Elkhorn Inn: "The best legal train-watching location in the USA"

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan bed-and-breakfast in
southern west virginia on the tracks of the Norfolk
southern NS Pocahontas railway line. The Elkhorn Inn
is a Coal Heritage train Inn, and the only coal heritage
trail lodging in west virginia. The Elkhorn Inn & Theatre
has track-side guest rooms, rail-view gest rooms, a
rail-view balcony, and a rail-view, trackside patio cafe.
The Elkhorn inn is perfect for your next weekend
getaway in west virginia, and near historic sites in west
virginia, The Elkhorn Inn has Railfan weekends in
August and November and for the Railfan weekend in
November, James porterfield will be signing his book
"From the Dining Car" and "Dining By Rail". Please joing
us for the Elkhorn Inn Railfan weekend November
18-20, 2005, and meet james porterfield, Railfan &
Railroad columnsist. Railfan Weekends can be scheduled
throughout the year from your group at the Elkhorn Inn,
a railfan bed-&-breakfast in wv.

Elkhorn Inn's
Railfan Central!

Elkhorn Inn, railfan B&B on the NS Pocahontas

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan
bed-and-breakfast in southern west
virginia on the tracks of the Norfolk
southern NS Pocahontas railway line.
The Elkhorn Inn is a Coal Heritage
train Inn, and the only coal heritage
trail lodging in west virginia. The
Elkhorn Inn & Theatre has track-side
guest rooms, rail-view gest rooms, a
rail-view balcony, and a rail-view,
trackside patio cafe. The Elkhorn inn
is perfect for your next weekend
getaway in west virginia, and near
historic sites in west virginia, The
Elkhorn Inn has Railfan weekends in
August and November and for the
Railfan weekend in November, James
porterfield will be signing his book
"From the Dining Car" and "Dining By
Rail". Please joing us for the Elkhorn
Inn Railfan weekend November
18-20, 2005, and meet james
porterfield, Railfan & Railroad
columnsist. Railfan Weekends can be
scheduled throughout the year from
your group at the Elkhorn Inn, a
railfan bed-&-breakfast in wv.

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan bed-and-breakfast in southern west virginia
on the tracks of the Norfolk southern NS Pocahontas railway line.
The Elkhorn Inn is a Coal Heritage train Inn, and the only coal heritage
trail lodging in west virginia. The Elkhorn Inn & Theatre has track-side
guest rooms, rail-view gest rooms, a rail-view balcony, and a rail-view,
trackside patio cafe. The Elkhorn inn is perfect for your next weekend
getaway in west virginia, and near historic sites in west virginia, The
Elkhorn Inn has Railfan weekends in August and November and for the
Railfan weekend in November, James porterfield will be signing his
book "From the Dining Car" and "Dining By Rail". Please joing us for
the Elkhorn Inn Railfan weekend November 18-20, 2005, and meet
james porterfield, Railfan & Railroad columnsist. Railfan Weekends can
be scheduled throughout the year from your group at the Elkhorn Inn,
a railfan bed-&-breakfast in wv.

Elkhorn Inn, southern west virginia B-&-B, NS pocahontas line

Elkhorn Inn Rail-fan hotel on the Norfolk-Southern Pokey

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan bed-and-breakfast in southern west virginia on the tracks of the Norfolk
southern NS Pocahontas railway line. The Elkhorn Inn is a Coal Heritage train Inn, and the only coal
heritage trail lodging in west virginia. The Elkhorn Inn & Theatre has track-side guest rooms, rail-view gest
rooms, a rail-view balcony, and a rail-view, trackside patio cafe. The Elkhorn inn is perfect for your next
weekend getaway in west virginia, and near historic sites in west virginia, The Elkhorn Inn has Railfan
weekends in August and November and for the Railfan weekend in November, James porterfield will be
signing his book "From the Dining Car" and "Dining By Rail". Please joing us for the Elkhorn Inn Railfan
weekend November 18-20, 2005, and meet james porterfield, Railfan & Railroad columnsist. Railfan
Weekends can be scheduled throughout the year from your group at the Elkhorn Inn, a railfan
bed-&-breakfast in wv.

