driveways that go up and over the tracks, and if you know a train is imminent, you can park along the road and hoof it up the driveway to get a shot or two, and then get back down to your car. The underpass of the tracks beyond I-64 is another of those old, ugly St Albans-type NAG/NARL things.
There is one spot toward the end of this stretch where you come down into a dip, and there is a gravel area between the road and the triple-track main, yielding a nice view. This is the only really great place along the route here.
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Huntington -- 5th Street. As you get close to Huntington, stay on CR-26, and continue straight ahead; Old Guyan River Road/CR-26 will veer slightly to the north, which puts you on Terrace Avenue according to Google—Andy did not notice a sign confirming that, but this shouldn’t be difficult no matter what it’s called. Follow Terrace as it continues to parallel the CSX , which comes back into clear view on your left (south) side. Terrace swings north (right) briefly before intersecting the north end of 5th Avenue. Turn left onto 5th and roll up to the crossing. Note that most on-line maps, and some in print, show a crossing at 7th Street, but the aerials make it clear that his has long since been cut.
[Webmaster's Note:One thing to keep in mind: Altizer is a town way up in Calhoun County, north of US-119/US-33. Most on-line or print maps that I've found show this to be the community of Altizer in West Virginia. However, if you are traveling east from downtown Huntington, when you get to the area described in the preceding paragraph, there is a sign saying "Welcome to Altizer". The zip code, various addresses we can check, etc., all show this area of 5th Street to be part of Huntington. It really doesn't matter, as Andy's directions will get you where you need to be.Also, Google Maps will bring you to this location if you search for Altizer, WV.]
Huntington -- 1st Street.Go a block south on 5th Avenue and turn right on altizer Avenue (another bit of evidence for the name of this place). Take the fourth right after this, which should be 1st Street. Take it a short distance northward to the tracks, where there seems to have been a grade crossing in the fairly distant past. This spot isn’t as good as 5th, but will work if a train catches you off guard.
An alternative, depending on the time of year/day, would be to go north over the tracks on 5th Street, and turn left onto Terrace, turn left at 1st, and then follow the road to the place where it has been cut north of the tracks. This might work for westbounds on late summer afternoons. To rejoin the tour, you'll have to backtrack to the south side of the tracks via 5th Street.
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Huntington Yard -- 23rd Street.From this point on, anyone unfamiliar with the area will need to be wide awake and maybe look at some maps beforehand. You will have to turn around on 1st Street and take it as far south as possible, which isn’t very far. Take a right at the end of 1st Street. This is known as Riverside Drive or Floodwall Road, both of which are appropriate names. The Guyandotte is now on your left and is close to its confluence with the Ohio. Continue on this road on a westerly path, swinging to the northwest as you come to a large industrial facility on the right. This plant is called Special Metals. CSX runs along the back of the plant; not surprisingly, there is no safe or public access to that area. There is a bridge across the Guyandotte to the left as you pass the plant. It goes over to US-60, where there is fast food, a Wal-Mart, etc. Unless you need any of that, stay on Riverside/Floodwall.
When the view to your right becomes a steep, grassy embankment, you are heading due north. Begin looking ahead for the CSX’s crossing of the Guyandotte River on an old through truss bridge similar to the one at St. Albans, only longer and rustier. There is no good photo location for this bridge that can be reached without trespassing. It is possible to park at the foot of the little hill to your right and walk up a path to the tracks, but we do not know whether this is private property; Andy would guess that Special Metals owns all this land. If you should decide to run up and back for a quick look, you will see a line branch off to the north on the other side of the tracks. This is MP 501.0, and is CSX’s Ohio River Sub (ex-B&O) -- a nice railfan trip in its own right. It runs from this junction northward along the Ohio River to Point Pleasant, WV, and other places farther north. It doesn’t see the volume of traffic that the Kanawha Sub does, but still will contribute to an increase in activity as we move west into Huntington. Much of this line’s action is mixed freight, so you might see more of that from here on.
Keep going north on Riverside/Floodwall, squeezing under the CSX bridge. The bridge here is hopelessly blocked by trees, power lines, and other clutter; look up and then keep moving. In doing so, you will enter the area of Huntington called Guyandotte. The remains of the B&O’s bridge across the Guyandotte River will appear on your left. The road you are on becomes Guyan Street. After passing through the floodwall just ahead, it joins Main Street. Confused yet? Just keep pressing north on Main. Go a couple more blocks until you reach an intersection with Bridge Street/WV-2. This is a major thoroughfare, and is just south of the Ohio River.. (If you feel like fanning the Ohio River Sub, turn right here and stay on WV-2 as long as you want, as the tracks will always be close at hand—no tour would really even be necessary from here to Point Pleasant on WV-2.) But since this is the Kanawha Sub tour, take a left on Bridge Street and, finally, cross the Guyandotte River into Huntington.
