Winchester and Western Railroad

Winchester and Western Railroad
Company type	Private
Industry	Railroad
Founded	1916-08-16
Headquarters	Winchester, United States
Area served	Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey
Key people	William B. Cornwell (president in 1921)
Products	Freight rail transportation (sand, grain, quarry products)
Owner	OmniTRAX (since 2019)
Parent	OmniTRAX

The Winchester and Western Railroad is a shortline railroad that runs between Gore, Virginia and Hagerstown, Maryland, with supplementary routes located in southern New Jersey. It connects with Conrail Shared Assets Operations at both Millville, New Jersey and Vineland, New Jersey.

Expansion

Initially launched in 1917, the line stretched from Winchester to Wardensville, West Virginia, and remained independently operated despite undergoing multiple reorganizations. In 1986, the railroad grew by purchasing former Pennsylvania Railroad tracks from Conrail, thereby extending its reach from Winchester to Hagerstown and incorporating most of its New Jersey segments—previously parts of the Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines and the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ).

The following year, 1987, saw W&W acquire a short branch line formerly operated by CNJ, running from Bridgeton to Seabrook, from the Jersey Southern Railway. The company functions solely as a freight carrier, mainly supporting quarry operations owned by its parent firm, Unimin, in Gore. In New Jersey, it facilitates Unimin’s sand shipments along with some grain transportation.

Establishment (1916–1921)

The Winchester & Western was incorporated on August 16, 1916, with the goal of exploiting timber resources located in southeastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, and southwestern Frederick County, Virginia. This project intended to provide railroad ties and hardwood timber to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad during the heightened demand brought about by World War I.

The Baltimore and Ohio’s regional subsidiary, Winchester Lumber Company, owned large forest tracts in this area and contracted the Intermountain Construction Company to build a 40-mile standard-gauge railroad connecting Winchester to Wardensville. Despite difficulties sourcing materials during wartime, construction advanced using mule-drawn equipment and manual labor. By January 1918, the first revenue-generating train delivered 16,000 rail ties into Winchester.

The line continued southward through Back Creek valley toward Wardensville. A ceremonial "golden spike" event near Capon Springs marked its near completion in June 1919. The railroad was officially finished on May 25, 1921, with celebrations emphasizing its anticipated contribution to regional economic development. William B. Cornwell—brother of former West Virginia Governor John J. Cornwell—held the position of president at that time.

Initial Operations & Decline (1921–1944)

From its opening in May 1921, the Winchester and Western primarily operated as a freight carrier but also offered limited passenger service. The first passenger vehicle was a modified automobile bus adapted for rail use, providing two daily round trips between Winchester and Wardensville with seventeen stops including Capon Springs Station—a popular spot for dining and vacations. Key stations along the route included Gainesboro and Gore, while W&W’s terminal was situated at the Baltimore and Ohio Station in Winchester.

Although freight constituted the main revenue source for W&W, local communities occasionally chartered trains for recreational excursions to Capon Springs or scenic rides along the Cacapon River. During the 1920s, the railroad extended beyond Wardensville via three narrow-gauge spurs known collectively as the Lost River Railroad. However, economic hardships during the Great Depression led to diminished freight volumes and subsequent reductions: service was cut back to Capon Springs Station in 1934 due to timber shortages; passenger operations ceased that same year; and tracks were further retracted near Rock Enon Springs. By World War II in 1944, service beyond Gore had stopped entirely, marking a dormant period until operations resumed in 1972.

Revitalization (1972-2019)

In 1972, Unimin (currently known as Covia) took ownership of the sand mine at Gore from Virginia Glass Sand and resumed W&W operations to deliver sand to its clientele. The company grew further in 1986 by acquiring Conrail’s "Winchester Secondary" track stretching from Winchester to Williamsport, Maryland. The following year, 1987, saw the purchase of three shortline railroads in southern New Jersey. This expansion resulted in two distinct divisions—Virginia and New Jersey—catering both to Unimin's needs and other freight customers, with connections to major eastern railroads such as CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

From the 1970s through the early 2000s, W&W experienced what many describe as a "golden era." ALCO locomotives pulled a well-known train called "The Sandman," which operated between Gore and Hagerstown. In New Jersey, the acquisition of EMD GP-9 and GP-10 locomotives from Conrail led to the adoption of a Nickel Plate Road-inspired livery that remains in use today.

