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How many of you have heard of the small town of Prince located in the southern region of the U.S. state of West Virginia? Unless you live in that region or work for the National Park Service or are a railroad historian, you most likely have never heard of this town. It is a suburb of Beckley that is on the New River inside the New River Gorge which is famous for its beauty and an engineering marvel, the New River Gorge Bridge.
Some of you are saying, “I bet that the town is named after some prince in a foreign country.”
Sadly, you are wrong. That town is named for William Prince, who happened to be a settler in the region and was never part of any royal family.
What is this town known for? Well, it is mostly a ghost town like the nearby town of Thurmond. Like Thurmond, it is a railroad town as the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now CSX Transportation) passes through. Like Thurmond, the town has three amazing features. The first is the New River. The second is the surrounding natural beauty. The third is the train station. Both towns are known for their train stations. The train station in Prince has a special history.
What is special about the train station in Prince, West Virginia?
The train station in Prince, West Virginia serves as the Amtrak station for the city of Beckley as the city does not have its own train station.
There is more to the story. The railroad line was originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway serving the region’s coal industry by transporting coal from the mines of West Virginia to the ships in the harbor of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia. The town of Prince, West Virginia did not have a rail yard. What put the town on the railroad map? It is on a junction of two railroad lines with the main line going into the gorge and the other line going to the southern region of the state, but what put the town on the railroad map was the train station.
Well, many towns were put on the map by their train station, but what makes the town of Prince, West Virginia special?
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway had a plan to build modern train stations on their railroad lines between Charleston, West Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia. As you look at the train station, it looks old with the old C&O symbol on the side. When the station was built, it was very modern. Of all of the planned stations, this was the only station to be built. Yes, you are looking at the only planned station by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to be built on the line.
Today, the train station retains its original look. It is the main building in the town.
The next time you think about the town of Prince, West Virginia, think about a town surrounded by natural beauty that had railroad royalty.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is called the Mountaineer State because it is a state that is completely mountainous with no plains or flatland. One of the state’s greatest natural wonders is the New River Gorge where the New River carves it way through a deep gorge through the southern region of the state. South of the New River Gorge is the river town of Hinton. Hinton is a town on the New River, and it is also a railroad town with an old Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Station that was built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and it is served by Amtrak today. The town has a railroad festival in the fall to celebrate the railroad heritage, but the town also has another railroad treasure.
Welcome to the Hinton Railroad Museum. It looks small on the outside, but it has so much on the inside. No, you will not see full size locomotives on display nor will you see old boxcars or a caboose.
Why visit the Hinton Railroad Museum? As you see the museum from the street, you will want to go inside.
Before you even enter the museum, you will see a wooden model train. Be advised that this is just the beginning.
The museum is filled with artifacts mainly from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The displays are full of models trains, old photos, old rail equipment, uniforms, and other items, but there is one item that will catch your eye.
The main thing that you will see is the full scale wooden display. The display is a carving by Charlie Permelia telling the story of John Henry. Who is John Henry? In the nearby town of Talcott is the Great Bend Tunnel of which the original has been replaced by a new tunnel used by CSX Transportation today. The original tunnel was built by railroad workers. One of them was John Henry, a muscular man. It was here where John Henry challenged a steel drill with his hammer. Even though he defeated the steel drill, it cost him his life. The wooden display is a memorial to the famous worker.
The Hinton Railroad Museum is located at 206 Temple Street (West Virginia Route 20 North) in the town center. Only street parking is available. Sadly, the building is not wheelchair accessible.
The town of Chambersburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania was a town that was established and named after Benjamin Chambers. The town has man historic sites and has a history that is older than the United States of America. Even though a railroad line passes through the town today and there were railroad structures in the town, the town has no real history with the railroad and was never a railroad town. As you walk through the downtown area, the one thing you will see is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.
What is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail? It is a trail under two miles that runs through the heart of the town of Chambersburg. It was built on the railroad bed of the Cumberland Valley Railroad which ran through much of the south central part of Pennsylvania and into the U.S. state of Maryland connecting Chambersburg with the rest of the nation. The main line, owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway today, continues to serve the town. The rail trail parallels the Conococheague Creek and is next to the Fort Chambers Park.
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is located on the west side of downtown and U.S. Route 11 crossing U.S. Route 30. It is completely paved making it easy for those in wheelchairs. Only street parking is available. It is mainly flat, and it is accessible from sunrise to sunset.
