A Special Train for a Special Day
by Jonathan Spurlock
CSX’s former C&O line to Logan, WV and the coalfields in the region left the main line at Barboursville, WV. The Logan subdivision then traveled near some of Barboursville’s residential district before heading mostly south to Logan and beyond. The line was usually kept in a well-maintained condition but I can seldom remember seeing a train. Even in my grade school years, we had a younger-than-Little-League baseball league that played games literally a stone’s throw from the tracks. Even at 9 years of age, I could throw a rock better than a baseball, but that’s another story.
Many years later, one of the saddest days of anyone’s life happened. Dad completed his earthly journey and … Read more
My dad was an operator on the C&O at Man, WV, and I can still relive the first time I ever saw him hand up orders to the crew of a moving train. I will always think of him as one of the bravest men I ever knew. You can read more about this in my first article, 
Big pusher consists (24 powered axles) were only used on loaded trains. “Time Freight” (General or Mixed Freight) pushers were limited to 14 powered axles. The former Southern pushed against cabooses, empty, and light loaded cars. As such, they limited pushers to 14 powered axles (example, two 4 axle & one 6 axle conventional units). High adhesion locomotive axles were counted as 1 1/3 conventional traction motors, hence, a C40-8 or an SD-60 with 6 actual axles would be counted as 8 axles. The N&W, on the other hand, pushed against 100 ton or heavier loads and limited their pusher consists to 24 powered axles (4 conventional SD’s …