Buchanan County Virginia Tourist Train

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Hi Guys, here is an article from my father-in-law’s
CONSOL ENERGY NEWS
Fall Edition 2007

Buchanan Tourism Right On Track

CONSOL ENERGY recently presented the Buchanan County 
(Virginia) Tourist Train Development Authority with a 
locomotive engine to be used for the county’s tourist train 
project.  The engine (looks like an Alco S4 to me-JK) was 
previously used at CONSOL’s VP-8 mine (Virginia Pocahontas 
mine #8) at Deskins, Virginia (located on county route 620, 
South of Vansant-JK) and before that at VP-1 (located near 
the coke ovens on Dismal Creek-JK).

“We are pleased to play a part in helping Buchanan County 
achieve its goals for the tourist train project,” said John 
Zachwieja, vice president – Central Appalachia 
Operations.  “As Buchanan County’s second largest employer 
and a major contributor to it’s coal and gas tax receipts, 
we are happy to find another way to give back to the 
community which contributes to our success in Virginia as a 
company”.

The Tourist Train Development Authority was just as 
pleased.  The authority’s executive director, Craig Horn, 
said “CONSOL’s donation will save the Tourist Train 
Development Authority of Buchanan County $40,000. and allow 
funding to be available for other needed items”.

The authority has been working for several years (this is 
the first that I’d heard of it–JK) to establish a tourist 
train attraction to the Whitewood-Jewell Valley area of 
Buchanan County.

Jerry Kay, Portsmouth, Va.