[Webmaster's Note:Andy comments:A word about Huntington is in order here: Do not try to chase trains on the CSX main through town. There are no major east-west arteries (other than I-64) that will allow you to keep up with a train moving through. They do slow down somewhat through yard limits, but so should railfans who must deal with all the intersections here. Huntington is a very spread-out city, so there is no way to just blow through and be on your way; you’re going to be in the city for a while.]
Bridge Street becomes 3rd Avenue in Huntington. The first intersection you come to after crossing the Guyandotte is 31st Street. Turn left on it and head south, through several blocks, paralleling the Guyandotte on the other side now. Soon you will fly over the CSX tracks on a busy overpass with no sidewalk -- a bad combination and NAG/NARL, so don’t even stop. Immediately turn right onto WV-101, which descends to track level. For now, ignore the 29th Street overpass to your right; you’ll be back momentarily. Continue westward; you are now on 8th Avenue. This road will emerge right beside the east end of the Huntington yard, and then just as quickly will move away from the tracks.
Shortly after that happens, a very blank-looking, white, nondescript building with a parking lot will appear on your right. The parking lot is sort of like a widening of 23rd Street, so it won’t look like a street at first, but take a right into it anyway. This will deposit you along CSX’s Huntington yard on a little street that is paved in varying degrees along its length. While it appears you could turn right from here, doing so would put you right across from the locomotive shops and next to some railroad structures, so don't do that. Instead, hang a left and roll along the tracks past some old, tree-surrounded houses where the dogs were fortunately fenced in the last time Andy was there. The houses lead him to believe this is a public street. Power lines make this a challenging photo spot but it’s suitable for watching yard movements in either direction.
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Huntington Yard -- Locomotive Shop.Head further west, and you'll come to 21st Street shortly; if you’ve had enough of this alley, turn left on 21st and then right on 8th Avenue.Quickly afterward, 8th Avenue comes to an intersection with 20th Street. Turn right on 20th and go under the yard. As a rule, these downtown Huntington underpasses are not railfan locations, as the streets that go under the tracks are busy and the underpasses themselves are unattractive. A couple blocks north on 20th Street, you will come to 6th Avenue, onto which you should turn right.
Do not take 6th farther than CSX would appreciate. You will cross over an industrial spur (it’s still in use—be awake) and come to the entrance to the Huntington locomotive shops. A restored caboose is to the right; don’t pass the CSX signage around this spot. Staying in the car is advisable. Stop, look at the motive power around you at a distance, then leave in a timely manner, taking 6th Avenue back out the way you came in. Turn right from 6th onto 22nd Street, then take a right on one-way 5th Avenue. We realize that you are moving east and not west, but these one-way streets make that a necessity to get to the shops.
Huntington Yard -- The Graveyard.Take 5th Avenue eastward through Huntington until you see a Kroger store on your right. Turn into their spacious parking lot and you should notice the east end of the locomotive shops. Drive to the far side of the lot and along the fence there; there are trees in the way at first, but as you move east, the view improves. Keep going behind the store in a sort of alleyway back there. The chain-link fence still hinders photos but you can see all kinds of doomed and/or partially scrapped engines back in the yard—the only place around here where you might catch Seaboard and Conrail paint on a regular basis. It’s somewhat sad, but worth a visit at least once.
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Huntington -- 29th Street Overpass. Pass on through the alley, which turns left into what looks like a trucking company’s lot, and go on out to 5th Avenue again and turn right.When you come to 29th Street, turn right to return to the tracks. You will go over the overpass, which has a sidewalk on the west (right) side and is not overly busy. The problem is parking; there is a pharmacy back at the 5th Avenue intersection where you might park, but the long distance down to the tracks and the shadows from the steep hillside to the south make me think it’s not worth the hike. Another possibility is south of 5th Avenue, but still north of the overpass. Just before it rises up, there is a roadway off to the right, leading to what was obviously a quarter-mile track (as in track and field), but it appears to be in poor repair. There should be at least limited parking just off 29th Street on this roadway.
