Thurmond’s Decline

Thurmond’s Decline. New River Gorge National River. . Look down the railroad tracks. You might see a train coming. But if you do, you won’t see an engine fueled by coal, belching smoke and steam, as you would have during Thurmond’s heyday. Instead, you will see an engine powered with diesel fuel.

Thurmond was a rail center, with a steam engine repair shop that employed up to 175 workers. But when the C&O Railway switched to diesel in the mid-1950s, the need for Thurmond’s repair shop lessened. Combined with the decline of coal mining, the arrival of diesel brought Thurmond’s golden era to an end.

Diesel Versus Steam . Why did rail lines switch from steam to diesel? Money, of course. In 1955 alone, diesels saved the C&O Railway 28 percent in operating costs, or $25 million. Diesels could start at the flip of a switch, travel long distances without costly repairs, and were more fuel efficient. They required fewer workers, too. Two men working a diesel replaced six on a heavy steam engine. Gone were machinists, boilermakers, and pipefitters. Gone, too, were repair centers like Thurmond. . This historical marker was erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. It is in Thurmond in Fayette County West Virginia