Winchester and Western Railroad

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Winchester and Western Railroad
Winchester Western Logo.png
Overview
Parent company OmniTRAX
Headquarters Winchester, Virginia
Bridgeton, New Jersey, U.S
Reporting mark WW
Locale Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey
Dates of operation1921–present
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Other
Website WW New Jersey WW West Virginia if

The Winchester and Western Railroad( reporting mark WW) is a shortline railroad operating from Gore, Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland. It also operates several lines in southern New Jersey, connecting to Conrail Shared Assets Operations at Millville and Vineland.

Contents

Growth

The company's original line opened in 1917, extending west from Winchester to Wardensville WV, and while the 'Winchester and Western Railroad' operating company went through several reorganizations, it remained independent of larger carriers.

In 1986, it grew suddenly adding newly acquired trackage when Conrail sold off parts of the former Pennsylvania Railroad, allowing the W&W to acquire the line from Winchester to Hagerstown, as well as the greater part of the W&W's New Jersey trackage—formerly parts of the Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines and Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ).

A short ex-CNJ branch from Bridgeton to Seabrook was acquired later from the Jersey Southern Railway in 1987. [1]

The W&W is exclusively a freight line with the majority of its freight supplied by the quarry of its parent company, Unimin, in Gore. In New Jersey, the W&W also serves Unimin sand interests and some grain traffic. [2]

History

Formation (1916-1921)

The Winchester & Western was initially incorporated on August 16, 1916, for the purpose of tapping the forests of southeastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, and southwestern Frederick County, Virginia, in order to supply railroad ties and timber to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. [3] The idea of building such a conduit to tap these resources had been conceived during World War I when the traffic on the railways of the United States had been greatly increased. More railroad ties were needed to both construct new railways and maintain the lines already in use. A way to transport the hardwood timbers to the tie mills in Winchester was needed, and so the Winchester and Western was conceived.

The Baltimore and Ohio factored greatly in the W&W's construction and its local subsidiary, Winchester Lumber Company, owned various tracts of mountainous woodlands in Hardy, Hampshire, and Frederick counties. It sought to build a 40-mile narrow gauge line from Winchester to Wardensville which would bisect the rich timber lands in the possession of the Winchester Lumber Company.

The Winchester Lumber Company sought the services of the Intermountain Construction Company to construct the line, which it then decided to make a standard-gauge instead of a narrow one. Intermountain started the grading of the railroad line from east and west of Chambersville, located west of Winchester in Frederick County. Because of the numerous supply and machinery shortages caused by World War I, Intermountain constructed the grade of the railroad using mule-powered scoops, sledgehammers, and hand-held drills. By August 1917, Intermountain had cleared a flat road for the rail track to Gainesboro and it began laying the rails and ties. On January 14, 1918 the first income producing train carrying 16,000 rail ties headed into Winchester. [3]

From Gore, the W&W turned southward through Back Creek valley toward Rock Enon Springs and ultimately to Wardensville. On June 14, 1919, a "golden spike" ceremony was planned on the West Virginia/Virginia line near Capon Springs with only fifteen miles until completion. After politicians from both Hampshire and Frederick Counties delivered speeches, Hugh B. Cline, chairman of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, and Judge F.B. Allen of the Hampshire County Court each hammered a spike. The "golden spike" celebration was then topped off with lunch at the Mountain House at Capon Springs Resort in Capon Springs.

On May 25, 1921, the Winchester and Western was finally completed to Wardensville. A celebration was held to honor the W&W's completion and former West Virginia Governor John J. Cornwell delivered a speech on the positive effect that the railroad would have on the future growth of the region's economy. John J. Cornwell's brother William B. Cornwell of Romney was the president of the Winchester and Western Railroad at the time and had previously been president of the Hampshire Southern Railroad in the South Branch Potomac River valley in the 1910s.