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania may not be a famous railroad town, but it does preserve a piece of railroad history for hikers, bikers, walkers, and many people for many years to come.
Oh the U.S. state of Indiana is a state famous for the Indianapolis 500 in the capital city of Indianapolis, The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, and for basketball which inspired the movie ‘Hoosiers’ starring Gene Hackman. Like other states in the United States of America, Indiana has great hidden treasures. One of these treasures is the town of Pendleton, a suburb of Indianapolis. What is the town of Pendleton, Indiana famous for? Well, unlike Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Elkhart, there is not much fame in the town of Pendleton.
Some of you are saying, “Well, it looks like I am not going to visit this town.”
Well, this town has a great treasure. What is this great treasure? Welcome to Falls Park in Pendleton, Indiana. What is great about Falls Park? Well, it does have a waterfall. It may not be as grand as Niagara Falls or Iguazu Falls or Victoria Falls, but just like most waterfalls, it is a beauty to see. Now you have a great reason to visit Falls Park in Pendleton, Indiana.
Some of you are saying, “Oh, I love waterfalls. They are such a beautiful thing to see. I also enjoy parks. There is a big problem. This park is not a railroad park. Therefore, I will not ‘fall’ in love with the town of Pendleton, Indiana.”
So why visit Falls Park in Pendleton, Indiana?
The park itself has a deep history that goes deep. As you enter the park, you will notice what appears to be railroad bridge abutments. Why are they there? Pendleton is not a railroad town nor was it ever a railroad town even though a railroad line does pass through the town. The old abutments are from a railroad line that did cross over the falls. The ‘Bee Line’ passed through the park. Originally part of the ‘Big 4 Railway’ which came through the park in 1851. One of the trails follows the old railroad bed. Like many unused railroad lines, they were abandoned, and the rails were taken up leaving the remnants of the railroad today.
Falls Park is located at 460 Falls Park Drive in Pendleton, Indiana just north of Indiana Route 38 and minutes from Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 36. The park also has a museum and a veterans memorial. The park is open sunrise to sunset, and access to see the waterfalls is available for wheelchairs.
You now have a reason to visit Falls Park in Pendleton, Indiana. Be warned. You will fall in love with this place.
In the heyday of the railroad, there were railroad lines all over the United States of America. As the railroad declined, less used railroad lines were abandoned. Although many of these railroad lines are lost forever to time, many were preserved as rail trails. Among these rail trails is the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail that runs between the towns of Newville to Shippensburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the U.S. state that produced the Penn Central Transportation Company (simply known as the Penn Central) and the world famous Pennsylvania Railroad of which, sadly, neither of them exist today.
Why is it called the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail? Although Conrail was the last owner of the railroad line who took over the line from the Penn Central Transportation Company, the railroad line was originally owned by the Cumberland Valley Railroad that ran railroad service throughout what is called the Cumberland Valley with railroad line through much of the south central region of Pennsylvania and in the northern parts of the U.S. state of Maryland. Very little of the railroad lines of the Cumberland Valley Railroad were preserved.
This brings us to the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. As mentioned, it begins in the town of Newville and it ends in Shippensburg. What it special about Shippensburg? Well, although it is not a famous railroad town, the Norfolk Southern Railway does continue to pass through the town, but it was also served by the Cumberland Valley Railroad that was taken over by the Penn Central Transportation Company and, the railroad line’s last owner, Conrail, who donated the railroad line to be converted into the railroad trail.
What is special about Shippensburg? The town’s claim to fame is that it is the home of Shippensburg University. The west end of the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail begins at the south side of Shippensburg University. What is special about the rail trail beginning at Shippensburg University? It is here where the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum is located.
Why here at Shippensburg University? Shippensburg University was a benefactor of the Cumberland Valley Railroad. Here, you will find the Shippensburg Station, a replica train station that serves as a restroom stop for those utilizing the rail trail and is located where a passenger stop for the university was located.
Then you have a boxcar from the Penn Central Transportation Company. What is special about this boxcar? Well, it was not originally owned by the Penn Central Transportation Company but the New York Central System, a railroad company that was taken over by the Penn Central Transportation Company. The boxcar was abandoned at a warehouse in town and was spared from being scrap metal and restored to house artifacts of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and its history and impact on the region.
Then you have another boxcar. This one is from Conrail. Inside, you will see artifacts and the history of Conrail and its people.
