Hinton Railroad Days

By Courtney D. Clark

HINTON — Mother Nature delivered nearly 70-degree temperatures Saturday to the thousands of visitors who traveled to Hinton’s 43rd annual Railroad Days.

Dorothy Jean Boley, event organizer for the Hinton Railroad Days Festival Committee, said weather conditions made the final weekend of the festival much more comfortable for everyone involved.

“Last weekend it was extremely cold, wet and rainy,” Boley said. “That made it a little bit harder for people to enjoy. But this week it’s beautiful, and I think there’s surely a few more people on the streets.”

Festival-goers traveled by car, bus and train to enjoy food and entertainment, and most importantly, to learn about the glory days of the railroad.

Husband and wife Dale and Alesea Smith are both volunteers on the Collis P. Huntington Society’s New River Train.

Saturday made Dale Smith’s 83rd trip to Hinton on the train.

“We’ve been running this special train to Hinton for Railroad Days since 1966,” the code and loading supervisor said. “And today, with 1,100 paying customers and over 100 volunteers onboard, we’re at full capacity.”

“There wouldn’t be a Railroad Days without the New River Train,” Alesea Smith added. She said the trip makes for a 12-hour day, leaving Huntington at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 8:30 p.m.

More than 100 people also made the trip to Hinton by bus, journeying from as far as Illinois and Georgia.

Tour manager Fran Link and 50 others traveled via Mayflower Tours from Chicago to ride the train.

“We love the train,” Link said. “I have been here before, but I still think the train ride is just spectacular, especially with all of the color.”

Excursions Unlimited brought Lois McCarthy to Railroad Days from Savannah, Ga.

“I had never been to West Virginia before until today,” she said. “This is the highlight of my trip so far.”

“The rolling mountains, the foliage, of course, and the streams make the state absolutely gorgeous,” she explained. “I used to paint, and this makes me want to paint again.”

While the state’s beauty brought in tourists, locals stopped by Temple Street for a variety of events and entertainment as well.

One booth in particular provided a special opportunity to send thank-you cards to soldiers overseas.

Retired Staff Sgt. Curt Messer was one of 58 United States Ambassadors for Freedom Team Salute who was trying to show his gratitude to the troops.

“We have 1,500 pre-printed cards here, with a spot for a message and address,” Messer said. “They are going to be mailed to troops overseas who will have them on Thanksgiving day.”

It is the second year for the project, which is a part of Make a Difference Day. Messer is also on the board of directors at the Veterans Memorial Museum of Southern West Virginia.

“We’re a small group,” he added, “but we’re really trying to make an impact and get this stuff overseas.”

Operation Lifesaver was also at the festival, educating people of the importance of railroad safety.

H.R. McVey III of CSX in Hinton was working with employees from Norfolk Southern to remind children to stay off the tracks.

“We have a common bond even though we work for different companies,” McVey said. “All three of us are locomotive engineers, and our greatest fear is sitting there operating the locomotive and hitting a child.

“If we get out and teach them to stay off the tracks, we think we will have a better chance to keep that from occurring,” he continued. “If we can save one life, then it’s all worth it.”

Railroad Days 2009 will wrap up today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring entertainment from Just Us, the Eades Mountain Boys, Talcott Pirates and Jesse Ratcliffe.

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com