On The Menu
News and detail on dining by rail by JAMES D. PORTERFIELD
Almost (?) Heaven
Reprinted with permission from Railfan & Railroad magazine

When John Denver recorded "Almost Heaven", his ode to West Virginia, either he was not
a railfan, or he'd never been to Landgraff. If he was and had been, there would have been no
"Almost". Anyone who loves locomotives- the sight of the them, lashed up and pulling or pushing their
consists, or running light returning from helper duty; the sounds the make, whether working hard to
move a heavy train up grade, rumbling as they hurry a string of empties back somewhere, or drifting
downgrade for another helper run; the soft scents
and rumbling sensations they give off as they pass- has to go to Landgraff. There may be
no better legal location from which to watch, photograph and film trains in America.
Be warned, Landgraff is not a very big place. In fact it's a town so small it doesn't have a zip code, a
town my dear aunt Eleanore would have described thus: "Gee, this is a nice town, wasn't it?", a town,
in fact, that has only one apparent building. But that's the building you want: The Elkhorn Inn &
Theatre.
To arrive at Landgraff from the east, exit I-77 at Bluefield, WV, and follow US Route 52 west for about
30 minutes. You pass a natural wonder, Pinnacle Rock, and a stream of small coal and railroad towns:
Bramwell, Freeman, Maybeury, Elkhorn, Kyle, Northfork and Keystone. You are in McDowell County,
straddling the widest part of the bituminous coal seam that runs the length of West Virginia. You're in
the heart of "coal country". After Keystone, be
on the lookout- hard to do, given that Norfolk Southern's two-track Pocahontas Division parallels you
to your left- because the Elkhorn Inn comes up suddenly, standing alone on your right. There was a
town around it until 2002, when the floods changed everything. Those floods were the beginning of
this story.
Why? Because they brought Dan and Elisse Clark, a husband and wife who are as "New York" as it
gets, to the area. They work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Dan in
Logistics and Elisse in Community Relations. While there, they kept driving past the abandoned and
boarded up Empire Coal & Coke Company Clubhouse. "At that time the town of Landgraff was still
standing," says Dan. "But all the buildings except the Clubhouse... were damaged beyond repair and
torn down by late 2002". Little wonder that the Clubhouse was left standing. Built in 1922 to replace
two earlier clubhouses that had burned down, it is nothing but concrete and brick. "There is no wood
in the building," says Dan. "It has an 18-inch thick concrete floor. The foundation and footers run
more than twelve feet deep, six feet below the basement floor, all the way to bedrock. This is so
Elkhorn Creek, which throughout its history has run on both sides of the building, wouldn't make the
foundation unstable." The Clarks took it upon themselves to enter the boarded-up building through a
crawlspace at its rear to determine its possibilities. Inside they found 11,000 square feet of floor
space and the debris one would associate with an abandoned 75-year old buidling. But its solid
construction, front porch framed in brick arches to give it an Italianate look, trout stream and theatre
out back, and a Federal highway out front, offered possibilities.
Why would two sane and sensible professional people whose work makes them intimately familiar with
the problems associated with rebuilding damaged properties, give up life in a big city to occupy an
abandoned building on a flood plain in a poor region of the country? "When Dan and I got married,"
says Elisse, "we were looking for something to do together. As we would pass this old place, we kept
telling ourselves it had potential." Elisse is an artist whose watercolors are large, so the building's
spaciousness held some appeal. The challenge of restoring an historic property to useful purpose
appealed to them as well.
"We bought the building for $10,000," says Dan, "and plan to put another $150,000 into the
restoration." Behind the building, across Elkhorn Creek, sits a replica of the Shakespearian-era
Globe Theatre built by a previous owner. After it is restored, live entertainment will bring more
tourists- and jobs- to the area. "So," Dan continues, "we made the offer for the building in September
of 2002, got court approval for the purchase
in December 2002, and moved into the third floor in January 2003."
The building had been empty since 2001 and flooded twice..."The first task was to clear five feet of
mud out of the basement", said Dan. "Next, I brought in a power-washer to clean the first floor. There
was so much mold and decay that I knocked all the plaster off the walls. There were no doors left in
the building, no light fixtures, circuit breakers, wiring or plumbing. Even the wainscotting had been
removed. Fortunately, the second floor, beyond the reach of the flood waters, was okay. The third
floor, though, was damaged by leaks in the roof, which I replaced. It is the largest roof I've ever
done."
The focus, though, was on the second floor. "We got it done in May 2003," said Elisse. "Then we
could take in our first guests." Incidentally, in the second floor parlour, one
ducks through a window-height door to go out on the balcony to watch trains running by
at eyeball level just across the highway.
In 2003 the first floor was sufficiently finished to be put into operation. You enter the foyer, which
serves as the registration area, through a beautiful cut-glass doorway on the porch. Elsewhere on the
first floor is the original institutional kitchen, the size of which appealed to Dan, and a large dining
room where miners and others staying or working at the Clubhouse once dined, and the Fireplace
Lounge, a sitting room filled with comfortable furntiure facing a cozy fireplace... On the second floor
are eight bedrooms - two with private bath- that can accommodate 16 guests. Once company offices,
the rooms are now decorated with vintage 1930s furniture and art.
Now about the trains? "On our first night in the place", Elisse says "we no sooner turned in than a
train roared by. Dan and I looked at each other and said: "We have got to find people who love
trains!" That has been a focus of ours ever since."
And what trains they are. Big, loud and frequent - as many as 30 or 40 a day, they run not 50 feet
from the Inn. Eastbound trains run autoracks or automobile parts, intermodal consists, grain and
export coal. Westbounds haul coal, empties, coal, intermodal, and coal. Shifters work this stretch as
well, and it is not uncommon to see a string of six or seven helpers heading west to push trains up the
grade east to Bluefield. All manner of NS motive power is to be seen in these movements, as are pool
units from everywhere else in America.
To take advantage of all this action, know this about the bedrooms at the Elkhorn Inn: All four front
rooms overlook the track. The best of them, the Greenbrier Room, is on the front east corner of the
building. There, with the windows open, it is perfect for taping trains with audio. On the creek (back)
side, the four rooms are quieter, but that is relative. Having spent my night in the back room on the
east side, I can tell you that one comes to breakfast understanding why people who have endured a
hurricane say it "sounds just like a freight train passing overhead". For some of us, of course, that is
music.
And speaking of the "breakfast" side of the bed-and-breakfast story, given the growing popularity of
the Elkhorn Inn with railfans, imagine the conversations that flow when 16 like-minded true believers
gather. Rooms at the Elkhorn Inn & Theatre, currently priced at $75.00 with a shared bath and $85.00
for a private bath, include a continental breakfast. Rooms can be ensuited, or the entire inn booked.
Dinner and lunch can be arranged in advance for an additional $30.00 and $14.00 respecively. For
more information or to make reservations, go to www.,elkhorninnwv.com - an extensively illustrated
website- or call 800-708-2040. Click on "Railfan" on the website to find numerous additional pictures
which show just how close you'll be to the trains.
To read more about the West Virginia's coal industry and its close ties to railroading, see King Coal: A
Pictorial Heritage of West Virginia Coal Mining by Stan Cohen, and Appalachiam Coal Miners and
Railroads by Thomas W. Dixon, Jr. To explore the Pocahontas Division, see Garland McKee's cover
story- "Doin' The 'Pokey'"- in the January 2003 issue of RAILFAN & RAILROAD.
A Personal Aside: A favorite movie of mine, John Sayles Matewan, depicts the violent clash between
union men and mine owners in the town of that name in the 1920s (it's in neighboring Mingo County,
65 miles from the Elkhorn Inn & Theatre), and the inspirational story October Sky, which took place in
Coalwood, 15 miles away, are both available on DVD.