You take a short walk down the trail and you see a coal car From the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Why is it here if the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad never came to Shippensburg? The coal car came from a train wreck, and it was brought here as coal was shipped to Shippensburg University, and it is a reminder of how coal impacted the region.
So, if you need a reason to visit Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, you now have one. The rail trail is easy for wheelchairs and so are the boxcars which are open from sunrise to sunset. Most important, the rail trail and the boxcars are free to visit.
As the railroad was built to connect cities and towns across the United States of America, each town and city had their own passenger station. You have train station in the major cities that are still in use today like the Main Street Station in Richmond, the capital city of the U.S. state of Virginia, Union Stations in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, Saint Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri, Penn Station in Baltimore, Maryland, and Grand Central Station in New York City, New York. You have those old train stations like the terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio and the old train stations in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plus the old train terminal in Detroit, Michigan and the Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey. Oh, how it would have been great to see the original Penn Station in New York City, New York. How about those small towns? The train stations in Point of Rocks, Maryland, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania were very impressive when they were in service.
Then you have the town of Niles in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The train station in Niles was built by the Michigan Central Railroad in 1892. For a small town, it is one fancy Richardsonian Romanesque style station built with brownstone and gabled roofs with a sixty foot clock tower and a garden surrounding the station. The station was featured in the movies Continental Divide, Midnight Run, and Only the Lonely. If the builders were to see this station today, they would see the same train station that was built in 1892 as the exterior has not been altered. The interior has been rearranged with the elimination of the smoking rooms.
Some of you are saying, “This is very nice. Too bad the station is not being used.”
Do not be mistaken. The station is still in use today except Amtrak, not the Michigan Railroad or the New York Central System who took over the Michigan Central Railroad, brings passenger service today. As mentioned, if the builders were to see the station today, they would see little change. The station is also on the National Register of Historical Places and the Michigan State Register.
The Niles Train Station is now owned by Amtrak. It is located on Dey Street just east of Michigan Route 51 north of the town center. Parking is on site. As mentioned, it is still an active train station.
You may not have heard of the town of Niles, Michigan. When you visit, you will see a very special town with an amazing train station.
The U.S. state of Ohio has many major cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, Dayton, and Toledo just to name a few. It is the home of Bob Evans, the man who founded the company of the same name. It was where the Wright Brothers, the brothers who made the first successful air flight on the beaches of North Carolina, spent most of their childhood. The state has small towns like West Liberty in the western region of the state. What is special about West Liberty? It is the home of Ohio Caverns, Piatt Castle, and Marie’s Candies.
Some of you are saying, “Wait a minute. Marie’s Candies? What is so special about Marie’s Candies?”
You are asking what is special about Marie’s Candies. As you already figured out, it is a place that sells candy.
Some of you are saying, “Well, we already knew that, but there are places across the country and around the world that sell candy.”
That is true, but there is something special about Marie’s Candies. What is special about Marie’s Candies? Let us say that many people drive great distances, past other candy shops, to buy candy here.
Some of you are saying, “That is definitely special, but who is Marie?”
That is a good question. The answer, sadly, has a tragic beginning.
It begins with a man named Winfred King, a farmer, and he worked very hard on a farm in Ohio, but then he got polio, and the disease confined him to a wheelchair, and he was no longer able to work the farm. Friends and neighbors stepped up to help his family. Of course, when people help you, you want to show gratitude to those who helped you. He and his wife, Marie, gave boxes of homemade candy. The candy was made in their kitchen of their home. A business began, and people traveled great distances to by their candy. The business moved from their home to a home in the town of West Liberty, and their business continued to thrive. Today, a trip to Marie’s Candies in West Liberty, Ohio will be rewarded with a very sweet and delicious ending.
Some of you are saying, “Well that is so sweet. It is really sad what happened to her husband, but at least the business has been successful. There is one problem. As you can see. This is a candy shop. This candy shop has nothing to do with the railroad. Therefore, I find nothing sweet about this place.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this story is not over. There is more to this story. What is special about Marie’s Candies?
The answer goes back to the Golden Age of Railroading. What does the Golden Age of Railroading have to do with Marie’s Candies? As passenger train service declined, many places were no longer served by passenger trains. The small town of West Liberty, Ohio was one of those places. When a town lost train service, the train station was no longer used by the railroad. While some train stations were demolished or converted into museums or visitor centers, some were just abandoned like the one in West Liberty.
