CSX Green Springs WV

Subject: CSX - Green Springs, WV 7-28-16

Between programs and seminars at the C&OHS Convention in Cumberland, MD Herb Parsons and I drove a few miles east of town to Green Springs. Green Springs in on CSX’s Cumberland Subdivision which used to be the B&O main line. To get across the Potomac from Maryland you cross a small toll bridge. The attendant waves a cup on a rod out the window, and you drop in a few coins. I don’t know which states gets the toll...maybe the bridge is private.

Q136-27 was leaving Cumberland as we were, but we beat him to Green Spring. Today’s single stack train (North Baltimore, OH to Portsmouth, VA) has engines 3354-5373.

Amtrak’s Capitol Limited is fast overtaking Q136 on No. 1 track. That’s a dead coal train parked in the east siding.

Amtrak No. 30 is due out of Cumberland at 9:20 AM. It is now 11:20 AM at Green Spring (14 miles east of Cumberland), so it is running an hour or so late. P030 has 9 cars.

P030 will cross back to No. 2 Track at Okonoko ahead of Q136. The speed signs here are 40 for passenger and 35 for freight.

A westbound is waiting at Okonoko, and now he has the signal at Green Spring.

CSX 8808-7676-5335 have 70 cars of D720-28, the Hagerstown-Cumberland local.

CSX 5372-5364 have w/b Q135-27 (Portsmouth, VA – North Baltimore, OH) with single stacks.

CSX 542-843 are parked on the east siding with coal train N786-25 (Monongahelia County Mine to Curtis Bay). Mon County is the old Blacksville 2 Mine. It was acquired a few years ago from Consol Energy by Murray Energy. In the Foreground is the wye to the South Branch Valley Railroad.

“GP38-3” 2046 with 3159-2272-6479 hustles 51 cars of D787-28 (Cumberland-Brunswick local) west. No. 2046 was rebuilt from an older GP38-2.

Thunder crashes! Lightning flashes! Herb and I jump out in the deluge to get 5413-359-2788 plowing east with 115 cars of Q401-28 (Cumberland-Hamlet, NC). Clear signal.

Having had good luck with action, we head back to the hotel for the afternoon’s activities.

B&O had a tie treating plant at Green Spring between the main line and the river. Koppers later operated it, but it appears to be shut down now.

Everett Young