RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. (SWVO) – The beauty and recreation potential of the New River Gorge have long been recognized, even by the coal operators and families who once lived in its remote towns.
As the coal industry declined and most communities in the gorge shuttered by the late 1950s, local, state, and federal leaders began seeking ways to shift the region’s economy from mining to tourism. By the early 1960s, a number of proposals were on the table, ranging from recreational facilities to scenic attractions.
Some of those ideas became reality, including the aerial trams at Hawks Nest State Park and the development of lakes, campgrounds, and a golf course at Bluestone State Park. But one of the more unusual proposals never materialized: a so-called “fishing train.”
The concept was first made public in 1962 following a survey conducted by the Washington, D.C.–based consulting firm Checchi and Co. at the request of the New River Gorge Development Corporation. The survey urged leaders to “do everything possible to improve and promote fishing” in the gorge and identified the train as a top recommendation.
Plans called for an old-fashioned locomotive—likely a steam engine—pulling open-air rail cars painted for scenic excursions.
The train would stop at various points along the gorge, giving anglers about an hour at each location to fish before continuing on its route.
Ultimately, the proposal stalled. By 1978, much of the gorge had been incorporated into the National Park Service system, limiting the possibility of commercial developments like a fishing train.
The concept would also have required coordination with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, which still owned and operated the lines through the gorge at the time.
The fishing train was one of several imaginative proposals for the New River Gorge that never left the drawing board. More of those forgotten ideas will be explored in future reports.
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