Elkhorn Inn, southern west virginia bed-and-breakfast for railfans

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan bed-and-breakfast in southern west virginia
on the tracks of the Norfolk southern NS Pocahontas railway line. The
Elkhorn Inn is a Coal Heritage train Inn, and the only coal heritage trail
lodging in west virginia. The Elkhorn Inn & Theatre has track-side guest
rooms, rail-view gest rooms, a rail-view balcony, and a rail-view,
trackside patio cafe. The Elkhorn inn is perfect for your next weekend
getaway in west virginia, and near historic sites in west virginia, The
Elkhorn Inn has Railfan weekends in August and November and for the
Railfan weekend in November, James porterfield will be signing his book
"From the Dining Car" and "Dining By Rail". Please joing us for the
Elkhorn Inn Railfan weekend November 18-20, 2005, and meet james
porterfield, Railfan & Railroad columnsist. Railfan Weekends can be
scheduled throughout the year from your group at the Elkhorn Inn, a
railfan bed-&-breakfast in wv.

Elkhorn Inn, so. west virginia railfan lodging

The Elkhorn Inn is a railfan bed-and-breakfast in
southern west virginia on the tracks of the Norfolk
southern NS Pocahontas railway line. The
Elkhorn Inn is a Coal Heritage train Inn, and the
only coal heritage trail lodging in west virginia.
The Elkhorn Inn & Theatre has track-side guest
rooms, rail-view gest rooms, a rail-view balcony,
and a rail-view, trackside patio cafe. The Elkhorn
inn is perfect for your next weekend getaway in
west virginia, and near historic sites in west
virginia, The Elkhorn Inn has Railfan weekends in
August and November and for the Railfan
weekend in November, James porterfield will be
signing his book "From the Dining Car" and
"Dining By Rail". Please joing us for the Elkhorn
Inn Railfan weekend November 18-20, 2005, and
meet james porterfield, Railfan & Railroad
columnsist. Railfan Weekends can be scheduled
throughout the year from your group at the
Elkhorn Inn, a railfan bed-&-breakfast in wv.