Early Days & Decline (1921-1944)

Throughout the 1920s, beginning in May 1921, the Winchester and Western was primarily a bustling freight line with limited passenger service. The W&W's first passenger car (or railbus) was literally an automobile bus placed on rails. The railbus made two round trips daily between Winchester and Wardensville with 17 intermediate stops along the way. The most popular of these intermediate stops was at Capon Springs Station where passengers would arrive to dine or vacation at the Capon Springs Resort. Three automobile "railbuses" later made the two round trips between Winchester and Wardensville. Besides Wardensville and Capon Springs, major passenger and freight stations were constructed at Gainesboro and Gore. The W&W's own terminal was located at the Baltimore and Ohio Station at Kent and Piccadilly Streets in Winchester.

While freight traffic was the main business of the W&W, the residents of the Winchester area frequently chartered trains for pleasure trips to not only Capon Springs, but for scenic excursions and picnics at Capon Lake on the Cacapon River.

In the 1920s, the line was constructed further past Wardensville on three narrow-gauge spurs known as the Lost River Railroad. The use of these spurs and the mainline itself dwindled by the early 1930s as the Great Depression took its toll on the region's economy. Freight traffic to and from Wardensville declined and the line was trimmed back to Capon Springs Station in 1934 due to the exhaustion of the region's timber reserves. That same year, passenger service to Capon Springs ended, and the track was cut at Rock Enon Springs. The W&W further trimmed back its line during World War II in 1944 when it was cut at Gore. The railroad would slowly die out and remain inactive until 1972

Revitalization (1972-2019)

In 1972, Unimin purchased the sand mine at Gore from Virginia Glass Sand. [4] They restarted the Winchester and Western railroad, and began operations, shipping sand from Gore to Unimin customers. In 1986, it purchased the Conrail (formerly Pennsylvania RR/Penn Central) "Winchester Secondary" line from Winchester to Williamsport, Maryland, and in 1987, it purchased three shortlines in southern New Jersey. The company now has two divisions; the "Virginia Division," and the "New Jersey Division." Both serve Unimin interests, as well as other freight. Both have connections with the two eastern mainline railroads, CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway.

The period between the 1970's and early 2000's was considered a "golden era" in the railroad's history, where ALCO locomotives pulling bright, Chessie System hoppers would regularly be seen running between Gore and Hagerstown. This train would be nicknamed "The Sandman". Back up in New Jersey, the railroad was also seeing success. In the 1980s, the railroad acquired EMD GP-9, and GP-10 locomotives from Conrail. The railroad also needed a new paint scheme, and they decided to look towards the past at their EMD's original owner, the Nickel Plate Road. The new paint scheme was based off of NKPs design and is still in use today.

In the early 2000s, the company began modernizing. The aging ALCO's were either sold or scrapped, and replaced with newer EMD GP38 locomotives. Then, the engine shop in Gore was rebuilt. Luckily, the railroad retained its older EMDs and they can still be seen in service today.

OmniTRAX Ownership (2019-present)

In 2018, Unimin merged with Santrol to form Covia, and subsequently sold the railroad to OmniTRAX. [5] [6] In 2024, The Covia sand mine in Gore idled, and the railroad ceased its operations there; [7] Though, the railroad continues to operate its engine shop in Gore. Despite the closure of the line's only customer, the W&W maintains the line from Gore to Winchester. [8] Currently, the W&W uses the Carmeuse mine in Clearbrook, VA as their main supplier and runs a train known as the "West Virginian Sandman".

Course

Winchester and Western Railroad station in downtown Winchester, Virginia Winchester and Western Railroad - Winchester station.jpg
Winchester and Western Railroad station in downtown Winchester, Virginia

From the B&O's old central station in downtown Winchester, the Winchester and Western Railroad ventures south and then follows Abram's Creek west out of the city. From there, the W&W travels northwest, eventually parallelling the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) where it goes through Hoop Petticoat Gap along Gap Run at Chambersville, today known as Round Hill. Still heading in a northwest direction with the Northwestern Turnpike, the W&W departs from the turnpike and follows Hogue Creek north, southeast of Hayfield. The W&W continues north until it intersects with the North Frederick Pike (U.S. Route 522) and enters the community of Gainesboro. The line then curves southwest into the Back Creek valley. At the southern edge of Bowling Green Ridge, the W&W crosses the Northwestern Turnpike one last time and follows Back Creek south to Gore. From Gore, the line heads south along Mine Spring Run where it currently ends at the sand mine.

