Winchester
and Western Railroad - (en)
The Winchester and Western Railroad (AAR reporting marks WW) is a
railroad line that today operates between Gore and Winchester,
Virginia, and from Winchester, up though the Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia, to Hagerstown, Maryland. The W&W is exclusively a
freight line with the majority of its freight supplied by the Unimin
quarry in Gore.
History
Origins of the W&W
The Winchester and 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 to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 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.
Construction
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 of 1917,
Intermountain had cleared a flat road for the rail track to Gainesboro
and it began laying the rails and ties. In January of 1918, five
months later, the first train carrying lumber headed into Winchester
on the completed track from Gore.
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 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 Company in the South Branch Potomac River valley in the
1910s.
The W&W in use
Throughout the 1920s beginning in May of 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.
Demise of the W&W
Later 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. Because of Gore's active Unimin sand quarry, the
Winchester and Western Railroad remains active between Gore and
Winchester. Today, in the Winchester area, the Winchester and Western
is affectionately referred to as the "Ol' Weak and Weary"
because of its limited use.
Course
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.
Towns serviced
This list includes all of the communities and stations that have been
serviced at one time by the Winchester and Western Railroad. The towns
are listed from Winchester to Wardensville.
Frederick County, Virginia
Winchester
Chambersville
Hayfield
Indian Hollow
Gainesboro
Gore
Rock Enon Springs
Hampshire County, West
Virginia
Shiloh
Capon Springs Station
Capon Lake
Intermont
Hardy County, West Virginia
Wardensville
