ITMANN, WV – (Railfan Journal) History has been made in this hills of West Virginia as CSX Transportation has loaded their first coal train at the CONSOL Energy mine in Itmann, West Virginia.
CSX is utilizing trackage rights from Pemberton, WV to reach the mine. Under the current operating conditions, the empties leave Quinnimont yard on the main line for the 13.4 mile trip up the Piney Creek Subdivision to Raleigh yard where the train will then transfer on to what CSX calls the Raleigh Southwestern and Winding Gulf Subdivision the 5.5 miles to Pemberton where the rails become the former Virginian Railway Winding Gulf Branch, now owned by Norfolk Southern.
After traveling the 23.6 miles of the Winding Gulf Branch, trains will then join the Virginian main at Gulf Junction and come in to Elmore yard. From Elmore, the train will turn on to the NS Guyandot River Branch make the 4 mile journey to Itmann to begin loading. Loaded trains will make the same trip the other way.
Itmann is now a jointly served mine, with Norfolk Southern still loading there in addition to CSX.