Mullens in Wyoming County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Virginian Railway Station
— Coal Heritage Trail —
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019
1. Virginian Railway Station Marker
The Deepwater Railroad built its lines to Mullens in 1906. The first station, a 10 by 20" passenger waiting room was at the curve 900 feet north of here. The Virginian Railway Station, built in 1910, had a 22 by 54" frame painted orange, the same as their passenger coaches. After burning down in a 1917 fire a 22 by 80" station with a waiting room and freight room was built. A brick passenger baggage storage building was built and remains, used also as an electric signal control office. Fire of 1919 burnt this station and two blocks of the town. Rebuilt size 24 by 90" with office, waiting room and freight room. An overhead covering for passenger loading area was added in 1926. At one time, six passenger trains arrived here. Passenger service discontinued in 1955. After merging with the N&W Railroad, the wooden station was replaced in 197x with a metal office building [further text missing].Erected 2001 by West Virginia Archives and History; donated by Mullens Chamber of Commerce.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 37° 34.935′ N, 81° 22.815′ W. Marker is in Mullens, West Virginia, in Wyoming County. Marker is at the intersection of Moran Avenue (West Virginia Route 16) and 1st Street (West Virginia Route 16), on the left when traveling south on Moran Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mullens WV 25882, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Virginian Railway Motor Barn (here, next to this marker); Mullens (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Mullens (approx. half a mile away); Itmann Company Store (approx. half a mile away); Mullens Historic District (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Mullens (approx. half a mile away); The Virginian Arrives (approx. half a mile away); The Richest Little Railroad in the World (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mullens.
Additional commentary.
1. Virginian Railway Passenger Operation
The Virginia Railway was for the most part a coal and freight railroad. But it had passenger trains carrying not only passengers but Railway Express packages and the U.S. Mail. The main line
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019
2. Virginian Railway Station and Virginian Railway Motor Barn Markers
They are at the foot of First Street. The railroad tracks run left to right above the retaining wall.
The Virginian Railway June 10, 1925 timetable described its passenger trains like this: “All-steel, strictly modern” including a “twelve-section drawing rooms” sleeping car on trains No. 3 and 4 between Norfolk and Roanoke and “Club Car service on trains No. 3 and 4 between Roanoke Va. and Huntington W. Va.” The club car had a large parlor for first class passengers and provided meals and beverage service to all passengers on the train.
Virginian train No. 3 was a westbound overnight train that left Norfolk at 10 p.m. with a 45 minute layover at Roanoke at 7:30 a.m. that stopped at Mullens at 2:45 p.m. It continued to Deepwater West Virginia, arriving there at 6:15 p.m. At Deepwater the extra-fare club car continued on the next Chesapeake and Ohio train west to Charleston and Huntington, arriving Huntington at 9:30 p.m. Coach passengers could change at Deepwater to C&O mainline trains westbound to Charleston,
Photographed By J. J. Prats
3. Virginian Railway June 10, 1925 Mainline Timetable
This excerpt shows 6 trains stopping at Mullens every day, three in each direction. Light times are a.m. trains, dark times are p.m. trains. Left columns are read top to bottom and are trains heading towards Deepwater West Virginia. Right columns are read bottom to top and are trains heading towards Roanoke Virginia and on to Norfolk. Left to right on the left-hand side are trains No. 15, 11+5, and 3. On the right side are trains 4, 6+16 and 12.
Train No. 4 was the eastbound return of train No. 3, from Deepwater to Norfolk. its club car had left Huntington on a C&O train at 7:30 a.m. The train, with the Club Car attached, left Deepwater at 10:50 a.m., arriving Mullens at 2:15 p.m. and continuing to Roanoke and Norfolk. It arrived at Roanoke at 8:15 p.m. and after a long layover continued at 10 p.m. for Norfolk, arriving there at 7:30 a.m. the following day. At Roanoke, passengers from Mullens could cross town on a streetcar or taxi to the Norfolk and Western Station to continue their journey to Winston-Salem North Carolina, Memphis Tennessee, Birmingham Alabama or to New York via Hagerstown Maryland and Harrisburg Pennsylvania.
Train No. 5, originating in Princeton West Virginia at 5:20 in the morning stopped at Mullens at 6:55 a.m., splitting into two trains. No. 5 continued to Deepwater, arriving there at 10:50 a.m. The other cars from Princeton became Train No. 11 to Pemberton arriving in Pemberton at 9 a.m. At Pemberton, a connecting C&O train would get you to Beckley by 9:45 a.m. After a two hour layover, train No. 11 continued to Fireco, arriving there at 11:30 p.m.
The return trains for No. 5 were No. 6 from Deepwater and No. 16 from Fireco and Pemberton, which
Photographed By J. J. Prats
4. Virginian Railway Branch Lines to Fireco and Princewick
June 10, 1925 timetable. The note with the bullet on the right reads, “C&O train No. 362 waits at Pemberton one hour and fifteen minutes for connection with No. 13.” That is the train to Beckley. The timetable shows train 11 also has a connecting train for Beckley, but that connection is apparently not guaranteed if No. 13 runs late.
There were three more trains to and from Pemberton and Fireco. No. 13 left Princeton at 12:20 p.m. arrived at Mullens at 3:10 p.m. and continued to Pemberton, arriving there at 5:15 p.m. No. 12 was a morning train that left Fireco at 5:40 a.m., arriving at Mullens at 7:30 a.m. and continuing on to Princeton, arriving there at 9:35 a.m. No. 14 left Fireco at 11:35 a.m., arriving Mullens at 1:45 p.m. and Princeton at 4:20 p.m.
Finally, there was train No. 15 that started at Princeton at 5:45 p.m. and finished its run at Mullens at 7:32 p.m.
That makes a total of 10 scheduled passenger trains (Trains No. 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16) arriving at and/or departing from Mullens every day, 8 detraining passengers and 8 boarding passengers. There was activity at the station from the arrival of the first train at 7:05 a.m. to the departure of the last train at 7:40 p.m. Quite a busy station in the mountains of West Virginia.
— Submitted August 26, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
From J.J. Prats postcard collection, circa 1957
5. Norfolk & Western Railway Station, Mullens W.Va.
Based on the 1957 Plymouth automobile, the photograph was taken after passenger service was discontinued. The sign on the wall to the right of the windows reads, “N&W Ry. Co. — Not responsible for damage to automobiles, from any cause, parked on these premises.”
Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3, 4. submitted on August 26, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 5. submitted on August 28, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
