Barbour County, WV

There are many trains available from the Durbin and Greenbriar Valley Railroad, but none are as short and sweet as the Belington Winter Special. With its vastly different ride time of an hour and a half compared to many that are more than five hours, this train is built for those who want a quick glimpse into the otherwise unreachable beauty of Barbour County.

“This was catered for people that want a shorter trip, or the after-church crowd.” states Ulysses Adkins, forman of the Belington train yard.

He also noted that many of the inaugural trip’s riders were local, compared to the many tourism fed rides elsewhere in the state.

Above: An east facing view of the Tygart
Below: Ulysses Adkins, forman of the Belington train yard

At 2pm the train departs from The Golden Rule, a nationally registered historic building in downtown Belington that has ties to the town’s past and it’s future. As it picks up speed the train rolls by several homes on its way out of town and quickly becomes enveloped in the solitude and connection to West Virginia’s history. It sways back and forth on the rails as it rides beside old coal mines and their once busy roadbeds. No longer extracting bituminous they are now hidden and grown over with Rhododendron and various evergreens, the green of which sits in contrast and harmony with endlessly white snowy hills and the deep, clear, green, chilling waters of the Tygart River.

“You feel really isolated; you have to hike it, float it, or take our train to get here.”  Adkins says

The beauty of the surroundings are reflected back inside onto the people working the rail. Chase Hicks volunteers at the railroad and validates his doing so with a simple statement and a chuckle,

“I like people.”

Above: Chase Hicks and Valerie Vigar briefly enjoying each other’s company in between the work required to keep the train operating.

Hicks has been serving food and drinks for three years now and likes to pepper in comments and phrases that will have people feeling more elevated and whole than when they started their journey.

Hicks also volunteers for the four-hour Tygart Flyer trip out of nearby Elkins,

“It’s a longer ride so I really get to bond with people by then end.”

CJ Iamurri has been with the line for six months as a conductor and said when the chance to work there arose he “jumped on it.”

“We’re the eyes of the engineer.” Iamurri explains how his role as a conductor works, “We tell them what lever to pull, how far to go, and how fast to go.”

He enjoys the amount of time spent outside walking the rail and the scenery surrounding it, but like others working the train, it’s the people that he enjoys connecting with the most.

Conductor CJ Iamurri

Westward view of the Belinton Winter Special

Valerie Vigar may not be the train boss, but when a question needs to be answered everyone’s eyes look to her, as well they should. Vigar has loved trains since she was a child growing up in Wabash Indiana where she would go to the city park just to watch them. Part of the Durbin and Greenbriar Vally Railroad since 2006 she officially works in food service but coordinates much of what happens on the rail. Speaking on the joys of working with the railroad Vigar says,

“I love when we suggest new lines like this and the President and Vice President get behind it.”

Enthusiasm, smiles and laughter come from, and follow her as she moves about the train. Her one dream would be for a loop of track to connect several counties together so passengers could stop at one place and stay the night, then board again with kayaks or bicycles and be off to the next stop, complete with sleeper cars, it would be an unforgettable ride into the West Virginia wilderness.

One passenger enjoying the sights was Sarah Heuer,

“It was really fun to see our house from the train, and I’m really glad to have something like this in Belington.””

Heuer is one of the eighteen hundred residents of Belington (who was also celebrating her birthday on the train that day) and cares deeply about her community and town. She initially helped during the cleanup of The Golden Rule building and its formation into becoming an active community center. She and many others had an excitement about them as the train left the station for the first time. It was a combined effort from the town, its residents and the railway to make this trip happen.

Sarah Heuer takes a snapshot of the view near her home in Belington, WV

Whether you are the kind of person that foams at the mouth over trains and train lore, or you just want to ride in style into the hollows and hills of West Virginia, the Belington Winter Special is for you. Rides will be offered on alternating Sunday’s until March first and a few more will be available this fall. If you can’t find a ticket this season don’t worry, the overwhelming response to this special trip has been heard and it will become a regular offering for years to come.

For more information visit: mountainrailwv.com

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