Steam Engines near Capitol Street,  and the "Coonskin Steam Engine"

I remember seeing steamers like this as a child.  This one was parked just across the street from my house,  but the day of the Diesel was not too far away, and these same tracks had lots of them by the time I was a kid.

 Capitol Street used to cross all the tracks where the Farmers Market stands today.  There were so many sets of tracks, that a little guard-house was built in the middle of them off to the side.  The guard would warn people that a train was approaching and you might actually be caught between tracks at times, because there was space between some of them.  This engine however is sitting on the old B & O line, which paralleled the New York Central lines for a short distance.  In the background you can see the old "Nelson Transfer & Storage" building, which was a fixture for many years.  That building is still standing today as a "U-Storage".


Steam Engines Charleston WV

All of these photos were taken near the Capitol -Broad Steet areas.



Steam Engines Charleston WV

The B & O was situated near where Greens Feed & Seed is today.



Steam Engines Charleston WV

See the car on the left?  That's right off Capitol Street.  Capitol St.  used to join Piedmont Rd at this point.


Steam Engines Charleston WV

Looking  along side Dryden Street.  The building on the right is featured in another section of this website.



Steam Engines Charleston WV

This roundhouse sat close to where Greens Feed & Seed is today.


B&O Roundhouse         B&O Roundhouse

Most Roundhouses had an Ashpit.  It was half filled with water so to cool the hot ashes that were dumped from the steam engines.  Some of the ash would float on top and appear to the untrained eye as solid ground, especially if the pit were full.  An old person or a child would be especially vulnerable to such a situation.  This was the case when in a span of 4 years, two people drowned in the B&O Roundhouse ashpit.




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