- Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad
The Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad (BC&G) was a railroad chartered in
April 1 1904 [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvclay/swan.htm Reflections on Swandale] ] and ran alongBuffalo Creek in Clay County,West Virginia . The original Buffalo Creek and Gauley ended service in 1965.The BC&G was one of the last all-
steam railroad s, never operating adiesel locomotive to the day it shut down in 1965. [James A. Neubauer, In the footsteps of David and Doc, "", September 2003, p. 38]Its primary purpose was to bring coal out of the mountains above
Widen, West Virginia , to an interchange with theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad atDundon, West Virginia .Route
Beginning at Dundon, the line ran east along Buffalo Creek, with marked locations at Avoca, Sand Fork, and through the
company towns of Swandale and Cressmont. Swandale contained the sawmill for lumber operations of the Elk River Coal and Lumber Company and there was a small dairy at Cressmont. From Swandale the BC&G continued through Eakle. The railroad hits the end of the line once it runs into the Rich Run Coal mine's yard in Widen.At Avoca, the ERC&L logging line ran about convert|9|mi out in the woods where the logging was done during the final years of operations.
Equipment
Some of the BC&G's equipment, as well as that of its sister railroad the Elk River Coal & Lumber Co. have been preserved, some in operating condition.
BC&G Consolidation #4 is owned by the
North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer,North Carolina . It operated in tourist service until a couple of years ago. It is now undergoing a complete restorations. BC&G Consolidation #13 is owned by the Ohio Central and ran in excursion service a number of years ago. Consolidation #14 is on static display in Gaithersburg,Maryland .ERC&L Shay #19 is on display in Ohio. Climax #3 is owned by the
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad inCalifornia , but is not servicable.The ERC&L's American log loader and bobber logging caboose are both restored and on display at the
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Cass,West Virginia .At one time the
Elk River Railroad ran modern diesels from Gassaway, through Dundon and a branch to a coal loading facility at Avoca then from Dundon to Hartland.Restoration
Currently the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Co-op, has been in the process of opening up much of the old main line and have run some speeder excursions from Dundon.
References
External links
* [http://mountainstaterails.net/index.php?showforum=41 Buffalo Creek & Gauley Co-op]
* [http://clayberry.org/RRPICSfromGeorgeslogDec2005/ BC&G photos]
* [http://www.msrlha.org/ Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association]
* [http://www.buffalocreekandgauley.com/ Buffalo Creek and Gauley history]
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