West Virginia Central Junction- Westvaco- Luke, MD (Under Construction)

Westvaco's Luke Mill

The Luke mill produces fine paper such as used in National Geographic. The process starts with raw materials of pulpwood/wood chips, coal and various chemical and works down stream into the gigantic mill with a number of paper machines. The stack is taller than the Washington Monument in an effort to get combustion products out of this valley. The mountain in the background is part of the Allegany Front which is cleaved by the North Branch of the Potomac. The yard in the forground is West Virginia Central Junction, the mainline of the West End is immediately below the location of the photo. H G Davis was the station agent at Piedmont around the Civil War era. His job was to generate business for the railroad. He did this by starting his own railroad, coal mines and lumbering up the North Branch of the Potomac. The Potomac had provided the rail grade from Point of Rocks to this location. Here the North Branch turned decidely southwest into wild and high mountain country. The B&O turned up tributaries Savage River and Crabtree Creek to continue westward to the eastern continental divide at Altamont. At first Davis' West Virginia Central and Pittsburg railroad interchanged with the B&O exclusively here. As Davis became more independent, he sought other rail connections and built a sister railroad from this location to Cumberland. The railroad crosses the Potomac and went through the mill location. As the mill grew in size, it squeezed around what had become the mainline of the WM Thomas sub. Davis' extention to Cumberland was bitterly opposed by the B&O who used armed forces to block a contested location. Miners from Elk Garden marched on the B&O forces and reopened the railroad.

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A considerable amount of the water of the North Branch goes through mill in the paper making process. It is treated and returned to the river downstream. In recent years, Bloomington and Savage River Dams have evened out the water flow, however Westvaco had it own dam high up on Stony River close to Canaan Valley to provide water in low flow periods.

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Pulpwood is rail delivered from remote woodyards that store the timber to ensure a steady supply in all seasons. Much wood also is trucked in, providing a boost to local timber producers. The bark is not used in papermaking, however a Kingsford plant on site processes it into charcoal.

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This was once the mainline of WM

WESTVACO- 1930's

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Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Cass Scenic Railroad, home of Western Maryland Shay No.6