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UER Forum > US: Southeast > Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup ) (Viewed 3541 times)
Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
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Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< on 6/8/2016 1:03 AM >
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Tuesday, May 24th, I packed up my bike and headed for the wilds of West Virginia to explore a few old coal towns and the railroad town of Thurmond. I am splitting the report into several posts, all the pictures are here for your viewing pleasure - https://wheedle.sm...torcycles/WV-2016/

Thurmond may not exactly be urban exploration, as it is now owned by the National Park Service and part of New River Gorge National River area. It's been high on my list of places to visit for the last few years. I spent several hours walking about and taking pictures. Here are a few...

















A couple of mild HDR shots









[last edit 6/8/2016 1:58 AM by Wheedle - edited 1 times]

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Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 200 likes




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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam
< Reply # 1 on 6/8/2016 1:44 AM >
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The next day I visited Glen Rogers, Coalwood, Gary, and Switchback.

Glen Rogers was one of the largest mining camps in the area, with a company store, boarding house, community center, and elementary and high school. It was also one of the most dangerous places to work, with many serious accidents leading up to its closure in 1960.












Coalwood was home to the Olga mine, which produced until 1986. It was also home to the 'Rocket Boys' of October Sky fame.






Gary is still a fairly active city, but the old Gary Negro Grade School and the Gary District High School are very much abandoned relics from the era of segregation. The current brick structures were finished in 1928 and 1925, and closed in 1975.














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Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam
< Reply # 2 on 6/8/2016 1:51 AM >
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Originally constructed as Elkhorn High in 1922, it became Switchback Elementary in 1953 and was finally closed in 2005. I was taken by this place, how completely destroyed a building can become after only 11 years of abandonment. I would imagine that it was in pretty rough shape at the time of its closure. What was originally just a good place for a quick break became possibly my favorite location of the trip.
























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Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam
< Reply # 3 on 6/8/2016 1:57 AM >
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I also stumbled across a restored and semi-functional mill and forge, that I found interesting, the old steam tractors especially.















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Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 4 on 6/8/2016 2:02 AM >
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I also took a few shots of Clems Branch School in Virginia, active from 1870-1941.









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Jonsered 


Location: Back in New Mexico where I belong
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Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........

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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 5 on 6/8/2016 2:56 AM >
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Some of those really pop. Nice look at some interesting spots.




I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.

Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 6 on 6/8/2016 2:47 PM >
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Posted by Jonsered
Some of those really pop.


Thanks, Which ones specifically?




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Punchy 


Location: NC
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 7 on 6/8/2016 3:22 PM >
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Nice set(s). I went to most (but not all) of these spots on a trip through WV about four years ago, and I'm seriously thinking about making that trip again in the fall. Your post here is really pushing me to follow through with those plans.




Sheavy 


Location: Hoover, Alabama
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 8 on 6/8/2016 4:22 PM >
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Very nice, looks like a fun road trip. Those coal towns look interesting.




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Jonsered 


Location: Back in New Mexico where I belong
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Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........

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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 9 on 6/9/2016 4:02 AM >
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Posted by Wheedle


Thanks, Which ones specifically?


3, 8, 9 and 10 in that first set really caught my eye.





I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.

Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 200 likes




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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 10 on 6/10/2016 1:40 AM >
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Posted by Jonsered


3, 8, 9 and 10 in that first set really caught my eye.




Thanks! Just trying to get a fix on what works.




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MartyMcFly 


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Roads? We don't need roads.

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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 11 on 6/10/2016 2:03 PM >
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Absolutely beautiful man!


Who has dial-up anymore? Lols.




Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 12 on 6/10/2016 5:25 PM >
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Posted by MartyMcFly
Absolutely beautiful man!


Who has dial-up anymore? Lols.


Thanks!

Guess I should have said 'woe be unto those on 3g'...





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becckeez 


Location: 804
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trippin.

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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 13 on 8/14/2018 6:33 PM >
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WV is always so much fun. Awesome sets!




fiftyone_eggs 


Location: jerzey
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 14 on 8/14/2018 9:45 PM >
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gorgeous set!




1footinthegrave 


Location: Atlanta, GA USA
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 15 on 8/15/2018 11:37 AM >
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these are amazing! I really liked #4. We all know I'm no photographer, but you all get some amazing shots. It helps me feel like I'm not chained up in a lab 24/7.

thanks for sharing with us!




odinsink 


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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 16 on 9/12/2018 2:11 PM >
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These are amazing. Looks like you went onto some occupied lands a few times. Did you? Did people say anything about you walking around with your camera? That old railroad bank building is incredible history.




Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 17 on 9/15/2018 4:05 AM >
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Posted by odinsink
These are amazing. Looks like you went onto some occupied lands a few times. Did you? Did people say anything about you walking around with your camera? That old railroad bank building is incredible history.



The only people I ran into was a Park Ranger at the maintenance shed at Thurmond, and a couple of locals at Glen Rogers. I chatted with the Ranger about the site, the security cameras, problems with vandals, and future plans for the site. The Glen Rogers two locals were interesting. One guy was a bit shifty, but thankfully wandered off soon. The other, older, guy was a little apprehensive of me at first. Apparently, some years back a film crew had come through and done some interviews and such for a short documentary that had not been too flattering of the locals. I explained what I was doing, and my interest in the area. The best we can figure, some of my dad's side of the family left the coal mines of the Virginias for oilpatch Arkansas in the early boom years of the 1920's. After that, he was very friendly and open about his life in, and after the mines, and some local history.




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odinsink 


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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 18 on 9/15/2018 6:07 PM >
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Posted by Wheedle


The only people I ran into was a Park Ranger at the maintenance shed at Thurmond, and a couple of locals at Glen Rogers. I chatted with the Ranger about the site, the security cameras, problems with vandals, and future plans for the site. The Glen Rogers two locals were interesting. One guy was a bit shifty, but thankfully wandered off soon. The other, older, guy was a little apprehensive of me at first. Apparently, some years back a film crew had come through and done some interviews and such for a short documentary that had not been too flattering of the locals. I explained what I was doing, and my interest in the area. The best we can figure, some of my dad's side of the family left the coal mines of the Virginias for oilpatch Arkansas in the early boom years of the 1920's. After that, he was very friendly and open about his life in, and after the mines, and some local history.


Thurmond is actually where my dad was born. He is in PA now, when I go up to see him next I am going to check this place out.




Wheedle 


Location: Northwest Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 200 likes




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Re: Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup )
< Reply # 19 on 9/15/2018 11:39 PM >
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Posted by odinsink


Thurmond is actually where my dad was born. He is in PA now, when I go up to see him next I am going to check this place out.


There are some foundations left from the engine house and repair shops over by the coaling tower. I would really like to go back when the underbrush is lighter and it's less slithery-bitey-critter-season and look around there more.




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UER Forum > US: Southeast > Chasing Ghosts Of Coal And Steam ( Woe be unto those with dialup ) (Viewed 3541 times)


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