January 3, 2024.
Footage from a winter day on the South Branch Valley Railroad, chasing the southbound local from Green Spring to Petersburg, West Virginia on the former Baltimore & Ohio "South Branch."
The South Branch Valley Railroad (SBVR) has a classic fleet of former B&O and C&O EMDs pulling revenue freight on a daily basis. This old-school branch line follows the South Branch Potomac River from Green Spring to Romney and Petersburg, crossing the scenic South Branch Valley in West Virginia's panhandle region. The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad operates over SBVR rails with excursions along the river.
On this pleasant winter day, SBVR 6240 (former Chessie System GP9) was leading the southbound local freight to Petersburg. The 6240 was originally built for the Chesapeake & Ohio in August of 1957, and was painted back into its iconic Chessie System paint scheme in the early 2000s. On the head end, 6240 was leading two former B&O GP38s, painted to resemble different B&O paint schemes. A former B&O GP9 (SBVR 6604) was placed on the rear, assisting with steep grades from Green Spring to Petersburg. The 6604 was also painted back into it's classic B&O paint scheme during the early 2000s.