Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad

The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Romney, West Virginia.

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
An EMD F3 leads an excursion over Route 28 north of Springfield, West Virginia.

The railroad operates excursion trains over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that runs between Green Spring and Petersburg. The West Virginia State Rail Authority (SRA) owns the line and freight service is provided by the South Branch Valley Railroad.

The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad's excursion trains run from Romney to Moorefield with occasional longer trips to Petersburg. All excursions use diesel locomotives.

A highlight of the trip is passage along the South Branch Potomac River through "The Trough", an area noted for bald eagle sightings.

History

The PESR runs on the track of the South Branch Valley Railroad, which was established by the state of West Virginia in 1978 to operate a line abandoned by the B&O. Freight service on this line operates on weekdays and occasionally on weekends, so the line is free for excursions on most weekends.

In 1989 efforts began to attract an excursion operator, and service began in 1991.

Equipment

The PESR operates a mixture of cars behind four early model diesels:

  • F7A #722 (ex-Bessemer and Lake Erie), was the only locomotive painted in PESR colors but recently repainted into a B&O livery similar to 6604
  • F3Au #8016 (ex-Clinchfield, ex-CSXT) in Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad livery (on lease from the C&O Historical Society, Clifton Forge, VA). Currently stored in Spencer, NC awaiting a repaint into her original Clinchfield colors.
  • GP9 #6604 (ex-B&O), one of the distinctive "torpedo boat" units built for passenger service and restored to its original livery
  • GP9 #6240 (ex C&O) in Chessie System livery

Also of interest is the station, just south of Romney. It is B&O caboose #C2507, one of the seven prototype "wagon top" cabooses built by the railroad in 1940.

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See also

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