# Winchester and Western Railroad

The Winchester and Western Railroad (reporting mark WW) is a shortline railroad operating from Gore, Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland. It also operates several lines in southern New Jersey, connecting to Conrail Shared Assets Operations at Millville and Vineland.

## Growth

The company's original line opened in 1917, extending west from Winchester to Wardensville WV, and while the 'Winchester and Western Railroad' operating company went through several reorganizations, it remained independent of larger carriers.
In 1986, it grew suddenly adding newly acquired trackage when Conrail sold off parts of the former Pennsylvania Railroad, allowing the W&W to acquire the line from Winchester to Hagerstown, as well as the greater part of the W&W's New Jersey trackage—formerly parts of the Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines and Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ).
A short ex-CNJ branch from Bridgeton to Seabrook was acquired later from the Jersey Southern Railway in 1987.
The W&W is exclusively a freight line with the majority of its freight supplied by the quarry of its parent company, Unimin, in Gore. In New Jersey, the W&W also serves Unimin sand interests and some grain traffic.

## History

The Winchester & Western was initially incorporated on August 16, 1916, for the purpose of tapping the forests of southeastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, and southwestern Frederick County, Virginia, in order to supply railroad ties and timber to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The idea of building such a conduit to tap these resources had been conceived during World War I when the traffic on the railways of the United States had been greatly increased. More railroad ties were needed to both construct new railways and maintain the lines already in use. A way to transport the hardwood timbers to the tie mills in Winchester was needed, and so the Winchester and Western was conceived.
The Baltimore and Ohio factored greatly in the W&W's construction and its local subsidiary, Winchester Lumber Company, owned various tracts of mountainous woodlands in Hardy, Hampshire, and Frederick counties. It sought to build a 40-mile narrow gauge line from Winchester to Wardensville which would bisect the rich timber lands in the possession of the Winchester Lumber Company.
The Winchester Lumber Company sought the services of the Intermountain Construction Company to construct the line, which it then decided to make a standard-gauge instead of a narrow one. Intermountain started the grading of the railroad line from east and west of Chambersville, located west of Winchester in Frederick County. Because of the numerous supply and machinery shortages caused by World War I, Intermountain constructed the grade of the railroad using mule-powered scoops, sledgehammers, and hand-held drills. By August 1917, Intermountain had cleared a flat road for the rail track to Gainesboro and it began laying the rails and ties. On January 14, 1918 the first income producing train carrying 16,000 rail ties headed into Winchester.
From Gore, the W&W turned southward through Back Creek valley toward Rock Enon Springs and ultimately to Wardensville. On June 14, 1919, a "golden spike" ceremony was planned on the West Virginia/Virginia line near Capon Springs with only fifteen miles until completion. After politicians from both Hampshire and Frederick Counties delivered speeches, Hugh B. Cline, chairman of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, and Judge F.B. Allen of the Hampshire County Court each hammered a spike. The "golden spike" celebration was then topped off with lunch at the Mountain House at Capon Springs Resort in Capon Springs.
On May 25, 1921, the Winchester and Western was finally completed to Wardensville. A celebration was held to honor the W&W's completion and former West Virginia Governor John J. Cornwell delivered a speech on the positive effect that the railroad would have on the future growth of the region's economy. John J. Cornwell's brother William B. Cornwell of Romney was the president of the Winchester and Western Railroad at the time and had previously been president of the Hampshire Southern Railroad in the South Branch Potomac River valley in the 1910s.
Throughout the 1920s, beginning in May 1921, the Winchester and Western was primarily a bustling freight line with limited passenger service. The W&W's first passenger car (or railbus) was literally an automobile bus placed on rails. The railbus made two round trips daily between Winchester and Wardensville with 17 intermediate stops along the way. The most popular of these intermediate stops was at Capon Springs Station where passengers would arrive to dine or vacation at the Capon Springs Resort. Three automobile "railbuses" later made the two round trips between Winchester and Wardensville. Besides Wardensville and Capon Springs, major passenger and freight stations were constructed at Gainesboro and Gore. The W&W's own terminal was located at the Baltimore and Ohio Station at Kent and Piccadilly Streets in Winchester.
While freight traffic was the main business of the W&W, the residents of the Winchester area frequently chartered trains for pleasure trips to not only Capon Springs, but for scenic excursions and picnics at Capon Lake on the Cacapon River.
In the 1920s, the line was constructed further past Wardensville on three narrow-gauge spurs known as the Lost River Railroad. The use of these spurs and the mainline itself dwindled by the early 1930s as the Great Depression took its toll on the region's economy. Freight traffic to and from Wardensville declined and the line was trimmed back to Capon Springs Station in 1934 due to the exhaustion of the region's timber reserves. That same year, passenger service to Capon Springs ended, and the track was cut at Rock Enon Springs. The W&W further trimmed back its line during World War II in 1944 when it was cut at Gore. The railroad remained inactive until it's purchase, and revival by Unimin in the 1970's.
In the 1970's Unimin purchased the Winchester and Western, and began operations, shipping sand from Gore to Unimin customers. In 1986, it purchased the Conrail (formerly Pennsylvania RR/Penn Central) "Winchester Secondary" line from Winchester to Williamsport, Maryland, and in 1987, it purchased three shortlines in southern New Jersey. The company now has two divisions; the "Virginia Division," and the "New Jersey Division." Both serve Unimin interests, as well as other freight. Both have connections with the two eastern mainline railroads, CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway. The period between the 1970's and early 2000's was considered a "golden era" in the railroad's history, where ALCO locomotives pulling bright, Chessie System hoppers would regularly be seen running between Gore and Hagerstown. This train would be nicknamed "The Sandman". In the early 2000's, the company began modernizing. The aging ALCO's were either sold or scrapped, and replaced with newer EMD GP38 locomotives. Then, the engine shop in Gore was rebuilt. Luckily, the railroad retained its older EMD's and they can still be seen in service today. In 2018, Unimin merged with Santrol to form Covia, and subsequently sold the railroad to OmniTRAX. In 2024, The Covia sand mine in Gore idled, and the railroad ceased its operations there; Though, the railroad continues to upkeep its engine shop in Gore. Currently, the W&W uses the Carmeuse mine in Clearbrook, VA as their main supplier and runs a train known as the "West Virginian Sandman".