The early 2000s marked the beginning of modernization efforts, replacing older ALCO locomotives with newer EMD GP38 models and refurbishing the engine shop at Gore. Several older Electro-Motive Diesel locomotives were also retained and remain in service, demonstrating a deliberate approach to upgrading the fleet while supporting ongoing operational growth.

OmniTRAX Ownership (2019-present)

In 2018, Unimin merged with Santrol to create Covia, which later sold the railroad to OmniTRAX. By 2024, Covia’s sand mine at Gore was shut down, causing the railroad to discontinue operations there; nonetheless, W&W continues to operate its engine maintenance facility in Gore and maintains the track between Gore and Winchester. Presently, W&W’s primary supplier is the Carmeuse mine located in Clearbrook, Virginia, operating a train known as the "West Virginian Sandman."

Course

Beginning at the former B&O central station in downtown Winchester, the Winchester and Western Railroad proceeds southward before turning west along Abram's Creek. It then heads northwest alongside the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) passing through Chambersville (now Round Hill), before following Hogue Creek northward near Hayfield. Continuing northward, it crosses North Frederick Pike (U.S. Route 522) entering Gainesboro, then curves southwest into the Back Creek valley. After crossing the Northwestern Turnpike near Bowling Green Ridge, it follows Back Creek southward toward Gore and terminates near the sand mine adjacent to Mine Spring Run.

The railroad has historically served communities along its route from Winchester to Wardensville:

Frederick County, Virginia

Hampshire County, West Virginia

Hardy County, West Virginia

Wardensville

Locomotive Fleet

Winchester & Western manages a varied collection of diesel-electric locomotives, predominantly manufactured by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). The majority of the current fleet comprises pre-owned units sourced from other railroads, aligning with a strategy that emphasizes cost-effectiveness and dependable performance. Older locomotives not produced by EMD have mostly been phased out or dismantled to preserve fleet uniformity. After OmniTRAX took ownership in 2019, numerous GP9 models were transferred to OMLX. Presently, Winchester & Western operates an active lineup of EMD locomotives throughout its routes, facilitating freight services in both New Jersey and Virginia.