This list includes all of the communities and stations that have been served at one time by the original Winchester and Western Railroad. The towns are listed from Winchester to Wardensville:

Map of WW's Virginia Division Virginia Division.png
Map of WW's Virginia Division
Frederick County, Virginia
Hampshire County, West Virginia
Hardy County, West Virginia

Locomotive Fleet

The Winchester & Western operates a diverse fleet of locomotives. Before the onset of diesel power, the WW owned multiple steam locomotives, though not much is known about them. All locomotives currently belonging to the railroad are diesel-electric powered, with most being built by EMD. [10] The railroad's fleet consists of hand-me-downs from other railroads. Almost all older, non-EMD locomotives were scrapped due to aging and standardization. Most GP9 locomotives were sold to OMLX after it acquired the railroad in 2019. Today, the railroad maintains its fleet of EMD locomotives and puts them to work on its various trains.

Known Locomotives [11]
BuilderModelRoad NumbersBuild DateOriginStatusNotes
EMD GP9 403 June, 1954Ex-Tidewater Grain 3403. Built as TNO 403.ActiveRenumbered to 9006 in 2022. Active in New Jersey
445 January, 1955Ex-SP 5608Unknownto OMLX as 9007 in 2021. Disposition unknown.
459 July, 1955Ex-N&W 2459. Built as NKP 459.UnknownLast seen in Virginia around 2017. Most likely sold to OMLX.
475 July, 1955Ex-N&W 2475. Built as NKP 475.UnknownLast seen in New Jersey in 2019. Sold to OMLX.
498 August, 1956Ex-N&W 2498. Built as NKP 498.UnknownLast seen around 2021. Sold to OMLX.
517 March, 1958Ex-N&W 2517. Built as NKP 517.UnknownLast seen in 2020 wearing the OMLX badge.
520 March, 1958Ex-N&W 2520. Built as NKP 520.ActiveActive in New Jersey.
709 November, 1956Ex-Conrail 7090. Built as PRR 7090.UnknownTo OMLX in 2021. Disposition unknown.
732 November, 1955Ex-Conrail 7323. Built as NYC 5923ActiveActive up until 2018, when it was sold to the DRRV. Then it was rebuilt into a GP-10 and renumbered to 1823. On long term lease to the MDDE/DCR, wearing a ceremonial "New Jersey Veterans" paint scheme.
811 February, 1959Ex-N&W 2811. Built as NKP 811.ActiveActive until 2018, when it was sold to BDRV. Later, it was sold to the BRW where it remains to this day.
GP10 1006 (formerly 572)October, 1959Ex-Conrail 7572ActiveActive in Virginia.
1002 (formerly 575)November, 1959Ex-Conrail 7575ActiveActive in Virginia.
576 June, 1954Ex-BDRV 1848ActiveActive in New Jersey as of 2025.
752 February, 1956Ex-Conrail 7527. Build as NYC 5972.InactiveStored out of service in New Jersey.
8066 December, 1954Ex-Eastern Shore 8066. Built as IC 9066ScrappedUsed for parts at Gore.
GP38-2 2182 February, 1966Ex-ICG 3104ActiveActive in Virginia.
2689 April, 1971(GMTX Lease Unit) Ex-Conrail 7907. Built as PC 7907.ActiveActive in Virginia.
3815UnknownUnknownActiveUnknown
GP38 3816 (formerly 2196)UnknownUnknownActiveUnknown
3817 (formerly 2197 May, 1969Ex-GMO 705ActiveServed in Virginia. Later sold to OMLX.
NW2 149 June, 1947Ex-UCMX 1042. Built as Southern 2258.UnknownServed various industrial companies before being sold to the W&W's parent company, Unimin. It served Unimin in Georgia before being transferred to their mine in Gore; Thus, making it a part of the W&W fleet. Last seen around 2010.
SD9M 954 April, 1957Ex-NS 54. Built as NKP 352 (SD9).ActiveActive in New Jersey as of 2025.
SW1 8411 September, 1940.Ex-B&O 211, later renumbered to 8411.ActiveServed in Virginia during the 1970s. Active as a in-house switcher to Chambersburg Cold Storage in Chambersburg, PA.
SW7 1200 May, 1950Ex-Conrail 9071. Build as PRR 9391ActiveOn long term lease to Gerdau Recycling in Norfolk, VA.
