Last week, Mr. Carl L. Kinney recollected the days of the steam locomotives and all the exciting events that surrounded them in his memory. This week he continued on with the coming of the diesel engines of which he was not as fond. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an article gifted to the people of this community. God bless him for sharing those memories. We are forever richer for his doing so.
We now continue with his recollections:
In later years, diesel engines replaced the steam locomotives. Though much more quiet and more efficient, they never seemed as appealing as the dirty old coal-burning steam locomotive. The deep old whistle that signaled the oncoming steam-powered locomotive was replaced by a buzzing, roaring signal horn on the diesel engine that seemed to say, rudely, “Get out of my way”.
I can recall two derailments that occurred between West Union and Smithburg. The first one was only a single box car carrying grain. One set of wheels became derailed near the east and crossing on Main Street in West Union; the train was traveling east. The farther the car traveled, the deeper became the gouges in the crossties between the rails. Finally, the boxcar broke loose and left the tracks, narrowly missing Paul Cupp’s residence at the west end of the first trestle east of town. The boxcar stopped almost immediately, or it would have gone down across Route 18 and into Middle Island Creek.
The other incident occurred at Avondale, just west of the Smithburg Tunnel, in the early 1950’s, during the Korean War. An army troop train was headed west when a rail broke, causing the engine and some cars to derail. The engine ended up on its side along Middle Island Creek, killing the engineer and injuring the fireman. I caught a ride from West Union to Avondale to see the wreckage. Spectators there said that, for a short time the hillside had been covered with soldiers fleeing from the wrecked train. I can remember the fireman, Mr. Jap Marshall, sitting along the track above the wreckage, apparently awaiting help.
In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, the B & O started running a daily “High Speed” (for that day and time) daytime passenger train that passed, non-stop through West Union on its way to and from Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio. This train was named “The Cincinnatian”. Both the east-bound and west-bound units went through West Union in the mid-to-late afternoon hours, approximately one hour apart. People were used to the more leisurely pace of the regular passenger and freight trains. They knew how long after they heard the train whistle that they could still safely cross the tracks in their vehicles. However, “The Cincinnatian” was faster than the old “locals” and there were numerous train/vehicle incidents at the two railroad crossings in town. The east end crossing appeared to be the most dangerous, and I can remember at least one death occurring there. Vehicles didn’t stand much of a chance against the fast train.
While attending Salem College from 1951 to 1955, I rode the evening train from Salem to West Union a few times when I couldn’t wait for my reliable thumb to obtain automobile transportation. A ticket was not expensive. For thirty-five cents at the ticket window in the Salem Depot, I could get a train ride to West Union. The ride would take about twenty-five minutes. It seemed to take forever for the train to get from a standing start up to rail speed—jolting, groaning, swaying all the way. You could sense and hear the “click-click” of the wheels of the passenger car going across each joint of the short rail sections. (I never had the occasion to ride a train after the long continuous-rail sections were installed. I think I would have missed the “click-click” of the short rail sections.)
I think I would have missed the “click-click” of the short rail sections.) Deceleration for the stop at West Union also seemed to take forever. I suppose, being a young man, I was much too impatient with railway transportation. Automobiles were much cleaner, faster, and convenient.
Well, let’s go back to the big trestle over Middle Island Creek and Route 18 at the east end of West Union. I was there when the rails and ties were being taken up in 1989. I saw the last train, loading the rails, cross the trestle. This brought to mind an event I witnessed years ago at the old Covered Bridge, which had been located about a quarter mile down Middle Island Creek from the trestle. The Covered Bridge had been closed for vehicular traffic for several years, but the little pedestrian walkway built onto the upstream side was still in use by people travelling to and from Block House Hill, Hang Rock Addition, and other points east. I remember a car pulling up to the barricaded east end of the bridge. The driver got out, removed the barricade, drove to the west end, and removed that barricade. Upon getting his vehicle through, he re-attached the barricades on both ends and travelled on his way. Although this has nothing to do with the B & O Railroad, I had to include it here as another “Last Event” for West Union.
My “Recollections” here do not follow any time schedule or pattern. One memory led to another, and on and on. Perhaps some readers have become disinterested in these ramblings and have not even made it this far. If you have persisted in reading, and have come to this point, I hope that you have recalled (Or “Recollected” as our older relatives, now long gone, used to say) fond or vivid memories of friends and relatives living along “The Tracks” or who perhaps worked for the railroad.
Prepared for the 1991 Peter Gain Reunion
Carl L. Kinney, Great Grandson of Peter Gain
I like to take the time to credit Mr. Kinney for his generous donation of hand carved wooden items which has taken an enormous amount of time to create to the Historical Society with the intention for us to sell. The monies received from the sales is to be donated to the Blockhouse Hill Cemetery, of which we have done. Thank you, Mr. Kinney.
God Bless.
Patricia Harris