West Virginia is a unique state, full of unique towns populated with unique people…just the way we like it. And one of these unique towns, with a downtown feature that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the nation, is the community of St. Marys, West Virginia.

At first glance, the downtown area of St. Marys looks pretty typical for a small West Virginia mountain town.
Tim Kiser/Wikipedia
But look again, because the business district of St. Marys, West Virginia is far from normal. See those shiny lines running down the center of 2nd Street?
Tim Kiser/Wikipedia

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No, they aren't reflectors to mark the lanes after dark or shiny strips of tar used to repair a road groove...they're train tracks!
peterandben/Youtube
And yes, they run right through the middle of the street, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Share the road."
peterandben/Youtube
It's a unique, impressive sight when all the traffic lights begin to flash yellow and a big old freight train comes roaring through town...but after a while, if you're a local, you definitely get used to just pulling on over and waiting until it's your turn to use the road again.
peterandben/Youtube
To view the trains chugging away down the middle of the street in St Marys, check out this video by Youtube user peterandben.

Of course, St. Marys is unique in other ways, as well, including its name. The story goes that the town founder Alexander Creel had a vision of Mary while traveling past the townsite by boat in the Ohio River in 1849. St. Marys also offers an access point to Middle Island, one of the islands dotting the Ohio River that make up the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

Have you ever shared the street with the train in St. Marys, West Virginia? Tell us about your experience!

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Saint Marys, St Marys, WV 26170, USA