We suggest you drive over the overpass first, and then decide whether you want to park and hoof it. Because of the shadows, it's probably mostly a train watching spot, rather than a photography place. If you decide to fan from the overpass, then do a U-turn and go back to the north to park.
Huntington -- 18th Street Area.Once over 29th Street south of the tracks, turn right on 8th Avenue. The observant railfan now says, “Hey, I was just here!” and is exactly right. The one-way 5th Avenue has forced us to make a big loop.Continue west on 8th Avenue.If you liked the previous trackside alleyway off 8th Avenue, this one’s about the same. Turn right from 8th Avenue onto 18th Street, then turn left onto another nameless little street. Again, photos are not very good, but viewing is fine.
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Huntington -- Station Area.Follow the alley to 17th Street (the next street) and turn left to get back to 8th, on which you need to keep going right/west. You will come to Huntington’s main drag, Hal Greer Boulevard, shortly. Continue on through the intersection on 8th Avenue; the entire area around the Hal Greer underpass is one to pass through as quickly as possible. While not as dangerous as areas other Frograil tours might describe, this is not somewhere I would go taking photos, and there isn’t a good angle anyway. Look, but keep going.
Westbound on 8th Avenue, you will see some old passenger cars in the process of being restored. They are fenced in and tough to even see. Just past that spot is the Huntington Amtrak station on your right; pull in, park, and see what you can see. The Cardinal is the only train that stops here. And has never actually tried going into the station area to watch trains, but there is plenty of space here that seems to be off CSX property. The one problem here is that you are looking into a big yard and may have your view of other trains blocked by a cut of coal cars. This may be as good as downtown Huntington gets, but better things are ahead.
[CRL] Huntington -- C&O Passenger Station.If you have a little time, check this out because it is a significant railroad location only a minute’s drive out of the way. Immediately west of the Amtrak station is 10th Street; turn right on it to pass under the yard. On the other side, take a left on 7th Avenue and you will see CSX’s Huntington Division headquarters in an enormous building—the former C&O passenger station. You can park on the street here if you want photos. Otherwise, keep moving, take a left on 8th Street, go under the tracks, and turn right to press westward on 8th Avenue a block past where we left the main tour.
Huntington -- Vacant Lot.Keep going west on 8th Avenue; after you cross over 1st Street, it becomes West 8th Avenue. Shortly thereafter, a wide open lot should appear on your right between you and the CSX. Since I don’t know whose property this is, I wouldn’t venture onto it, but there’s a perfectly good sidewalk. The lot is anything but photogenic, but since it’s due south of the tracks, sunlight won’t ruin a quick snapshot if something rumbles through.
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[CRL] Huntington -- 2nd - 3rd Avenue Alley.One block west of 1st Street, turn right onto 2nd Avenue, drive up to the tracks, and turn left onto West 3rd Street (?).This is an alley between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, and should give wide open access to the tracks on the north. However, it was not visited during on-the-ground research, so it may not be available to the public.
West Huntington -- "Museum". You can keep on West 8th Avenue until it comes to an industrial-looking area. There’s a view of the rails here, but as this seems to be an industrial park, railfans may not be welcome, and Andy has never tried stopping to find out. Turn around and drive back out to 1st Street. Turn left on it to go under the tracks.
After the 1st Street underpass, take a left onto West 7th Avenue. Follow it to a T at 5th Street West, where you should turn left toward the railroad. 5th Street West ends next to the tracks but you can’t see anything, so turn right at that point onto Jackson Avenue. From Jackson, turn left after a few blocks onto 10th Street West, which ends at the tracks just like the last street. Turn right from there onto Van Buren, which closely follows the CSX with a good view in both directions, but tough for photos due to the extremely tight squeeze between the street and the CSX’s right-of-way. Snapshots can be forced if needed; otherwise, keep going west.
Van Buren will take a little zigzag to the north, away from the tracks. Keep moving west on it, though, and you will arrive at West 14th Street. Take a left on this street and go through a slightly more accessible underpass, though it is still NAG/NARL. What is more important here is to your right: The Huntington Railroad Museum. In the heading for this section, “museum” is in quotes because you can’t really get in; it is surrounded by chain-link and barbed-wire fencing. Inside is the cab of a CSX locomotive, a restored C&O steam engine, and an old CSX caboose, among other items. It’s not a huge attraction, but worth seeing while in the area.
Andy recommends taking a right onto Memorial Boulevard West to see the whole thing.