What is special about Marie’s Candies?
When Marie’s Candies needed a new space, they looked at the old train station that was deteriorating. The train station was relocated from its original location to its current location on the north side of the town, and it was fully restored, and Marie’s Candies moved in, and the business continues out of there today.
Now you see what is special about Marie’s Candies. Even though the business runs in an old train station, most people really visit for the candy. Once you taste it, you will develop a sweet tooth and will want more. Even though they sell candy that they make, they do sell candy from other candy makers as well. A business that began with gratitude from Wilfred and Marie King still remains in the family today along with thirty other employees.
Marie’s Candies is located at 311 Zanesfield Road (U.S. Route 68) in West Liberty, Ohio. Parking is on site. You can get more information on store hours and read more into the family history at https://mariescandies.com/.
Marie’s Candies is a great place to visit, not for candy lovers and railroad lovers alike. Who ever thought that railroad history could be so sweet?
Please note that the photos of the farm and barn are AI generated photos.
Some of you are saying, “I know. It is a lion that is red and is a mile long.”
Well, that is not the correct answer. What is the Red Lion Mile? It is a rail trail in the town of Red Lion in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Some of you are saying, “Wow. I did not know that. I bet the town got the name because a red lion was once here.”
Even though the ‘red lion’ is the symbol of the town, it is not named after an actual lion. It is named after a pub when it was settled in 1852 called the Red Lion Tavern, and that tavern is still in business today.
Today, the town of Red Lion, Pennsylvania is not served by the railroad, but it was once a major railroad town on the York and Peach Bottom Railroad and later the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad. (It was commonly referred to as the ‘Ma and Pa Railroad’.”) The town was a place of industry to include furniture and cigars. As you walk along the rail trail, you will see some of the old factory structures. The remaining structures have been converted into housing or businesses. The old train station also remains, and it is the home of the Red Lion Historical Society.
Have you ever heard of the small town of Victoria in the southern region of the U.S. state of Virginia? If you have never heard of this town, do not feel sad as very few people even know that this town even exists. The town, located halfway between the port city of Norfolk at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the city of Roanoke, has no famous historic sites or landmarks. It is your typical small town with a main street with stores. The only routes through the town is Virginia State Routes 40 and 49.
Some of you are saying, “Well, that is not much. With a name like Victoria, it would be funny if the town is named after some famous queen.”
Ladies and gentlemen, start laughing. This small one-horse town is named after Queen Victoria. Yes, it is named after the British Queen Victoria. The county the town is located in, Lunenburg County, is named for a German Duke. As you can see, the town of Victoria is a small town that has much European royalty.
Now some of you are saying, “Amazing. Queen Victoria would be very proud to have a town named in her honor. Being a small town with no castles or palaces, she would probably never visit here. What is really bad is that there is no railroad in this town. Therefore, I will not accept the royalty of visiting this town.”
So, you do not want to visit this town because of the fact that it is not a railroad town. Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn about a small town in southern Virginia.
The U.S. state of Virginia is a state that has much history, and the history begins long before the state was established. Before it was a state, it was a British colony, one of the original thirteen colonies. It has the oldest continuous American city in the United States of America which is the site of the first English settlement in the nation, Jamestown. (Yes, Taos, New Mexico and Saint Augustine, Florida are older establishments, but they were not part of the United States of America until years later.) The state has many great historical cities like the state capitol, Richmond, a city that served as the Confederate capital during the American Civil War, and Williamsburg, a city that was once the state capital of Virginia, and Yorktown where a great victory over the British and where they surrendered during the American Revolutionary War, and, as mentioned, Jamestown, the oldest continuous American city, and Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and Manassas where the first major battle of the American Civil War took place and it the only place that was the site of two major battles during that war, and Alexandria, a city with deep history, and Bristol, a town that is partly in Virginia and partly in Tennessee where it is said that country music began here. The state has produce more U.S. presidents than any other state. The father of the nation, George Washington, and the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, two U.S. presidents, were born here and had their homes here. Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, his home, Monticello, located in Charlottesville, is the only U.S. presidential home that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The state is one of the most visited states in the nation.
That brings us to the town of Victoria, a town that very few have heard of.
Some of you are saying, “If nobody has ever heard of this town, then the town most likely had no significance.”
