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There’s Coal In Them Thar Hills
The Appalachian coal fields had national and international significance, once they were developed in the 1880's. The role
of coal has been critical in shaping the growth of Southwest Virginia for over a century. The region has alternated between
boom and bust economic cycles. The demand for coal surged in the 1880's, when the railroads made it possible to ship the bulky
product to the commercial marketplaces. In the 1980's, the demand dropped due to Clean Air Act requirements for low-sulfur
coal, and the supply of low-cost coal from Virginia has dropped with the exhaustion of the easy-to-mine coal beds.
One railroad company began construction in 1885 to haul
coal and iron. Through several changes in ownership the track continued to be extended as trains crept over the mountains
between Southwest Virginia and North Carolina. The final length of track was laid in 1920.
Between the decline in
coal mining and the authorization of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) in 1965 the need for coal cars, much
less railroads as a means of transport within rural areas of SouthWest Virgina, has gone by the wayside with the end of operations
in 1977.
In the last 30 years portions of the silent track were replaced with two wheelers, hiking boots, and a few
four footed friends to form one of Virginia's most picturesque Rails-to-Trails.
At the trail head you can see one
of these iron horses that rolled down the now ghost track. Across the trestle and not far down the trail you may hear a bell
sound or other warning; tho not likely the whistle that just went by. Just beyond a hairpin turn wraps around a multi-multi
trunk to lead up the incline to I don't know what because I was drawn to the cement block buried in vines. Under the chunk
leaning against the tree a forgotten coal car from the 1870s was lodged.
Travelers on this trail are numerous, so
please seek this location with stealth.
Report your finds or damage to PostMystress@yahoo.com
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