Known Locomotives
Builder	Model	Road Numbers	Build Date	Origin	Status	Notes
EMD	GP9	403	June 1954	Former Tidewater Grain 3403; initially Texas and New Orleans Railroad 403	Active	Renumbered to 9006 in 2022; currently working in New Jersey
		445	January 1955	Previously Southern Pacific 5608	Unknown	Transferred to OmniTRAX as 9007 in 2021; current whereabouts uncertain
		459	July 1955	Ex-Norfolk and Western 2459 (originally Nickel Plate Road 459)	Unknown	Probably sold to OmniTRAX following last observation in Virginia around 2017
		475	July 1955	Former Norfolk and Western 2475 (built as Nickel Plate Road 475)	Unknown	Moved to OmniTRAX after last seen in New Jersey in 2019
		498	August 1956	Ex-Norfolk and Western 2498 (original Nickel Plate Road 498)	Unknown	Sold to OmniTRAX circa 2021
		517	March 1958	Former Norfolk and Western 2517 (originally Nickel Plate Road 517)	Unknown	Last observed with OmniTRAX branding in 2020
		520	March 1958	Ex-Norfolk and Western 2520 (built as Nickel Plate Road 520)	Active	Currently active within New Jersey operations
		709	November 1956	Former Conrail 7090 (originally Pennsylvania Railroad 7090)	Unknown	Transferred to OmniTRAX in 2021; status not confirmed
		732	November 1955	Ex-Conrail 7323 (original New York Central Railroad 5923)	Active	Sold to Dover and Rockaway River Railroad; rebuilt as GP-10 #1823; leased long-term to MDDE/DCR featuring a unique paint scheme
		811	February 1959	Former Norfolk and Western 2811 (originally Nickel Plate Road 811)	Active	Transferred to Belvidere and Delaware River Railway, later Black River and Western Railroad; remains active today
	GP10	1006 (previously 572)	October 1959	Former Conrail 7572	Active	Operating within the Virginia area
		November 1959	Ex-Conrail 7575	Active	In service across Virginia
		June 1954	Former Belvidere and Delaware River Railway 1848	'Active'	'Active as of 2025 in New Jersey'
		'February, 1956'	'Inactive' \|Stored out of service in New Jersey'
		February,1966 \|Ex-Illinois Central Railroad \|'Active' \|Operating in Virginia region \|- '2689' \|April,1971 \|Leased from GMTX; ex-Conrail \|'Active' \|Currently active in Virginia \|- 3815 \|Unknown \|Unknown \|'Active' \|Operational status uncertain \|- rowspan="2" \|GP38 \|3816 (formerly '2196') \|Unknown \|Unknown \|'Active' \|Status unknown \|- 3817 (formerly '2197') \|May,1969 \|Ex-Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad 705 \|'Active' \|Previously served Virginia; later sold to OmniTRAX \|- NW2 \|149 \|June,1947 \|Former Covia UCMX1042; originally Southern Railway2258 \|Unknown \|Used for industrial clients prior to joining W&W parent Unimin fleet; last spotted circa2010 \|- SD9M \|954 \|April,1957 \|Ex-Norfolk Southern54; originally Nickel Plate Road352 (SD9) \|Active \|In operation in New Jersey as of2025 \|- SW1 \|8411 \|September,1940 \|Former Baltimore and Ohio211/8411 \|Active \|Utilized as switcher for Chambersburg Cold Storage, PA \|- SW7 \|1200 \|May,1950 \|Ex-Conrail9071; originally Pennsylvania Railroad9391 \|Active \|Leased long-term to Gerdau Recycling, Norfolk VA \|- FP7A \|97C \|January,1951 \|Former Milwaukee Road97C \|Inactive \|Sold to Maryland Midland Railway; currently inactive and deteriorating \|- rowspan="15" ALCO \|- MT-4 (ex-RS-11) \|- 10 (previously1007) December,1957 Ex-Conrail1007 Originally PRR8654 Inactive Stored for parts; likely scrapped late2000s \|- 120 December,1957 Ex-Conrail1020 Originally PRR8647 Inactive Stored out of service with cab intact \|- 210 Unknown Probably ex-Conrail Scrapped Dismantled by2019 \|- RS-11 \|- 351 November,1957 Ex-Norfolk & Western351 Inactive Sold for parts to Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad \|- 353 December,1957 Ex-Norfolk & Western353 Scrapped Removed from service during the1990s \|- 863 February,1959 Ex-Norfolk & Western2863 Active Sold to Falls Road Railroad; renumbered1802; currently active \|- 3609 September,1956 Ex-Central Vermont3609 Originally Norfolk & Western367 Active Transferred early1990s to Maine Coast Railroad; now with Shenandoah Valley Railroad \|- 3605 September,1956 Ex-Quaboag Transfer3605 Scrapped Before2000 \|- 3611 September,1956 Ex-Quaboag Transfer3611 Inactive Sold first to Miller Milling Company then Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad for parts \|- RS-3 \|-527 August,1950 Ex-Amtrak123 Built New Haven527 Scrapped Retired due to broken crankshaft \|- MRS-1 \|-2098 April,1953 Ex-US Military Railroad2098 Unknown Acquired but never utilized by W&W; returned to Eveready Machinery Co. \|- 2112 April,1953 Ex-US Military Railroad2112 Active Sold to Kentucky Railway Museum then Mississippi Delta Railroad; remains operational \|- S-2 \|-16 November,1948 Ex-Wyandotte Terminal106 Originally BO522 Unknown Served New Jersey then sold to Ontario Midland Railroad renumbered106 \|- S-6 \|-78 December,1955 Ex-Southern Pacific1278 Scrapped Active until late1980s then dismantled early1990s \|- 80 December,1955 Ex-Southern Pacific1280 Scrapped Operated until early1990s before scrapping \|- GE \|-70-Ton\|-1952 October,1951 Original owner Unknown Purchased by W&W in1951; presumed scrapped \| } External links Virginia Railroad Association: Winchester & Western Railroad Official Winchester & Western Railroad Website HawkinsRails.net page on Winchester & Western