Railroads

Note: No two pieces of wood look alike.  Within a board, two sections can have different coloration. The wood samples below are generic swatches to give you some idea about whether the wood is dark or light. The actual woods may vary in color.

Railroads have been a strong part of Americana for centuries.  As the population of the US spread to the west, so did trains.   The depots scattered in towns and cities across our nation stand as reminders of a time past.  Trains today are almost exclusively for transporting goods rather than people, but we should not forget the impact they had on our nation.  Many of the depots, including most in my collection, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Three of my woods come from the Baltimore and Ohio Museum in Baltimore.  Two are from antique locomotives which were damaged during the President’s Day snow storm in 2003.  The third is from the historic roundhouse, which is the centerpiece of the B&O Museum.  Others represent depots from around West Virginia.

Wood SourceHistory of WoodWood Sample
Gassaway Depot - Braxton County Oak

This wood was reclaimed from the Gassaway Depot, also known as Coal & Coke Railway Company Depot, is a historic railway depot located at Gassaway. It was built in 1914, by the Coal and Coke Railway and later acquired by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Photo by: Brian M. Powell [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Gassaway Depot - Braxton County Maple

This wood was reclaimed from the Gassaway Depot, also known as Coal & Coke Railway Company Depot, is a historic railway depot located at Gassaway. It was built in 1914, by the Coal and Coke Railway and later acquired by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Grafton B&O Depot - Taylor County Poplar

This wood was reclaimed from the Grafton B&O Railroad Depot. It was part of one of the cages on the basement level of the depot. It was dedicated on August 11, 1911 and served proudly until it closed in the mid-1980s.

Photo by: Brian M. Powell [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Grafton B&O Roundhouse - Taylor County Pine

This wood was reclaimed from the roof of the Grafton Roundhouse. The B&O shops and roundhouse were built circa 1910 between the town of Grafton and the Tygart River.

 Photo by: Photo Hosting Link
Grafton Willard Hotel - Taylor County Pine

This wood was reclaimed from a door from the iconic Willard Hotel. The hotel officially opened on April 12, 1912 with an elaborate banquet attended by state and local dignitaries and railroad officials.

Photo by: Brian M. Powell [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Huntington Heavy Repair Shop - Cabell County Walnut

This old growth walnut was reclaimed from a building which was built in 1889 and has been known as the Huntington Store Room, the C&O Shop, and most recently as the Huntington Heavy Repair Shop. The building was demolished in the spring of 2017.
Lost Creek Depot - Harrison County Poplar


Built in 1892, the Lost Creek Depot became the largest shipping point for cattle in West Virginia in 1915 and on the entire B&O system, east of the Mississippi in 1923.

Photo by:  Ceh2624 [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Mannington Depot - Marion County Oak

The Mannington Depot was established in 1852 serving as a link to the Ohio River and the western frontier. This wood was reclaimed from the current structure which was built in 1906 and closed in 1957.
Salem Depot - Harrison County Oak

The current depot was built in 1912. In 1985, an historical 129-year era of rail service ended for Salem when the last scheduled train traveled the tracks through the city. 
Western Maryland Depot - Tucker County Oak

This wood was a piece of flooring from the Parsons Depot (Western Maryland Railroad Depot) which was built in 1888.

Photo by: Generic1139 [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Weston Depot - Lewis County Oak

This old growth oak was reclaimed from the Weston Train Depot which was built in the late 1800s. The building later served as the Weston Cannery and more recently the Bus Garage for Lewis County Schools.
B&O #600 J.C. Davis Cab Chestnut Maryland

This wood was reclaimed from the B&O #600 J.C. Davis Locomotive during restoration following the 2003 President’s Day blizzard which resulted in the B&O Roundhouse roof collapsing damaging the locomotive which was on display at the B&O Museum. Inspired by the collection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.

Inspired by the collection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum
Thatcher Perkins B&O #117 Maryland Oak

This wood was reclaimed from the B&O #117 Thatcher Perkins during restoration following the 2003 President’s Day blizzard which resulted in the B&O Roundhouse roof collapsing damaging the locomotive which was on display at the B&O Museum.

Inspired by the collection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum
Mt. Clare Station Roundhouse Maryland Pine

Undoubtedly the most spectacular and best known of the Museum's buildings is the Roundhouse. The Roundhouse was built in 1884 to accommodate work on passenger cars and replace a similar shop destroyed by fire in February of 1883.

Inspired by the collection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum