Portrait of the C&O Durbin Line. Folks who've read about, but never actually seen the old C&O Durbin Line may have formed a mental image of picturesque, well-manicured right-of-way along a ... (more)

Running the Greenbrier River. Cass Heisler #6 looks right at home hauling a short freight along the Greenbrier River just a couple of miles south of Durbin, WV on a sunny spring morning. S... (more)

V-Twin Power. No, she's not a Harley, but if you talk to the crews, she rides a bit like one. This is the former Meadow River Heisler #6, a 1929-vintage, 3-Trucker which was originally bu... (more)

Just a few survive.... Moore-Keppel Climax #3, a 1910-vintage, 55-tonner, hauls a 7-car mixed freight along the old C&O Durbin Branch on a warm spring afternoon. In this case, it's a phot... (more)

Water Stop: Elk Creek One of the unique features of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley's excursions on the old C&O Durbin Branch is the water stops. Unlike most steam tourist lines, which tak... (more)

Climax! Perhaps 100 yards north of Milepost 92, the 55-ton Moore-Keppel Climax #3 hauls a short cut of freight cars through an open meadow, on the way to Durbin, WV. Built in 1910 by the... (more)

Climax! When you run a geared steam engine, your kit typically includes all manner of lubricants, ranging from runny oils to really thick gear grease. Whenever you stop, you're constantly... (more)

Climax! At a speed that is probably best described as "stately", the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley's "Durbin Rocket" rounds a sweeping curve on its northbound journey under... (more)

Climax! With Engineer Earl Knoob at the throttle, the 55-ton Moore-Keppel Company Climax #3 hauls a 7-car mixed freight consist north along the Greenbrier River toward the little town of Du... (more)

Climax locomotives were once very popular with wilderness logging operations and shortline railroads. They were relatively inexpensive, small, powerful and reliable. Alas, in 2010, there are ju... (more)

Where is that Mike Rowe guy when you need him? Seriously, after all of the photogenic operations are done for the day, there are a lot of mundane and rather dirty jobs that steam locomoti... (more)

Blow-down!! Climax #3's Fireman stands back as his Engineer opens the blow-down valve to clear the boiler's mudring of any sediment build-up. With the valve fully open, superheated water... (more)

Isolated from the rest of railroad nation by washouts and track removals, Moore-Keppel & Co. Climax #3 now rules the roost on what remains of the old C&O Durbin Branch. Here, she runs compass ea... (more)

A young girl and her parents seem fascinated by the sights, sounds and smells of Moore-Keppel & Co. Climax #3 as she gets ready to haul "The Durbin Rocket" on a series of Mother's Day excursions. ... (more)

Of the three most well-known geared locomotive types, the Climax is the most endangered species. There are but three of them left in operating condition in the US. In this photo, the former Moor... (more)