CLIFFTOP, WV (LOOTPRESS) – In the 1950s, an 800 foot long railroad tunnel was proposed to be built underneath the administration building at Babcock State Park.
When one thinks of Babcock State Park in the little town of Clifftop, the Glade Creek Grist Mill most likely comes to mind.
But before the park, the area of Clifftop was a thriving mining community with a narrow gauge railway serving as the lifeline for the community for nearly 70 years.
Clifftop was established in the 1880s by the Longdale Iron Company located in Longdale, Virginia.
The story goes back to the early 1870s when the Longdale Iron Company purchased tracts of land along the New River near the mouth of Mann’s Creek in anticipation of the completion of the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railway in 1873.
This location would soon be called Sewell Depot and later shortened to Sewell. Longdale opened their first mine in Sewell the same year the C&O was completed in 1873.
Longdale constructed nearly 200 beehive style coke ovens in Sewell to fuel their smelting furnaces in Longdale, VA. It was one of the largest coke operations in the United States at that point.
In the mid-1880s the coal seams at Sewell were exhausted and no more coal could not profitably be mined. Longdale was in trouble.
In search of more coal to mine, a group of Longdale Iron Company officials made the treacherous hike nearly nine miles up the mountain.
Once making it to the top of the mountain, president of the Longdale Iron Company Harry Firestone exclaimed “This is surely the Cliff Top,” and the town officially got its name.
There was another problem for Longdale— getting the coal from the top of the mountain nine miles down to the coke ovens at Sewell. There was only one solution in 1886…. a railroad climbing the mountain!
Longdale officials had inquired with the C&O to determine the feasibility of constructing a railway from Sewell to Clifftop. The C&O did not see a feasible way to construct such a railway.
Officials then met with engineer William G. Reynolds of Charleston who stated that they could indeed construct the proposed rail line through the Mann’s Creek Gorge for $100,000 which would cost $3,199,237.11 in 2024.
In 1886, the job was complete and a nine-mile 3-foot narrow gauge railway, dubbed the “Mann’s Creek Railway” was ready for its first train.
The railway hauled countless tons of coal from Clifftop and lumber from Landisburg down the steep gorge throughout its history with its last run being a rail fan excursion in 1955.
In the 1950s a modern mine and processing plant was constructed in Clifftop and Landisburg. At this time, coal from Clifftop and Landisburg was being transported by truck to Sewell and other locations.
From Longdale Iron Company to Babcock Coal and Coke Company, the mine interests in the area were eventually taken over by A.T. Massey Coal Company which operated Medo Fuel Co. and Royalty Smokeless Coal Co. in the area.
A.T. Massey believed that it would be more profitable to load out coal via train than it was by truck.
There was a nine-mile railway available for use that could take coal from Landisburg/Clifftop to Sewell but one thing stood in the way— Babcock State Park.
In the mid 1930s, Edward V. Babcock of Babcock Coal and Coke donated over 4,000 acres to the state to establish a new state park which would be named in honor of Babcock.
A.T. Massey proposed transforming the Mann’s Creek Railway from narrow gauge to standard gauge and alter the route to get rid of the switchbacks as it was a very steep rail line.
That could be done, however, Babcock State Park stood between the connection to the railway and future coal load out. The state would not consider allowing the rail line running through the park due to the potential pollution.
A.T. Massey then insisted on constructing an 800-foot tunnel under the state park where the current administration building stands.
The proposal was considered by the State Conservation Agency but after multiple meetings and debate, the proposal was rejected due to concerns the widening of the railway would harm the park and result in pollution of Glade Creek.
A.T. Massey had to rethink their plan.
Eventually, A.T. Massey entered an agreement with the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier (NF&G) Railway which was a joint partnership between the C&O and New York Central (NYC) Railway that ran along Meadow River.
Trains were loaded at both Medo at the present day junction of U.S. 60 and State Route 41 North in Fayette County near Russellville and Landisburg above Babcock State Park.
The trains then followed along the banks of Meadow River eastward through Rainelle and to the town of Meadow Creek to meet the C&O mainline where the coal was then shipped to various markets.
Today, the remnants of the Mann’s Creek Railway are hiking trails within Babcock State Park. The joint C&O/NYC line to Landisburg was ripped up in the 1970s. Much of the former NF&G along Meadow River is now a rail trail.