CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - What began as a father’s labor of love for his three daughters more than 40 years ago has turned into one of Clarksburg’s best-kept secrets.
The Locust Heights & Western Rail Road, concealed behind rolling hills off U.S. 19, is a three-quarter-mile track operated by a group of volunteers who want to promote railroad history.
Owner Keith Mason always had an interest in steam and railroading, but his interest grew after he graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in mechanical engineering. After starting a family with his wife Jean, he decided to build a little red caboose for his three daughters to play in.
Keith decided to add wheels to the structure after his children outgrew their unique playhouse. Then, he worked to extend the railroad track and added a class A Climax locomotive, which was modeled after a 19th century logging locomotive used in Garrett County, Maryland, nicknamed the “Swamp Angel.”
With the help and support of family, friends and volunteers, the railroad opened to the public in 1974 and continues to operate Wednesday evenings from June to October.
Jean said every year thousands of people flock to Locust Heights to experience railroad history and spend quality time with loved ones.
The railroad has become a popular evening activity for the Clarksburg community and brings in people from unexpected locations like Europe, New England, Alaska and California.
“We get a lot of people from different walks of life,” Jean said, adding she often sees people who rode the train as children returning years later with their families. “It’s just a fun thing for everyone really, both young and old.”
Morgantown resident Chad Davis recently traveled back to the railroad with his wife Alisa and son Tyler to introduce them to something he loved as a child.
“This is my wife and son’s first time. I’m actually from Clarksburg and I rode this train when I was real young,” he said. “I remember my dad and mom bringing me here riding in the caboose, and it was a lot of fun.”
Jean said the railroad holds countless wonderful memories for her of her family - from watching her daughters play in the caboose as children to riding on the train with her husband.
Their youngest daughter, Kristi Bradey, 41, now brings her three- and six-year old to the railroad nearly every Wednesday evening. She said she remembers having sleepovers in the caboose as a kid and thinks it is a wonderful thing her father has done for the community.
Tammy Molina, 45, Jean and Keith’s middle child, said she fondly remembers spending her afternoons and evenings in the playhouse when she was young.
“I was probably the one that utilized it the most. I had a girlfriend that lived down the street, we were the same age, and we had built a fort in the caboose. So we pretty much spent every day in there. We would hang out in there, build a little fire on the stove, and hide out from the boys in the neighborhood,” she laughed.
Molina said she continued to create memories at the railroad years later as part of her wedding ceremonies.
She rode in the caboose with stepson Tre Roach down to the end of the track, whereupon they disembarked and the ceremony began.
She said families should take advantage of this opportunity to travel to the railroad to make memories of their own.
“Some of these kids would never get to see a steam train run if they didn’t have parents who could take them to Cass and places like that,” she said. “This is a nice, easy place for people to take their kids … it’s a learning experience for our community to be able to bring their kids out and enjoy the history of steam locomotives.”
The steam-powered train is run by a group of dedicated volunteers, including Conductor and Brakeman Tom Proud, Engineer Mark Ware, stepson Roach, now 16, who serves as fireman, and helpers Wotty Hall, Gerald Corder and Sarah Grace Reed, Tre’s girlfriend.
Since passengers aren’t required to pay to ride the train, the railroad relies on donations to help keep it operating.
The ride runs from June to October, from 7 p.m. until there are no more passengers. Its last day of operation this year will be Oct. 29, where the train will be decorated for Halloween with orange lights and decorations.
For more information visit their Facebook page or call 304-622-6606.
___
Information from: Charleston Daily Mail, https://www.charlestondailymail.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.