CSX Transportation Historical Society

CSX West Virginia lines and Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster Memorials

1. Former C&O depot at Ronceverte WV, is now the headquarters for local engineering/maintenance of way people. A signal maintainer is stopped on the main line. No trains are imminent. 08-21-2023. CSX depot.

2. Looks like CSX has maintained the building. Back in the 1920s it was the headquarters of the Greenbrier Division. CSX depot. Ronceverte WV.

3. The yard is gone. The long passing siding and a short siding for work equipment are all that remain other than this steam-era relic. CSX coal dock. Ronceverte WV. 08-21-2023.

4. CSX coal dock. View 2. Ronceverte WV.

5. CSX 3056-316 on shifter H800-27 spots his 75 empty tubs for loading at Anjean on the former NF&G. 03-28-2014.

6. Under the chute and ready to load. CSX 3056-316 H800-27 75 mtys. Anjean. 03-28-2014.

7. The next day we found shifter CSX 399933 H801-29 finishing up loading at Clearco WV in a heavy rain. 03-29-2014.

8. South Fork Coal batch loader at Clearco WV. H801-29 in background. 03-29-2014.

9. Makeshift memorial at Birchton WV, to the deaths of 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine on 04-05-2010. 06-11-2023.

10. Belt line going to the closed Upper Big Branch mine at Birchton WV. CSX Big Marsh Fork SD has been inactive since the disaster. 06-11-2023.

11. I think the Upper Big Branch mine was up on the mountain. The coal was conveyed to the Goals preparation plant at the end of the CSX branch. Birchton WV.

12. Marfork Coal’s Black Eagle Mine at Eunice WV. 06-11-2023.

13. The Black Eagle is in the background. Coal is conveyed to this small load-out and then trucked to the Marfork prep. plant which is in the hollow behind me. Marfork Coal, Black Eagle Min,e Eunice WV.

14. CSX Elk Run Jct. yard office at Whitesville looks dead on this Sunday.

15. Looking east on Big Marsh Fork SD toward Whitesville and Eunice. Power Activated Switch on right. CSX Elk Run Jct.

16. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial monument.

17. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial plaque.

18. Upper Big Branch monument.

19. Upper Big Branch monument.

20. Upper Big Branch memorial Whitesville WV. Part 1.

21. Upper Big Branch memorial Whitesville WV. Part 2.

22. Upper Big Branch memorial Whitesville WV. Part 3.

23. Upper Big Branch memorial Whitesville WV. Part 4.

24. Upper Big Branch miners listing.

25. Upper Big Branch memorial. Part 5.

26. Upper Big Branch memorial. Part 6.

27. Lexington Coal’s Talon prep. plant at Marnie WV (near Van in Boone County) on the West Fork SD. Formerly known as Eagle Nest. 06-11-2023.

28. This facility has been inactive for many years and is in the process of being demolished and reclaimed. Lexington Coal Talon. Marnie WV. View 2.

29. Lexington Coal Talon. Marnie WV. View 3.

30. Lexington Coal headquartered in Milton WV, owns several inactive mine sites in WV and KY. Those include the inactive Pontiki prep. plant in Martin County, KY where two men were killed Monday evening when the structure they were demolishing collapsed. Lexington Coal Talon Marnie WV.

31. BMS Natural Resources Inc. of Milton WV, has the permit to reclaim this site. I wonder if they are the contractor to demolish the Pontiki plant. Lexington Coal Talon Marnie WV.