## Course

From the B&O's old central station in downtown Winchester, the Winchester and Western Railroad ventures south and then follows Abram's Creek west out of the city. From there, the W&W travels northwest, eventually parallelling the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) where it goes through Hoop Petticoat Gap along Gap Run at Chambersville, today known as Round Hill. Still heading in a northwest direction with the Northwestern Turnpike, the W&W departs from the turnpike and follows Hogue Creek north, southeast of Hayfield. The W&W continues north until it intersects with the North Frederick Pike (U.S. Route 522) and enters the community of Gainesboro. The line then curves southwest into the Back Creek valley. At the southern edge of Bowling Green Ridge, the W&W crosses the Northwestern Turnpike one last time and follows Back Creek south to Gore. From Gore, the line heads south along Mine Spring Run where it currently ends at the sand mine.
This list includes all of the communities and stations that have been served at one time by the original Winchester and Western Railroad. The towns are listed from Winchester to Wardensville:

### Map of WW's Virginia DivisionFrederick County, Virginia

* Winchester
* Chambersville
* Hayfield
* Indian Hollow
* Gainesboro
* Gore
* Rock Enon Springs

### Hampshire County, West Virginia

* Shiloh
* Capon Springs Station
* Capon Lake
* Intermont

### Hardy County, West Virginia

* Wardensville

## Locomotive Fleet

The Winchester & Western operates a diverse fleet of locomotives. Before the onset of diesel power, the WW owned multiple steam locomotives, though not much is known about them. All locomotives currently belonging to the railroad are diesel-electric powered, with most being built by EMD. The railroad's fleet consists of hand-me-downs from other railroads. Almost all older, non-EMD locomotives were scrapped due to aging and standardization. Today, the railroad maintains its fleet of EMD locomotives and puts them to work on its various trains.
Known Locomotives :
| Builder | Model | Road Numbers | Build Date | Origin | Status | Notes |
| EMD | GP9 | 459 | July, 1955 | Ex-N&W 2459 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 475 | July, 1955 | Ex-N&W 2475 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 498 | August, 1956 | Ex-N&W 2498 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 517 | March, 1958 | Ex-N&W 2517 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 520 | March, 1958 | Ex-N&W 2520 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 709 | November, 1956 | Ex-Conrail 7090 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 732 | November, 1955 | Ex-Conrail 7323 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 752 | November, 1959 | Ex-Conrail 7527 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP9 | 811 | February, 1959 | Ex-N&W 2811 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP10 | 1006 (formerly 572) | October, 1959 | Ex-Conrail 7572 | Active | Active in Virginia. Last seen around 2016. |
| EMD | GP10 | 1002 (formerly 575) | November, 1959 | Ex-Conrail 7575 | Active | |
| EMD | GP10 | 576 | June, 1954 | Ex-BDRV 1848 | WIP | WIP |
| EMD | GP10 | 8066 | December, 1954 | Ex-Eastern Shore 8066. Built as IC 9066 | Scrapped | Used for parts at Gore. |
| EMD | GP38-2 | 2182 | February, 1966 | Ex-ICG 3104 | Active | Most of the W&W's GP38-2s are former GMTX leaser units that were later, fully bought by the railroad. |
| EMD | GP38-2 | 2689 | April, 1971 | Ex-Conrail 7907. Built as PC 7907. | Active | Active in Virginia. |
| EMD | GP38 | 3816 (formerly 2196) | Unknown | Unknown | Active | N/A |
