Rail Explorers - 10/4/2025
Today Jenny, Shelly, Luann, Chris, Ted and I drove the long trip to Clay, West Virginia to Rail Explorers. Once we arrived, we
checked in and waited for the brief safety speech and introduction. Riders were assigned to either a two or four seat 'REX
Propulsion System', a four-wheeled cart that traveled the rails with a custom built electric motor that made the 12 mile round trip
journey nearly effortless. Peddling the vehicle didn't require a lot of force, but we peddled at a faster rate than I anticipated.
Luann and I rode together, while Jenny, Shelly, Chris and Ted rode on a four seater. The six mile trek traveled the Buffalo Creek
and Gauley Railroad which opened in 1904. The rails serviced the Elk River Coal and Lumber Company until 1965, hauling thousands of
tons of coal from the mine at Widen, and millions of feet of lumber from the sawmill at Swandale. We passed the Devils Sawmill
waterfall, which was virtually dry and crossed the rebuilt Sandfork Bridge.
We stopped at the turnaround area on the bank of Buffalo Creek for a quick snack and drink while the crew turned our vehicles around for
the ride back.
Each six mile leg of the ride took about 30 to 35 minutes each, which works out to be about 15 miles per hour. The overall experience
took two hours.
The weather was perfect for this type of adventure. It only felt just slightly cool while we traveled along the shaded
railway. This was a great day out with friends. I highly recomend Rail Explorers.
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