Elkhorn Inn historic southern west virginia hotel

Elkhorn Inn bedandbreakfast.com historic Inn southern WV

Scroll down to see our review

Bring your friends for a "Railfan
Weekend" at the Elkhorn Inn!
Hang out on the "Pokey" and
shoot great photos & video!
Call us at 1-800-708-2040
$360/guest room + tax includes:
2 nights at the Inn (one guest room, double
occupancy), "Welcome" appetizers Friday
evening, Dinner for two at the Inn on
Saturday, Continental Breakfast each
morning, and a late, 2 p.m. check-out on
Sunday.
There's plenty to do for spouses, too!
"Antiquing", great ATVing, trout fishing, golf,
Pinnacle Rock State Park & Panther State
Forest, Anawalt & Berwind Lake, Pocahontas
Coal Mine Museum, Coalwood (of Homer
Hickam's "October Sky" & "Rocket Boys"
fame), summer theatre, fall festivals... AND we
can even book a pampering "Spa Day" for you
at a nearby Aveda Day Spa!

Elkhorn Inn, historic Coal Heritage Trail Inn on the Pocahontas rail line

Elkhorn Inn, On the Pocahontas l,ine of the NS, Landgraff, west virginia bed-and-breakfast

Elkhorn Inn, southern west virginia Bed-and-Breakfast

Elkhorn Inn, so. WV B&B, as seen on HGTV!

Elkhorn Inn, southern west virginia railfan bed-and-breakfast, rail art

All Aboard!
The Elkhorn Inn is right on the
Very busy NS "Pokey" line!
Come enjoy our
rail-view guest rooms, patio, &
balcony! We have WiFi, sat TV,
VCR, DVD & a slide viewer!
Get your friends together &
have a "Railfan Weekend"!
Call us at 1-800-708-2040

Frograil: Norfolk-Southern Pocahontas Division Tour

Railfanswelcome.com
Map showing location of Elkhorn Inn, Landgraff WV

Click here to Request a
Reservation!

Click here to Request a Reservation!

Hinton Railroad Museum and New River Excursions

West Virginia Railroad Heritage

GUEST ROOMS

DINING ROOM

Kimball Tunnel (c) 2011 Robert Vaughn

BSNF 5424 from Elkhorn Inn
(c)Gary Mullis 2004

Click here to see more of Michael Shufelt's
& Doug Wonders' railroad photography of so. WV

Paul Apollo's rail photography

Snow EB - 1998 (c)Michael Shufelt

1988: The Pokey & the building that has become the
Elkhorn Inn. (c) 2011 Michael Shufelt

Elkhorn Inn Guest Alex
photographing the "Pokey"
at the Elkhorn Inn

Elkhorn Inn, railfan lodging, southern west virginia

(c) 2011 Doug
Wonders

SPECIALS

HISTORY

GIFT SHOP

HGTV filming "Building Character"- &
the "Pokey"- at the Elkhorn Inn!

Elkhorn Inn & Theatre, west virginia track-side lodging, as reviewed in Railfan & Railroad magazine

Elkhorn Inn, trackside historic Inn, southern west virginia

See us on
HGTV "Building
Character"!

Chis Hash's
TRACKSIDE MOTELS &
Railfan Lodging

AREA
ATTRACTIONS

Mountainstate
Rails.net

Click here to order hand-crafted coal
trains, silver train charms, vintage
quilts, and other unique gifts from the
Elkhorn Inn Gift Shop!

James D. Porterfield's Website

Railroaders Memorial Museum, Altoona, PA

West Virginia Railroad Museum

"John Henry" by WV artist
Tom Acosta
To order a signed print, please call
the Elkhorn Inn at 304-862-2031 or
1-800-708-2040

Click here for info on our "Coal
Heritage Trail Weekends"
exploring southern WV & VA
history with author-historian
Alex Schust.
Call us at 1-800-708-2040 to book
for your group!

Read reviews on:
iLoveInns.com
TripAdvisor.com
bedandbreakfast.com

(c) Nathan Simmons 2011 trainman51@gmail.com
http://www.t-51.org KI4MSK

See us in TRAINS!

Photos from the Elkhorn Inn Balcony
(c) Daniel H. Clark 2011

Click for M ay 2 - 8, 2011 Menus for "Breakfast in
the Dining Car" Week with James Porterfield!