Two things stand out as cutting sharply through the rugged mountains that blanket the state of West Virginia: the New River Gorge and the railroad.
The two meet deep between the steep, narrow walls of the gorge, where railroad tracks wend along the New River. Freight trains still use these burnished rails, though not as frequently as in the olden days when coal was king.
And lay claim it does. In fact, Amtrak bills its New River Gorge route as one of the most scenic in the nation, with the New River Gorge being the highlight of the entire 1,146-mile, 28-hour trip from New York to Chicago: the train's schedule is arranged so that it always passes through the New River Gorge during daylight...
This Amtrak route, serviced by the Cardinal Train, usually sells out during the peak fall season and will often add the only remaining full-length dome car in Amtrak service in the autumn to make extra space for leaf peepers eager to see the New River Gorge in a blaze of color.
Of all the stops Amtrak makes on the Cardinal route, the small depot at Prince, West Virginia is surely one of the most unique. Its next door neighbor Thurmond is another rare gem!
Built in 1946, the Prince Depot is characterized by the distinctive Art Deco design, featuring rounded edges and polished surfaces. The town name is boldly spelled out on the top of each end of the canopy, which is positioned to shade waiting passengers in the summer but permit the sun to warm them in the winter.
Originally servicing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, a mural of the original Chessie Cat can still be found inside! Now, the Depot is mostly used by those wishing to visit nearby Beckley, including the internationally renown Boy Scout Family Camp, the 10,600-acre Summit Bechtel Preserve.
Have you ever ridden any portion of the Amtrak route that passes through the New River Gorge? What was your ultimate destination? Which depot did you find most interesting? To book a trip, visit Amtrak’s website.
We briefly mentioned Thurmond earlier in the article. You can find out more about that stop here.
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