1. Home
 ›
2. Short Lines
 ›
3. Kelley's Creek & Northwestern

Kelley's Creek and Northwestern Railroad

Published: August 19, 2024

By: Adam Burns

Through the immediate post-World War II era, and into the 1950s, the region around Charleston, West Virginia was rich in coal mines, chemical plants, general manufacturing, and even the Elk River Refinery - a Pennzoil facility located at Falling Rock, right on the Elk River near Clendenin.

The city - and surrounding area - was served by three major Class I's including the Chesapeake & Ohio, New York Central, Baltimore & Ohio while the Virginian Railway reached as close as Deepwater, WV.

There were also numerous short lines serving dozens of coacl mines located up the many creek drainages flowing into the Kanawha River.  One such system was the Kelley's Creek & Northwestern Railroad.

Among the notable short lines serving this bustling region were the Kellys Creek Railroad, the aforementioned KC&NW, the Winifrede Railroad, and the Campbells Creek Railroad. The operational lifespan of these small systems was influenced by a variety of factors, including the availability of coal reserves and the profitability dictated by market conditions.

Today, only the Winifrede Railroad continues to operate, albeit under different ownership. The other lines have faded into history: the Kellys Creek Railroad ceased operations in 1964, the Kellys Creek & Northwestern persisted until 1993, and the Campbells Creek Railroad was the first to terminate service, doing so in 1962.

Kelley's Creek & Northwestern 70-tonner #11 was photographed here at the road's small engine terminal in Ward, West Virginia in August, 1982. Rob Kitchen photo.

History

The Kelley's Creek and Northwestern Railroad was incorporated on May 9, 1903, under the general laws of the State of West Virginia. Its primary objective was to construct and operate a railroad from Cedar Grove to Sutton, WV - roughly 80 miles in length.

While the original records do not reveal the exact date of the carrier's organization, the railroad nonetheless developed significant coal traffic along Kelley's Creek, where it interchanged with the New York Central at Cedar Grove.

Though the railroad never achieved its intended size, its main line extended from Cedar Grove to the Lewis mines, situated about 2 miles east of Ward, WV, covering a distance of 6.792 miles.

Additionally, the carrier had 1.383 miles of yard tracks and sidings, making for a total of 8.175 miles of track. The entire right-of-way was leased from the Kellys Creek Colliery Company, as the railroad principally served the coal mines owned by this company, which also controlled the railroad.

In subsequent years, ownership passed to the Valley Camp Coal Company. The railroad primarily transported coal to a river loading facility, where it was loaded onto barges for shipment to customers.

Following Conrail's acquisition of Penn Central's (1968-1976) interests in 1976 it also interchanged with that carrier for some shipments. The KC&NW operated via a fairly rugged profile on grades ranging from 2.5 to 3 percent, moving an average of about two million tons of coal annually.

It is somewhat surprising that given the commodity handled, robust business during its peak yeras, and the railroad's stiff grades  it generally relied only on relatively small power throughout the steam and diesel eras.

System Map

A 1957 topographic map with the Kelley's Creek & Northwestern's line highlighted.

To handle its coal shipments the KC&NW maintained a fleet of 140 100-ton coal hoppers it direclty owned.  These cars were never interchanged with another carrier. 

In the mid-1980s, the coal company was purchased by the Quaker State Oil Company. After a few years, Quaker State decided to exit the coal business, selling all contracts and equipment.  The railroad's final day of operation was April 3, 1993.

Kelley's Creek & Northwestern MP15DC #1 is pulling a coal train through Ward, West Virginia, on it's way to the docks at Cedar Grove in August, 1982. Rob Kitchen photo.

Locomotive Roster

The Kelley's Creek & Northwestern's small stature meant its locomotive fleet was never large.  Its notable steam locomotives included 2-8-0 #1 and 2-8-2 #12.  The former was originally an 0-8-0 plant switcher locomotive from Alco's Schenectady Works.

It was later rebuilt as a 2-8-0 and sold to the KC&NW, where it served for over three decades before being sold to the Buffalo Creek & Gauley in nearby Clay County in August 1950, where it was renumbered 14.

The locomotive's history includes a tumultuous period known as the "Great Wreck of '56," which left #14 in poor condition. 

In 1967, Paul Hersch purchased #14 from storage. It wasn’t until 1975 that the engine was moved to Quakertown, Pennsylvania. By 1980, it was donated to the Historic Red Clay Valley's Wilmington & Western Railroad at Greenbank, DE. Later, in December 1984, Melvyn Small acquired the engine, and it was stored at the W&W shop in Marshallton, DE.

By 2014, #14 had undergone a cosmetic restoration and was placed on static display in Gaithersburg, MD, showcasing its storied past for future generations to appreciate.

In 1949, the KC&NW acquired its first diesel, a 70-tonner from GE.  It added a second in 1950.   It also picked up two second-hand 70-tonners, #9 and #11.  These locomotives consisted the entirety of its fleet until 1976 when it picked up an MP15DC from Electro-Motive.  Another was added in 1980. 

After the railroad discontinued operations in the spring of 1993, both MP units were sold to the Alaska Railroad.  Today, little remains on the historic KC&NW although traces of the ROW remain.  In additon, the old engine house in Ward still stands.

Diesel Roster