ABOVE: Chessie System GP9 No. 6240 leads a train of covered hopper cars across one of the many bridges on the South Branch Valley Railroad, this one just north of Romney, W.Va. RIGHT: Christopher Brang looks up at Chessie caboose C-3898 as it crosses another trestle, this one south of Romney, during the night pho- to session held as part of the Chase Gunnoe Photography event. The scene was illuminated using Alien Bees strobes.


With the B&O mainline running along the Potomac, businessmen along the South Branch saw an easy connection to the outside world if a railroad could be constructed. The West Virginia Railroad was organized in 1875 to build northward from Kentucky and meet up with the B&O at Green Spring, but construction was never started before the company folded. A more localized and modest effort


68 JUNE 2015 • RAILFAN.COM


followed


with


the


chartering


of


the


Cumberland, Moorefield & Petersburg Railroad. Unlike the previous attempt, this railroad was focused solely on serving the South


Branch Valley,


which is the home of the latter two West Virginia towns in the line’s name. Once again, though, construction never materialized before the money ran out. The third time was a charm, however, when an even smaller-scaled attempt


finally connected the valley town of Romney, W.Va., to the B&O mainline at Green Spring. This new railroad was appropriately named the South Branch Valley Railroad and entered service in 1884. The line would eventually extend to Moorefield and Petersburg, but not until the 20th century. Eventually the line


came under


control of the B&O, which operated it as its South Branch line. Passenger service


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