.....Although the railroads listed above were never built, there were some forgotten railroads that made it into existance. One of these was the Iron Mountain and Greenbrier Railroad that was built along what is Route 92 today. Evem most of the local residents do not know that this railroad existed, so, let me tell you about it.
.....The Iron Mountain and Greenbrier ran from White Sulphur Springs, where the company had its shops, up Howard Creek to the divide and down Fleming Run to Alvon. From there it continued up Anthony creek to Neola. Later, it was continued to the Docks which is a location near the Pocahantas County line and lying between Route 92 and Wytoga State Park. This was a distance of fourteen miles. Another branch was extended up Meadow Creek toward what is now Lake Sherwood. On this creek, there was a mill of the Saint Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company. With the main line and these branches, the railroad had fifty miles of track.
.....Most of the logs it carried went to the Saint Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company at Ronceverte. Each day, a train of fifteen to twenty cars usually made the trip to White Saulpur Springs. Here, the cars were switched to the Chesapeake and Ohio.
.....The iron Mountain Greenbrier Railroad ceased operation in 1929,and in 1930 the rail were sold for scrap. In addition to the logging trains, there was a daily passenger train which made stops at Montogue Docks, near the first golf course in America, Mapledale, Divide, Wylie's Crossing, Alvon, Shryrock, and Neola.
.....You can still see the vestages of the railroad grade where it descended from the C&O tracks into the center of town. In the September issue of the Yhe Journal of the Greenbrier Historical Society, W. W. Wickwine Jr. writes, "Leaving the C&O station at White Sulphur Springs, the railroad ran to the right side of Midland Trail (US 60) and crossed the Midland Trail near the east end of town. It then followed to the left of the highway until it reached the vicinity of the Buskirk farm, where it crossed the present Alvon Road and followed up Howard' Creek to the Divide and then down Fleming's Run to Alvon. At Alvon, the railroad crossed the road to the left and followed up Anthony Creek to Neola" (Wickwine 13). W
.....Wickwine continues by saying, "The headwaters of the North Fork of Anthony and the head waters of Douthat Creek divide at the Dock. Twenty more miles of steel and ties would have put the railroad into Huntersville. To have done this, the rails would ahve followed Douthat Creek to where it empties into Laurel Creek; Laurel Creek to where it empties into Knapp Creek; and thence down Knapps Creek to Huntersville" (Wickwine 13-14).Wickwine also reports that the railroad hauled some lumber that came to the docks on a narrow gage railroad frrom Mountain Grove, Virginia.
.....The shops for the railroad near where Burrs Exxon station and the Post office now stand. In my camara, I have a photo of where the Iron Mountain and Greenbrier Railroad passes what once was the C&O Depot. It it turns out well, I will ahve it on this page.

.....For other stories about the Boom years of Greenbrier County see the page on Greenbrier County Boom days.