FP7A 97C January, 1951Ex-Milwaukee Road 97CInactiveSold to MMID. It eventually ended up with VILX, and was renumbered to 637. Still around but inactive, and in bad shape.
ALCO MT-4 (former RS-11) 10 (formerly 1007)December, 1957Ex-Conrail 1007. Built as PRR 8654InactiveSat on blocks outside the engine shop and used for parts, before presumably being scrapped around the late 2000's.
120 December, 1957Ex-Conrail 1020. Built as PRR 8647InactiveStored out of service in New Jersey. Equipped with a cab.
210 UnkownUnknown. Most likely ex-Conrail ScrappedScrapped 2019.
RS-11 351 November, 1957Ex-Norfolk & Western 351InactiveSold to DL. Survives as a parts source unit.
353 December, 1957Ex-Norfolk & Western 353ScrappedScrapped sometime in the 1990s.
863 February, 1959Ex-Norfolk & Western 2863ActiveSold to FRR: Renumbered 1802. Active for FRR.
3609 September, 1956Ex-Central Vermont 3609. Built as Norfolk & Western 367.ActiveSold to MCRR in the early 1990's and Renumbered to 367. Eventually ended up with SVRR and continues to actively serve them.
605 (formerly 3605)September, 1956Ex-Quaboag Transfer 3605ScrappedScrapped before 2000.
3611 September, 1956Ex-Quaboag Transfer 3611InactiveSold to MMCX, Later sold to DL: Renumbered 1805 around 2007. Survives as a parts source unit.
RS-3 527 August, 1950Ex-Amtrak 123. Built as New Haven 0527.ScrappedScrapped after a broken Crankshaft.
MRS-1 2098 April, 1953Ex-USMRR 2098UnknownPurchased and lettered for the W&W in 1979, but was never used and returned to the owner, Eveready Machinery Co.
2112 April, 1953Ex-USMRR 2112ActiveSold to the KRM. Later sold to MSDR and continues to serve.
S-2 16 November, 1948Ex-WYT 106. Built as BO 522UnknownServed in New Jersey in the 1980's. Later sold to OMID and renumbered 106.
S-6 78 December, 1955Ex-SP 1278ScrappedVery Active on the Sandman around 1985-1990. Scrapped in the early 1990's
80 December, 1955Ex-SP 1280ScrappedActive before being scrapped in the early 1990's.
GE 70-Ton 1952 October, 1951Original OwnerUnknownPurchased by the W&W in 1951. Disposition unknown, presumed scrapped.

References

  1. ↑ Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition, Kalmbach Publishing, 1996, pp. 337-338
  2. ↑ "Winchester & Western Railroad". American-Rails.com. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. 1 2 Winnemore, Lawrence. The Winchester and Western Railroad (1976 ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Railway Historical Society.
  4. ↑ "cvia-10k_20181231.htm". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  5. ↑ OmniTRAX Completes Winchester & Western Acquisition Railway Age September 11, 2019
  6. ↑ Winchester & Western Railroad sold Railway Gazette International September 11, 2019
  7. ↑ Star, CORMAC DODD The Winchester (2023-11-16). "Sand mine in Gore with more than 80 years of activity will be idled in 2024". The Winchester Star. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  8. ↑ Star, CORMAC DODD The Winchester (2024-02-07). "Winchester & Western's historic Sandman Branch to keep chugging along, despite idling of sand mine". The Winchester Star. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  9. ↑ "System Map". winchesterwesternrr.com. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  10. ↑ "Winchester & Western Photographic Roster". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  11. ↑ "Winchester & Western". www.thedieselshop.us. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
Preceded by Short Line Railroad of the Year
2002		Succeeded by
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