What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? When you arrive here, you with see a town just like any other small town, but then you notice something. You see a park with a caboose. What caboose? It is from the Virginian Railway. What is it doing here in this town? You notice what appears to be a trail, but it is not an ordinary trail, but what appears to be a rail trail.
What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? It was a planned community. As mentioned, the town is halfway between Roanoke and Norfolk. What is so important about that? Norfolk, as mentioned, is a major port city, and it is the largest natural port in the world. Both Roanoke and Norfolk were major railroad cities, and they are major railroad cities today. Why is Norfolk a major port? The Port of Norfolk is a major coal city, and the port is served by many coal trains bringing coal from the mines in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to the ships in Norfolk.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but what does Victoria have to do with it?”
As mentioned, Victoria, Virginia was a planned community. What was the plan? The town was planned around the railroad. The Tidewater Railway came to town. The Tidewater Railway was then taken over by the Virginian Railway. The steam locomotive, after one hundred miles of operation, had to be serviced. What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? It was the site of a roundhouse and a railroad yard. The town flourished. As the steam locomotive was replaced by the diesel locomotive that required less maintenance and could go farther before needing maintenance, the roundhouse became obsolete. The Virginian Railway was taken over by the Norfolk and Western Railway which became the last railroad to serve the town. (The Norfolk and Western Railway was later taken over by the Norfolk Southern Railway.) Like with many takeovers of railroads, certain railroad lines are abandoned. Sadly, the railroad line through Victoria was one of those lines. The tracks were taken up, and it was eventually turned into a rail trail.
The railroad in Victoria, Virginia is now gone… but it is not forgotten.
Virginian Railway Caboose Number 342 sits in the place where the railroad yard and main railroad line once was. Next to the caboose, you will see the foundation of the passenger station. What about the roundhouse? Across the street from the caboose is the Victoria Railroad Park. Like the passenger station, only the foundation of the roundhouse and a Virginian Railway gondola car remain. You can walk and see where a roundhouse once stood. What is now a quiet park was once a bustling place. When the railroad left town, the town became what it is today.
The town of Victoria, Virginia is located in southern Virginia served only by states routes 40 and 49. The railroad park is located off of Main Street (Virginia Route 40). The rail trail, part of the Tabacco Heritage Trail, is paved. The Victoria Railroad Park is open sunrise to sunset, and it is free. Parking is on site. The park is flat, but it is not completely paved. Wheelchairs may have difficulty getting around.
The town of Victoria, Virginia, may not be as famous as other cities in Virginia, but it has a place in state, national, and international history. It may be a small town, but it has much railroad royalty.
The town of Mechanicsburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a suburban town of the capital city of Harrisburg. How did the town get its name? The town was established before the automobile so it did not get its name from automobile mechanics. The town got its name from the fact that it was a town were Conestoga wagons were repaired. When the Cumberland Valley Railroad came to the town, the town became a major stop for the railroad. Today, the Norfolk Southern Railway owns the railroad line, and the trains no longer stop here, but the old train station, the freight house, and the stationmaster’s house remain, and they are all part of the Mechanicsburg Museum.
The Passenger Train Station was built by the Cumberland Valley Railroad in 1867. It remained a passenger station until 1952. Today, the exhibits tell the history of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and how the town was a great benefactor to the towns growth.
The Stationmaster’s House was more than just the home of the stationmaster. It was an office for Adams Express, a company that was one of the early companies before the Railway Express Agency, and it was also where baggage was stored. Today, the home is furnished with furniture the way it was furnished back in the day when the train station was active.
The Freight Station is across the tracks from the Passenger Station and Stationmaster’s House. This is the second Freight House for the town that was built in 1886 that replaced the original one built in 1874. It was here where the locomotives received water and wood. There was a side track here where the trains were able to stop for a long time. The track was removed after freight and passenger serviced ceased. Today, it houses exhibits that are about the town of Mechanicsburg itself. The exhibits do change over time.
All three structures were to be demolished, but the Mechanicsburg Museum Association rescued the buildings, and they remain under their ownership today.
The Mechanicsburg Museum is located at 2 W. Strawberry Alley in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania just one block north of the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes 114 and 641. It is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. The complex has the three structures. Admission is free, but they gladly accept donations. The structures are wheelchair accessible. You can read more into the Mechanicsburg Museum Association and read more about the museum at http://www.mechanicsburgmuseum.org/index.html.
The town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has automobile mechanics today. It also has the Mechanicsburg Museum. It is a great place to see the history of the town.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 