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West Huntington -- Park Avenue.Once finished at the museum, turn around somewhere nearby to go back under the tracks on West 14th Street. Take West 14th Street north a couple blocks to Madison Avenue. Turn left on Madison. Keep going west on Madison until you enter a wooded area and a road called Park Avenue branches off to your left. Take it toward the tracks. The view is cluttered by shrubs and power poles, but Andy has taken photos here when necessary.
West Huntington -- Vernon Street. Finally, we will head out of Huntington. The rewards for putting up with Huntington’s twists and turns and marginal photo sites will begin soon.Keep on Park Avenue as it twists north, then back west, before ending at Camden Road. Turn left on Camden, then right down a narrow gravel path along the tracks. It’s not ideal for photos and isn’t really a street at all, so don’t stop here. Proceed to Vernon Street a short distance ahead -- the first at-grade crossing of the Kanawha Sub since all the way back across the Guyandotte River. Cross the tracks here and there’s a parking lot on the south side. The views in both directions are good, especially for morning eastbounds. Not half bad for a city grade crossing.
[CRL] Ceredo -- James River Road @ Spring Valley Road.Continue south on Vernon until it meets James River Road just ahead. Turn right and you will soon be paralleling the CSX at close quarters. Keep James River Road for a good long time, and you'll go under the Spring Valley Road overpass (NAG/NARL). Just past that, the road squiggles and then continues to the west.That squiggle is to allow a connector to the overpass overhead, and results in a nice, open area on the north side of James River Road. The aerials look clean, but you know our standard disclaimers.
Ceredo -- Main Street. James River Road becomes Old Piedmont Road at some point and veers left away from the tracks. When this happens, take the first right. You will be on High Street and will cross over a creek. You are in Ceredo (pronounced “suh-REE-doh”), WV. Take the next right, onto Main Street, and pull right up to a pretty good at-grade crossing. There is room to park and good lines of sight, especially to the west. The little pedestrian crossing here with sidewalk-sized miniature crossing gates would make a unique photo, in my opinion.
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Ceredo -- West 1st Street. Continue accross the tracks via Main Street, and then quickly turn left onto an unnamed street that goes to the next crossing maybe a hundred feet west of Main. This crossing is West 1st Street. There should be room to park around here (especially on the north side) and very good viewing in all directions—among the best grade crossings in the Huntington metro area.
[CRL] Ceredo -- KRT Yard Throat.Cut back over to Main and head north to C Street, which is Ceredo’s name for the familiar US-60.A tour of Ceredo and the next town, Kenova, would be incomplete without a couple side trips from the CSX to see a little more of the local rail action. These locations give a little variety to the steady stream of GE’s and coal drags that pound the Kanawha Sub. These are included as Combat Railfan Locations because they are not on the rail line we're touring, but they have been checked out thru on-the-ground research.
Cross C Street/US-60 and continue north on Main until you come to a crossing at the throat of a medium-sized coal yard. Parking is available along Main. This yard belongs to the Kanawha River Terminal—which is a bit strange, because the Kanawha River empties into the Ohio many, many miles north of here, and that’s definitely the mighty Ohio behind the floodwall here. Andy's best guess is the company was named when it only had facilities on the Kanawha, and then expanded to this location. Anyway, the more important part is what’s going on in front of you.
This is a rail-to-river coal operation, and you should see some green-and-orange units (mostly ex-Canadian National) scattered about the yard. You can turn right and drive alongside the coal cars here, but the only good views are at the crossing. Stay on the south side of the tracks and you won’t be bothered, but you will be if you cross over -- indeed, you will probably become very popular quite quickly. There is no access to the coal dumping part of the facility, of course.
[CRL] Ceredo -- West A Street.When you’re finished at the yard throat, take a left from the end of Main Street to head west on West A Street. The KRT tracks are nearby on the right but are blocked by trees. Soon the KRT connecting track to CSX will swing south, cutting you off. Note the unusual, tree-surrounded grade crossing that seems to be in someone’s backyard, but don’t take it. Traffic on this line is light and waiting for a movement could take many hours, but if you know something’s coming, just pull over and shoot from the street -- it’s never busy.
Turn left just before the crossing to follow this track south on West 6th Street, which will come back out to US-60. The railfan paradise of Kenova is to your right (west) when you reach US-60. To cover Kenova properly will require more exploration on Andy's part, so for now, this is where the tour ends.