A brand-new Baldwin-built 2-8-0 ready for the Coal and Coke Railway.
(Baldwin Locomotive Works, W. Lenheim Collection)
COAL AND COKE RAILWAY
The Coal and Coke Railway was a former Class I railway operated by the Coal and Coke Railway Company in central West Virginia between 1905 and 1916. It was a predecessor of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The line was made up of branches acquired from other companies and new construction. It ran from Elkins, West Virginia at its northeastern terminus, to Charleston, West Virginia at its southwestern terminus. Gassaway, West Virginia was roughly the halfway point in the railway's approximate length of 196 miles.
A portion of the line is currently owned by the Elk River Railroad and is in a state of disrepair. In 2021, work began converting the line between Clendenin and Gilmer Station into a state park called the Elk River Trail, a recreational trail used for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
A map of the Coal and Coke Railroad. Click to enlarge.
(Wikimedia maps | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors)