The Monongahela River Branch, a 33-mile branch line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, connected Fairmont and Clarksburg. Initially established in 1890 as the Monongahela River Railroad, this line played a significant role in the transport of coal and zinc. Traffic on the line declined throughout the later 20th century with the closure of a zinc smelter and coal mines along its route.
History
The Monongahela River Branch, a 33-mile branch line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, connected Fairmont and Clarksburg. Initially established in 1890 as the Monongahela River Railroad, this line played a significant role in the transport of coal and zinc. Traffic on the line declined throughout the later 20th century with the closure of a zinc smelter and coal mines along its route.
Gaston Railroad
In 1852, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad undertook a significant engineering feat as it forged its way across the Allegheny Mountains, starting west of Cumberland, Maryland, and extending further beyond. 4 This ambitious project involved the construction of 11 tunnels and 113 bridges along the stretch between Cumberland and Wheeling. Among these, a bridge built over the Monongahela River gained distinction as the longest steel span in the United States at that time.
Coinciding with these developments, James Otis Watson initiated the first commercial shipping of coal by rail from the region in the same year. 4 The early 1860s witnessed a surge in mining activity, largely fueled by an influx of capital from Baltimore. Several new mines were established during this period, many of which were linked to the business interests of Watson and A. B. Fleming, marking a period of rapid industrial growth in the area.
In 1874, a trio comprising James Otis Fleming, James Otis Watson, and James Boyce 4 founded the Gaston Gas Coal Company along the West Fork River in Watson, West Virginia Virginia. 1 This mine stood out as the fourth facility in the region west of the Allegheny Mountains to enable rail shipments of coal. 4 The coal extracted from the Gason Mine was efficiently transported to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Gaston Junction via the Gaston Railroad, a short line extending approximately one mile.
Following the construction of a railway line connecting Fairmont to Morgantown, James E. Watson, alongside his associates, initiated the Montana Coal & Coke Company. 4 This venture led to the establishment of the first successful battery of beehive coke ovens at Montana Mines, marking a significant development in the region’s industrial history.
Monongahela River Railroad
The success of Montana Mines caught the attention of Senator Johnson N. Camden and his associates. 4 This led them to invest significantly in the region, acquiring extensive tracts of land along the West Fork River between Fairmont and Clarksburg.
Following this investment, in 1890, Camden’s group embarked on constructing the Monongahela River Railroad. 4 The 33-mile railway connected Fairmont and Clarksburg, closely following the river’s bank. Notably, this new railway incorporated the Gaston Railroad for the section between the Gaston Mine and Gaston Junction.
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad expanded its network by acquiring the Monongahela River Railroad in 1900. 2 This acquisition led to the creation of the Monongahela River Branch, which later became known as the Monongahela Subdivision within the Monogah Division. 4
The line experienced a notable decline in traffic following the closure of a zinc smelter at Spelter in 1960. However, it remained operational due to the continued production of numerous coal mines along its route.
In 1972, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, along with its parent company Chesapeake & Ohio and the B&O-controlled Western Maryland, were collectively integrated into a new holding company named the Chessie System. This conglomerate was further expanded in 1980 with the formation of CSX Corporation, resulting from a merger between the Chessie System and several southern railroads.
The 1980s saw a further reduction in traffic on the line, particularly after the abandonment of a 2.1-mile branch line to the Killarm coal mines in November 1983. 6 The situation worsened following the closure of Cook Mine, leading to the railroad’s decision to file for the abandonment of five miles of the Monongahela Subdivision between Haywood and its Parkersburg Subdivision at MD Tower in Clarksburg. 3
Rail to Trails
The Marion County Parks & Recreation Commission acquired the abandoned rail corridor between Fairmont and Shinnston in 1995. 7 Two years later, in 1997, they opened the 14.5-mile West Fork River Trail on this corridor. The trail was honorably named the “Ralph S. LaRue Trail” in tribute to Commission director Ralph S. LaRue, recognizing his significant contributions to the project. A segment of the former railway in Harrison County has been repurposed for the Harrison North Rail Trail extending from the North View neighborhood in Clarksburg to Spelter.
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Sources
- “Gaston Gas and Coal Company Mine.” West Virginia History OnView.
- Frey, Robert L. “Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 10 Oct. 2023.
- “The Monongahela Subdivision.” Abandoned Rails.
- Ross, Myron Howard, and Charles E. Beachley. “Early History of the Fairmont Region.” History of the Consolidated Coal Company, 1864-1934, The Company’s Seventieth Anniversary, New York, NY, 1934, pp. 37-39.
- “Killarm Junction to Killarm, WV.” Abandoned Rails.
- “Rail Trails in Marion County.” Marion County Parks & Recreation Commission.
