"Spring in the New River Gorge": A CSX manifest train passes through the sleepy railroad ghost town of Thurmond, WV on the afternoon of May 18, 2021. Taken from the Concho Rim Overlook one can see not only the town of Thurmond itself, but also the mighty New River snaking its way from the south through the New River Gorge deep in the heart of Appalachia. To the right of the image, accompanied by a steel truss bridge, is the former C&O, now RJ Corman Railroad Group, Loup Creek Branch. Coal trains emanate from this branch line for export at Tidewater and on this day a prime example sits in the west end of Thurmond awaiting the highball east.
