West Virginia Logging Railroads [Hardcover]

William Warden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1996

Chronicles the waning years of the logging industry and the equipment and operations of the railroads that served it. From the late 1800s through the 1950s, West Virginia was one of the nation's largest producers of lumber. This book covers the unique geared locomotives that moved that lumber including the Shay, Climax and Heisler, designed to traverse the sharp curves and uneven track of mountain railways. Includes information on special logging cars, cranes and other equipment.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: TLC Publishing (November 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883089034
• ISBN-13: 978-1883089030
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exellent and rather concise treatment of a somewhat obscure, April 22, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Summerfield, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: West Virginia Logging Railroads (Hardcover)

This book contans pictures, text and maps showing the location of and the trains that worked the logging railroads that penetrated the vast stands of hardwood lumber in the eastern part of the state of West Virginia.

You can still ride on one of them. The Cass Scenic Railroad climbs the mountain on switchbacks just like it did when they hauled timber down that same railroad. The book contains mostly black and white pictures, with a few in color in the very back. It also discusses the main types of logging locomotives, the Shay, the Heisler and the Climax. All were "geared locomotives" meaning that the pistons drove a driveshaft that was linked by gears to all the axles. They were slow, they made a lot of noise because the pistons moved faster than the train seemed to move due to the gearing.

The Elk River Coal and Lumber Co. Shays ususlly crossed the creeks with out the aid of bridges and the cover painting depicts one doing just that! Why bother to build bridges that you were going to abandon in a few months anyway?

I have been to Cass and ridden up the mountain behind a Shay and the pictures brought it all to life again.

The world will not see the likes of the mountain lumber railroads again and this book explains it very well.

There is one picture showing many acres of stacked hardwood in the edge of Rainelle, WVA in 1952 that you will not see the like of again.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories of Some Small WV Railroads Brought Back to Life, June 1, 2001

By 

gatekeeper14 "gatekeeper14" - See all my reviews

This review is from: West Virginia Logging Railroads (Hardcover)

Well researched and enjoyable 108 pages (6th printing 2000) full of terrific WV logging railroad photos and useful maps. Covers WV logging history and iron horses; Includes chapters with many photos on the railroad operations of: Mower Lumber Co - WV Pulp & Paper; Elk River Coal & Lumber Co. - W.M. Ritter Co. - Georgia Pacific; Meadow River Lumber Co.; Cherry River Boom & Lumber Co.; Ely-Thomas Lumber Co; plus stories on Pardee & Curtin Lumber Co., Moore-Keppel Co., Beech Mountain Railroad and other railroads including Buffalo Creek & Gauley RR and West Virginia & Pittsburgh RR. Great for research as well as a pleasant and entertaining memory trip.