Fall train excursion offers some of the best sites of southern W.Va.

By SARAH PLUMMER

The Register-Herald

BECKLEY, W.Va. — For the 51st year, passengers aboard the New River Train Excursion from Huntington to Hinton will glimpse breathtaking views of the New River Gorge during peak foliage.

The trip offers passengers an intimate ride through the “Grand Canyon of the East” as the railway winds its way along the banks of the New River.

Chris Lockwood, Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society general manager and trip chairman, said it’s a view of the gorge often only seen by hikers and rafters. The trip offers many riders, 65 year-old and older, the same access to panoramic views.

Visitors depart early from the Huntington C&O Depot and follow the railway along the Kanawha to the mouth of the New River at Gauley Bridge. From there it tracks the New River along some of the most exquisite sites, natural and manmade, southern West Virginia has to offer – Kanawha Falls, Hawks Nest Dam, the New River Gorge Bridge, Grandview, Stretcher Neck Tunnel and Sandstone Falls.

The train excursions coincide with the annual Hinton Railroad Days festival Oct 21-22 and Oct 28-29. According to the 2017 Division of Forestry Fall Color Map, the route should see peak fall color in late October.

“It is suppose to be great foliage, but we always have to wait and see,” he said.

Lockwood said more than 90 percent of the passengers are from out-of-state, and many make the trip annually.

It is a four-and-a-half hour ride to Hinton, so although it is a long day, it is broken up well, he explained. “It is relaxing to sit back, let someone else drive and watch the scenery. You don’t have to worry about stopping to eat or for bathroom breaks. You can just get up and walk around while you travel,” he said.

The trip has sold out for the last 15 years, and as of Oct. 2, tickets are only available for Sunday, Oct. 29. Tickets are still available for the Heritage Coach, a restored 1940s coach ($179), Premium seating in a homier parlor-type car with larger picture windows ($279), and private suites with a maximum occupancy of four ($1,200 per suite).

For more information on dining aboard or to purchase tickets visit www.newrivertrain.com or call 866-639-7487. The Collis P Huntington Railroad Historical Society is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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