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The White Oak Railway was constructed during the early-1900's and came under the control of the New River Company. The short-line railroad was originally incorporated to provide citizens of the area a direct rail-connection between the primary business centers in Beckley, Mount Hope, and Oak Hill.The railroad consisted of two unconnected "pieces" that never were completely finished. The first section consisted of about 7 and ½ miles of track connecting with the C. & O. Railway at Carlisle, running from there through Oak Hill to Stuart. The second section was about 4 to 5 miles in length connecting with the C. & O. Railway at Price Hill Junction, running to a mine located at Price Hill.Under an agreement with the C. & O. Railway, the White Oak Railway operated passenger and freight trains along the tracks of the C. & O.'s White Oak Branch  between Glen Jean and Carlisle. In 1912, the New River Company sold the locomotives and rolling stock of the White Oak Railway and jointly leased operation of the railroad to Virginian and the C. & O.

1. White Oak Railroad, Somewhere in West Virginia

Men stand around the "Whipple Tipple."

2. White Oak Fuel Company Tipple, Whipple, W. Va.

Three men stand beside the tracks while steam pours out of the building's many chimneys.

3. White Oak Fuel Company Facilities, Whipple, W. Va.

Standing at the gate are Mother, Emma and Andy Oschlager.

4. Home of Turkey Knob Company Coal Miner, Turkey Knob, W. Va.

On the left, a man stands at the window of New River Banking & Trust Co. On the right is Mankin Drug Co.

5. Mankin Building, Thurmond, W. Va.

An unidentified man stands at the building's entrance.

6. National Bank of Thurmond, Thurmond, W. Va.

P. H. Kelly and a colleague stand outside of a dog wagon--a small restaurant often specializing in short orders that occupies a converted vehicle or that is built to suggest such a vehicle.

7. Dog Wagon at Depot, Thurmond, W. Va.

The walk way on the right is identified as leading to the Dun Glen Hotel. Wallace Bennett lived in the first house from 1918 to 1922, and the second house from 1925 to 1933.

8. Railroad Section Houses, Thurmond, W. Va.

A group of men are pictured on and beside a locomotive. Subjects unidentified.

9. Round House Crew, Thurmond, W. Va.

The engine used oil headlights. Five men are pictured on and beside the locomotive.

10. C. and O. Enginge No. 254 at Thurmond, W. Va.

Built in 1901, the Dunglen was a towering 4-story, 100-room wooden structure with a wrap-around deck. The Dunglen was known for the many parties it hosted, where huge dances were held in the elegant ballroom and symphonies would play through the night.According to Ripley’s Believe it or Not and the Guinness Book of World Records, the Dunglen housed the longest-running poker game, which stretched on through 14 years.The hotel was burned down by arsonists on July 22, 1930.

11. Dunglen Hotel Under Construction, Thurmond, W. Va.

A group of men are pictured on and beside a train car.  A bridge in the background crosses the New River.

12. Railroad Bridge and Turntable, Thurmond, W. Va.

13. Railroad Station, Thayer, W. Va.

Beside the building and the railroad is a mail crane.

14. Coal Company Club House, Thayer, W. Va.

15. Side View of Company Store, Sun, W. Va.

A man sits behind the wheel of a 1912 Buick model.

16. 1912 Buick Automobile, Sun, W. Va.

The building was later replaced by a brick building after it burned.

17. Summerlee Company Store, Summerlee, W. Va.

View from across the railroad tracks at the store entrance which is obscured by overgrown plants and weeds.

18. Babcock Store and Post Office, Sewell, W. Va.

Omer Plumley is pictured riding a bicycle in the forefront, In the back is the Sewell Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad station.

19. Man Riding Bicycle at C. & O. Station, Sewell, W. Va.

Mangen stands beside his truck on "moving day" in the coal fields. His truck holds a number of personal belongings, including a sewing machine, as well as a cow.

20. Mike Mangen's Moving and Hauling Truck, Scarbro, W. Va.

View overlooking the small town which was located on Route 41 near the New River. The New River Coal Company had mines in Quinnimont.

21. Quinnimont, W. Va.

A group of coal miners are pictured around the by the mine's railway tracks. The mine, Prudence No. 1, was owned by the New River Coal Company.

22. Mine Facilities, Prudence, W. Va.

Store manager W. M. Pifer stands in front of the store entrance while his five employees sit on the stairs. An African-American man is pictured in a horse-drawn carriage to the left.

23. Prudence Coal Company Store, Prudence, W. Va.

Those killed as a result of the accident were William Blankenship, Homer Cart, Thomas W. Craft, James Hunter, Eddie Huelett, Steve Kozma, Everett Leach, John Long, William J. Maynus, Henry McMillian, J. L. "Pat" Murphy, Delmar Oxley, Jesse Persinger, S. L. Runyon, Ray Tartar, William Turner, and Jerome Walters. In addition to those who lost their lives, 43 or 46 were injured.  A Chesapeake and Ohio derrick car works to clear the wreckage.

24. Work Train Explosion in Powellton Hollow, McDunn, W. Va.