Engine House

The Thurmond Engine House in 1920

NPS

Quick Facts

Significance:

Historic Location

Thurmond Walking Tour Stop 9

Throughout its history, many of Thurmond's residents worked for the C&O Railway. The Engine House was the heart of the railroad. Although rectangular in shape, it was the same as a roundhouse. It served as the repair shop for locomotives and railcars.

Built in 1905, the Thurmond Engine House was the workplace of 50 to 70 men. At its peak, 175 men worked round the clock in 3 shifts. Each shift lasted 8 hours. At peak operation, the Engine House serviced 60 to 100 railcars daily. Machinists, boilermakers, and steam fitters worked hard to maintain locomotives. At any given time, 2 to 3 locomotives were being serviced. The Engine House kept 2 to 3 more locomotives steamed up, ready to go at a moment's notice.

The switch to diesel electric locomotives made the Engine House obsolete. In 1963, the Engine House closed and an auto repair shop opened in its place until 1985. The abandoned Engine House burned in 1993.