| EMD | GP38 | 3817 (formerly 2197 | May, 1969 | Ex-GMO 705 | Active | Served in Virginia. Later sold to OMLX. |
| EMD | NW2 | 149 | June, 1947 | Ex-UCMX 1042. Built as Southern 2258. | Unknown | Served various industrial companies before being sold to the W&W's parent company, Unimin. It served Unimin in Georgia before being transferred to their mine in Gore; Thus, making it a part of the W&W fleet. Last seen around 2010. |
| EMD | SD9M | 954 | April, 1957 | Ex-NS 54. Built as NKP 352 (SD9). | Active | Active in New Jersey. Last seen around 2023. Most likely still active. |
| EMD | SW1 | 8411 | September, 1940. | Ex-B&O 211, later renumbered to 8411. | Unknown | Served in Virginia during the 1970s. Hasn't been seen since 1977. Very likely scrapped. |
| EMD | SW7 | 1200 | May, 1950 | Ex-Conrail 9071. Build as PRR 9391 | Unknown | Active in New Jersey before being attached to NS 39G in 2014. It was then, shipped down to Virginia where it was never seen again. |
| EMD | FP7A | 97C | January, 1951 | Ex-Milwaukee Road 97C | Inactive | Sold to MMID. Eventually ended up with VILX and renumbered 637. Still around but inactive and in bad shape. |
| ALCO | MT-4 (former RS-11) | 10 (formerly 1007) | December, 1957 | Ex-Conrail 1007. Built as PRR 8654 | Unknown | Sat on blocks outside the engine shop and used for parts, before presumably being scrapped around the late 2000's. |
| ALCO | MT-4 (former RS-11) | 120 | December, 1957 | Ex-Conrail 1020. Built as PRR 8647 | Active | Active in New Jersey. Equipped with a cab. |
| ALCO | MT-4 (former RS-11) | 210 | Unkown | Unknown. Most likely ex-Conrail | Active | Last sighting in Virginia around 2017. |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 351 | November, 1957 | Ex-Norfolk & Western 351 | Unknown | Sold to DL&W. Likely Scrapped |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 353 | December, 1957 | Ex-Norfolk & Western 353 | Unknown | Likely scrapped. |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 863 | February, 1959 | Ex-Norfolk & Western 2863 | Active | Sold to FRR: Renumbered 1802. Active for FRR. |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 3609 | September, 1956 | Ex-Central Vermont 3609. Built as Norfolk & Western 367. | Active | Sold to MCRR in the early 1990's and Renumbered to 367. Eventually ended up with SVRR and continues to actively serve them. |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 605 (formerly 3605) | September, 1956 | Ex-Quaboag Transfer 3605 | Scrapped | Scrapped before 2000. |
| ALCO | RS-11 | 3611 | September, 1956 | Ex-Quaboag Transfer 3611 | Unknown | Sold to MMCX, Later sold to DL&W: Renumbered 1805 around 2007. Current status is unknown. |
| ALCO | RS-3 | 527 | August, 1950 | Ex-Amtrak 123. Built as New Haven 0527. | Scrapped | Scrapped after a broken Crankshaft. |
| ALCO | MRS-1 | 2098 | April, 1953 | Ex-USMRR 2098 | Unknown | Purchased and lettered for the W&W in 1979, but was never used and returned to the owner, Eveready Machinery Co. |
| ALCO | MRS-1 | 2112 | April, 1953 | Ex-USMRR 2112 | Active | Sold to the KRM. Later sold to MSDR and continues to serve. |
| ALCO | S-2 | 16 | November, 1948 | Ex-WYT 106. Built as BO 522 | Unknown | Served in New Jersey in the 1980's. Later sold to OMID and renumbered 106. |
| ALCO | S-6 | 78 | December, 1955 | Ex-SP 1278 | Scrapped | Very Active on the Sandman around 1985-1990. Scrapped in the early 1990's |
| ALCO | S-6 | 80 | December, 1955 | Ex-SP 1280 | Scrapped | Active before being scrapped in the early 1990's. |
| GE | 70-Ton | 1952 | October, 1951 | Unkonwn | Unknown | I have no idea if this locomotive even existed. I can't find any information on it. |