At 08:03 AM 10/26/2003 -0500, Eric Hansmann wrote:

For Fairmont, W. Va., you are correct, partially. The rails in Morgantown, W. Va., were as I described.

The Monongahela Railroad crossed the river near Prickett's Fort and entered Fairmont on the east bank. Much of the action on the Monongahela Railroad centered on the coal mines north of Fairmont. Two volumes of images and history are due soon on this unique railroad that was originally co-owned by the PRR, B&O, and P&LE.

The B&O actually ran on both banks of the river in Fairmont, but it wasn't as apparent in the downtown area. The B&O's FM&P sub crossed to the west bank of the river just downstream of Rivesville. The line then met the original Main at the south end of the Fairmont Yard, at FM&P Junction.

Thanks for the clarification, Eric. I never really investigated the railroad situation while I was there (about a year and a half). Under 16 and without a driver's license, my view of West Virginia railroading was limited to what I could see from a few points right within the city from the west side of the river, and I had no idea that both the B&O and Monongahela ran on the east bank through Fairmont. Even with what little I know about it, the Monongahela has always interested me, and I think the books you mentioned would certainly be of interest.

For anyone interested in a small to mid-sized prototype that could offer a wealth of possibilities to display and operate freight cars and locomotives from the pre-1960 period, Fairmont, W. Va., and Clarksburg, W. Va., offer a few diverse possibilities. Both areas were busy rail points between 1920 and 1960. Had to bring this back to the group mandate somehow.

And speaking of West Virginia railroading, I've long thought M&K Junction would have made a nice area to model as well, if the space was available. One could run long blocks of all sorts of freight cars on through trains, many solid trains of hoppers, plus a local. And with DCC, it would be relatively simple to model the helper operation based there.

Ron Hildebrand