Saturday, May 30, 2026

1894-2012 OOS/CSX/C&O Bridge over Gauley River at Belva, WV

(no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; B&T; Satellite)

Bridges & Tunnels by Sherman Cahal posted two photos with the comment:
The Belva Railroad Bridge carried the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) Greendale (Gauley) Branch between Gauley over the Gauley River in Belva, West Virginia. Constructed c. 1893-94, the 1,126-foot [343m] bridge was last used c. 2012 when the last coal mine on the branch was idled.
⇢ More on this river crossing can be found at http://bridgestunnels.com/location/belva-railroad-bridge/
⇢ More on the C&O Greendale (Gauley) branch can be found at https://abandonedonline.net/.../chesapeake-ohio-railroad.../
Bridges & Tunnels by Sherman Cahal shared
1

2

B&T, this webpage has several more photos of the bridge

1969/72 Gauley Bridge Quad @ 24,000

1 comment:

  1. That's a fascinating piece of infrastructure history — the Belva Railroad Bridge served the Gauley Branch for over a century, and it's always a bit bittersweet to see these old coal lines fall into disuse after the mines shut down. If you're interested in more details about the bridge's construction or the branch's operational history, tony spins has some additional photos and technical specs worth checking out. It's amazing how structures like this can still stand strong decades after they've been abandoned.

    ReplyDelete