Model Train - Cherry River Boom & Lumber Company - Baldwin Engine No. 3

My great grandfather, John H Williams machined and built this scale model of the actual Cherry River Boom and Lumber Co Engine No.3 in Webster County, WV.  He spent many years taking measurements from the actual engine in the CRB&L train yard and scaling it down to 1 inch model.  John had a passion for all things steam and it is reflected in his work.


History of the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Co - Baldwin Engine No. 3

Engine no. 3 ran from 1901 until its demise in 1954, hauling logs and later coal from Cowen to Jerryville, West Virginia. The CRB&L owned the railroad tracks from the head of the Gauley River to Donaldson which was also used by Maust Coal company.  A labor dispute broke out in July of 1954 between Maust coal company and union employees. Maust was replacing employees with non union workers. The UMWA called for an immediate strike and within days, 300 union workers were replaced.  At this point, some violence had begun, cars overturned, roads blocked, bulldozers dynamited and gun shots were fired at several steam engines hauling coal. A bridge across the Gauley was blown up by former union workers in September. By Sunday, October 18th the bridge had been repaired and Supervisor Carl Umbarger came to Cowan to notify the operator of the number 3 engine, George Gum to be ready to haul a load of coal the following day. Gum said he would not operate the engine, as he was afraid to do. Threats had been made to the effect, "something was going to happen", if any coal move down the Gauley on Monday. Gum was fired by Umbarger, who then hired to his brother-in-law, Bill Duckworth, and he agreed to operate no. 3 engine the following day. On Monday, CRB&L sent 2 men ahead of the train on a motorised vehicle to check for any problems with the track. No problems were discovered, but as the no. 3 engine came around the curve, approximately 2 miles above Bolair a terrific explosion occurred which derailed the engine and 3 coal cars. The new engineer, Duckworth, was not injured but the firemen, Bill Nicholas was killed. Nicholas jumped from the left side of the engine and was crush between an overturned coal car. FBI was called in to investigate and found an automobile battery at the explosion. The FBI had discovered a fish line had been stretched from trees and across the track, where it would contact the engine's smokestack, but would be too high for the vehicle ahead of the engine. This line was attached to a mouse trap, that was tripped, would send electrical power from the battery to the charge of dynamite underneath the railroad track. After the FBI's investigation, 3 individuals, Jim Bush, Dorsey Wilt and Burton Sell were tried and convicted in federal court in Elkins, West Virginia. Each receiving a sentence of 20 years.