In Parkersburg, there is a park that once, during the Civil War, was Fort Boreman that is a good place to view Parkersburg, and of course the railroad in town. In our first view, you can see the bridge over the Little Kanawha River that empties into the Ohio River. Note the steel platforms on both sides of the track just before the bridge. I believe that at one time there were stations on those platforms.

The grade up to this bridge seems rather steep, and must be quite a strain on the engines pulling up to cross the bridge. Running under the bridge is the track to the high line, the yard that is where the old main from Grafton once entered Parkersburg. The wall to the left of the bridge is the flood wall. It is quite cramped in this area!

Here is a view of the track up to the high line. I have read that since the turn table has been removed, it is quite an interesting maneuver to go from the low yard to the high yard.

Up on the hill, you can look down and see the low yard. In the yard is a coal drag waiting to leave. I was thinking maybe it would leave soon, but it never did.

Walking around the hill on Fort Boreman, I notice a line running south along the Little Kanawha River. In this view (below) I noticed a train section down below with a caboose attached!

Following the tracks, I noticed in the distance an industry with a siding. I suspect that is where I heard a horn toot a few minutes earlier. I wonder what goes in/out there? I didn't have time to drive down and investigate, but maybe another day.

Finally here is a shot of the three bridges that cross over the Ohio from Parkersburg to Belpre, Ohio.In the foreground is the old US 50 bridge-a new one is just south that crosses the Ohio south of Belpre-behind it is the old B&O bridge, and in the distance is the RT 7 toll bridge.

A Visit to the B&O in Parkersburg

Its been a few years since I was able to visit the B&O in Parkersburg, and being in town for a

lectureship at a local college, I has some time during the lunch break to drive downtown and take a look around.
Here are some of the things I saw.

This is a view of the "high yard" which the old main line entered Par

kersburg from Grafton to the east. The yard was full of cars, which I have read are mainly storage. There isn't that much industrial shipping left in the area for this many cars!

Here is the local yard engine (I assume) waiting to go to work. #2562 is a GP 38-2 (http://www.thedieselshop.us/CSX.HTML). Last time I was here, the yard engine was in the old CSX "ghost" paint and was showing rust signs. That one was 2660, also a 38-2.

Not much going on here, and time was limited, so I went off to take some more photos.

Here is another view of the high yard along the side of some COHS passenger cars.

When you look to the left side of the car, you see COHS stenciled on hit. This car sits near the site of where the station once was (across the tracks from it). Many windows are busted by rock throwers and it seems that no repair or restoration is underway. I think I shot this car the last time I was here. I don't think much has changed.

I get a kick out of the approach from the old bridge across the Ohio River. While my telephoto exaggerates the curvature, I always wonder why there is a curve? Why not just straight on? Was the street already there when the bridge was built? When that line was laid, that street probably was dirt, so it wasn't that hard to realign the street! Then, there could have been a straight at one time and double tracked just before the bridge? Maybe someone knows.

Last photo shows an inspection car. Unfortunately, I didn't get its number (no pun intended). It was hard to get to, to take a photograph.

Next up, looking down at the B&O in Parkrsburg.