Robin and I left the very nice RoseLoe Hotel in Hot Springs, Virginia and drove to Durbin, West Virginia in just over an hour.
The Durbin RocketThe Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad's Durbin Rocket tourist operation makes use of nearly six miles of former Chesapeake & Ohio secondary trackage, a branchline that connected to the C&O east-west mainline at Ronceverte, West Virginia, and extended northward nearly 100 miles through Marlinton and the lumber town Cass as far as Durbin. Much of the route followed the grades of the scenic Greenbrier River, rising nearly 1000 feet over a hundred miles -- hence the name of the railroad's division. The first tourist operations at Durbin in the 1990s made use of a 20-ton Whitcomb switcher and a few pieces of converted rolling stock. Later a 1910 Climax geared steam locomotive was employed and more passenger cars added -- including a refurbished Railway Post Office car. In recent years, a rare 3-truck geared Heisler on loan from nearby Cass Scenic Railway has been the principle tourist power on the two-hour run downstream from Durbin and back again. Currently work is underway to rehabilitate the Greenbrier Division trackage between the end of the Durbin Rocket line and Cass, West Virginia. This will connect the previously isolated Durbin Rocket operation to the rest of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad tourist system in the region.
The D&GVR was incorporated in 1996 to bring rail excursions back to Durbin and, since then, has become one of the great American heritage railroad success stories. As well as the Rocket, the D&GVR runs other passenger and freight services in West Virginia, including the West Virginia Central Railroad an Shenandoah Valley Railroad. It operates three excursion trains out of the railroad's base in Elkins.
It should be noted that this particular operation is no longer in service, as the track and bridge have been repaired and Mountain Rail West Virginia's Greenbrier Express travels the full distance from Cass to Durbin.
Our Visit
Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad caboose C3014, nee Baltimore and Ohio C3014, built by International Car in 1966.
Chesapeake and Ohio tender, original number unknown, but stencilled T-434. It was converted to maintenance-of-way use.
Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad caboose C1906, built by the railway in 1925.
Cass Scenic 3 truck shay 6, ex. Meadow River Lumber 6 1939, nee Bostonia Clay Products 20, built by Heisler in 1929.
Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad 44 ton switcher 5, nee United States Navy 65-00344, built by General Electric in 1953.
Chesapeake and Ohio station in Durbin.
Meadow River Lumber three truck shay 7, ex. State of West Virginia (Cass Scenic Railroad 7) in 1964, exx. Meadow River Lumber Company 7 at Rainelle, West Virginia in 1937, nee Raine Lumber Company 3 at Clover Lick, West Virginia, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1920.
Inside the shop was Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad 20 ton switcher 105 "Little Le Roi", ex. Coe Rail Incorporated 105, nee United States Army 2089, built by Whitcomb in 1942.
Cass Heisler 6 reversing to its the train. I walked across the highway to the Rails and Trail Store to check in and get "VB" written on my ticket proving I had signed in, then returned to the station area.
The train pulled into the station.
Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad caboose, nee Baltimore and Ohio C1908, built by the railway in 1925.
The rear of our train, whose consist was Cass Heisler 6, DGVR open air car 204, DGVR post office car 710,DGVR covered open air car 203 and DGVR caboose 1908. I was acquainted with the conductor from Trainorders.com discussion board and asked if we could ride with him on the back platform on the caboose and he agreed.
The view before we left.
This was our first time on the Durbin Rocket and we were looking forward to the ride. Good conversations were had with our conductor as we reversed down the rails.
An unidentified box car on an adjacent track.
Next we went by the Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad caboose on the northeast leg of the wye.
The freight cars and cabooses on the northeast leg.
We were about to go through a tree tunnel.
A peaceful lake.
The northwest leg of the wye.
The concrete Milepost 95 marker.
We crossed the bridge over the West Fork of the Greenbrier River.
West Fork of the Greenbrier River.
Another tree tunnel.
A rural grade crossing.
The first of many curves.
The Greenbrier River.
Shays, Climaxes and Heislers were made for these track conditions.
The Greenbrier River.
Milepost 94.
Another curve.
Some tangent track.
One of the few open areas along this route.
Rounding a curve.
The river was often in view, adding to the scenic beauty.
The curves made it easy to photograph the steam engine.
The river and the verdant trees.
More of the interesting track along the Greenbrier River.
A curve and a concrete whistlepost.
Continuing the journey.
Crossing a small creek.
Where will these tracks lead?
The Greenbrier River.
Rounding the curve at Elk Creek Junction.
Heisler 6 at work.
A well-maintained house.
Milepost 92.
The Greenbrier River.
It was then back in the forest on this lovely summer's day.
Rounding another curve.
Milepost 91.
We travelled a further quarter of a mile.
We came upon the Castaway Caboose, Norfolk and Western 562794, nee Wabash 2794, built by the railway in 1947. People can rent this and are brought here on an afternoon train to spend the night.
We arrived at Heavener station, the end of the line for this train.
The tracks that lead to Cass, which were rebuilt in 2023. There was another Castaway Caboose down the track and we were informed we would be here for at least twenty minutes at Heavener station.
The Greenbrier River.
Once everyone was back aboard, we started the journey to Durbin with the Heisler now leading the train and it was a faster journey.
The best views of the locomotive.
Because of the muddy water yesterday, the crew could not water their locomotive so we stopped and for the first time, I saw the use a siphon hose to put water into the Heisler's tender. We returned to Durbin and I thanked my great conductor for his fine job. Robin and I had had an excellent experience and were very happy.
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