Think about riding your bicycle onto a train in the morning and riding off into the mountains of West Virginia in the afternoon. Amtrak's experimental roll-on service now provides an alternative way for cyclists to enjoy the wonders of the mountain state.
       Cyclists traveling by rail used to have to break down their bicycles and place them in special cardboard boxes for storage in baggage cars. That's changed with a new service allowing you to roll your bicycle onto a train, place it in a rack, and take a seat in the same car.
       Amtrak's test program, which began August 1, 1997, allows up to four intact bicycles per train on the Cardinal, the line running through West Virginia from Chicago to Washington, DC. According to Doug Carlile, the rail's marketing manager for its eastern business group, Amtrak hopes to expand this service over the next two to three years.

THE VISION
       Roll-on bicycle travel is the cutting edge of West Virginia's tourism movement. For the past several years, government and business officials have been promoting the Mountain State as the perfect destination for tourists seeking outdoor vacations. A key point in this promotion effort has been train travel.
       In 1997, the State of West Virginia bought the Elkins-Bergoo line, a 122-mile stretch of track linking Tygart Junction at the northern terminus with Bergoo at the southern. The West Virginia State Rail Authority has returned the line's name to West Virginia Central Railroad, the original name Henry Gassaway Davis, the Elkins rail and lumber tycoon, gave the railroad when he opened it in 1866.
       While the State Rail Authority doesn't plan to repair the entire line, it has managed to bring sections of it up to usable quality. John Hedrick, executive director of the State Rail Authority, says individual operators might eventually use the line from Tygart Junction to Bemis to carry anglers, hikers, and cyclists through the Cheat Mountain and Shavers Fork areas in the Potomac Highlands.
       The West Virginia Central Railroad is also part of a greater vision in the cycling community. The West Virginia Rails-to-Trails council hopes to see the eastern part of the state become a prominent stretch of a circuit that winds through Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. According to Frank Proud, the finance director of the council, cyclists in the future could begin in, say, DC: They could ride a train to Cumberland, Maryland, then bike to Elkins, roll on a train for the trip to Snowshoe Ski Resort, and, from there, bike to White Sulphur Springs to catch an Amtrak train back to DC.
       Another dream is coming true in Durbin in the Potomac Highlands. John and Kathy Smith, a retired truck-driving team who moved to the Durbin area 15 years ago, bought a section of track along the Greenbrier River more than a year ago and are refurbishing it. The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad, of which John Smith is president, is a small stretch of track that was devastated by the flood of 1985. The project includes repairing uprooted track and washed-out rail beds. John Smith says he plans to offer service similar to Amtrak's for cyclists making their way through the Durbin area. "It won't be Amtrak," he says, "but we will have a flat car with provisions for both canoes and bicycles." Smith says he plans to have his service ready by 1999.

AMTRAK'S SERVICE
       As for the Amtrak service, it follows a southern route through the Mountain State, stopping at Huntington, Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Princeton, Hinton, Alderson, and White Sulphur Springs. Cyclists from Chicago, Washington, DC, or other areas along the Cardinal route can travel with their bicycles by train to West Virginia's spectacular New River Gorge or the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs for a vacation of biking, whitewater rafting, and fishing. Then, they can return home the same way, enjoying a long-distance vacation without the expense of airfare or the hassle of traveling in a tightly-packed car.
       Amtrak does charge a fee for its bicycle services. The box method costs $5 and requires no reservations--- however, cyclists can use this service only at staffed stations. Cyclists can find the nearest staffed station by calling 1-800-USA-Rails. Because of limited space, the roll-on service requires a reservation; it costs $15 on the Cardinal. These arrangements can also be made by calling Amtrak's 800 number.
       According to Marc Magliari, Amtrak's media relations manager, the roll-on bicycle service is being tried on other lines as well. In June 1997, two months before the Cardinal's service began, the St. Louis-Kansas City line started a one-year test. Jack Hynes, an administrator with the Missouri Department of Transportation who worked with Amtrak to implement this idea, says that in the three-month trial period that ended in mid-October, nearly 300 cyclists used this service on the St. Louis-Kansas City line. "It fits perfectly with the Katy Trail," he says. The Katy Trail is a rail trail along the old Katy Railroad that stretches across the 200-mile width of Missouri. Amtrak's line parallels 125 miles of this rail trail.

The Cass Railroad Mountain Bike Tour
       Other than Amtrak's, the only other rail service for cyclists occurs on the Cass Scenic Railroad. Although it doesn't provide the same comfort or cover the same number of miles as Amtrak, this year's 10th annual Cass Railroad Mountain Bike Tour does offer a unique way for cyclists to enjoy riding in the more remote parts of the state. It is a one-day adventure that takes place on July 31 and is part of the 14th annual Fat Tire Festival (July 30 to August 4).
       According to Gil Willis, coordinator of the Cass event and tour director/designer for Elk River Touring Center, cyclists load their bicycles and gear into a train car and make the two-hour ascent to Bald Knob Lookout, saving them a grueling ride up to the state's second highest peak. (At this year's event, a splinter group will climb to Bald Knob Lookout in yet another contest that pits human against machine.)
       Once they reach the top, cyclists will unload and gear up for the 35- to 40-mile group ride down the mountain. The descent covers a mix of country lanes, gated forest service roads, as well as double and single track trails. Be prepared for a change in elevation of 2,000 feet. For more information about the Cass Railroad Mountain Bike Tour, contact Gil or Mary Willis at 304-572-3771.

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
       The commingling of bicycles and trains in West Virginia is part of a larger movement in the United States to reacquaint travelers with a form of transportation that once ranked supreme in this country. Moreover, it is an effort to offer alternatives to car and air travel on par with the great train systems of Europe. According to Scott Leonard, assistant director at the National Association of Railroad Passengers, you see bicyclists on trains regularly along rural routes like those from Amsterdam to The Hague.
       If you want to bicycle through breathtaking country and enjoy the convenience of bike-friendly transport, pack up your family and bicycles for a train trip to wild and wonderful West Virginia.