VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY

VAN LEAR, KY

Hanging On By A Thread US&S R2 signals are mounted to the ancient signal bridge at Bobbs, located in Thelma, KY. These signals and their bridge have been slowly rusting and guiding trains for decades in eastern Kentucky, and will continue to do just that for still a while yet.
Hanging On By A Thread Credit: Leo Blackwelder

Van Lear Historical Society is a non-profit organization located in Van Lear, Kentucky. The society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the town and its people. The society was founded in 1995 by a group of local citizens who recognized the need to preserve the town's history for future generations.

The society operates a museum that houses artifacts, photographs, documents, and other historical items related to Van Lear and its people. The museum is open to the public and admission is free. The society also conducts research on the town's history, collects oral histories from local residents, and publishes a quarterly newsletter.

In addition to its preservation efforts, the Van Lear Historical Society is active in the community, sponsoring events such as the annual Van Lear Days celebration, which includes a parade, live music, food vendors, and other activities. The society also offers educational programs for local schools and community groups.

The society is run by a board of directors and relies on donations and memberships to support its operations. Membership is open to anyone who shares an interest in the history of Van Lear and its people. The society welcomes volunteers to assist with its preservation efforts and community events.

VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in VAN LEAR KY. US MID #8402100203

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Southeastern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia).

Hanging On By A Thread US&S R2 signals are mounted to the ancient signal bridge at Bobbs, located in Thelma, KY. These signals and their bridge have been slowly rusting and guiding trains for decades in eastern Kentucky, and will continue to do just that for still a while yet.
Barreling Through Bobbs Immediately after scurrying south of Chapman - and narrowly beating M652 here to the nearest crossing to get ahead - I ran down towards Thelma, home of the intermediate signal bridge known as Bobbs, KY. As its a signal that takes a bit of backtracking to get to, every little counts when it comes to beating the train there. I did beat it there with little trouble, thankfully, and was greeted with the sight of the old, rusting signal bridge. Alongside the cantilevers at the ends of the siding, these bridges - as rare as they are - are some of the most captivating sights when it comes to signals. A very industrial look and feel to them, one that isn't present on a lot of modern constructions. Definitely takes you back a bit. Love these old designs. CSX9006 glides through the curve at Bobbs, passing under the vintage signal bridge that still holds C&O R2s. From here, it would be a bit of a race to my next - and last - spot of the day at Dawkins.
Weight off my Shoulders It was only after I had decided to leave my perch and grab a couple close up shots of the unique addition to the signal at CH Cabin that CSX9006 showed up. Attached to the US&S R2 is a weight light for the scale at Torchlight just to the north, a unique and rare sight that just screamed for a photo. Naturally, when I was getting a few closeups, the K5H atop the 9006 - itself delivered as a C44-8W and later changed to a C40-9W - announced its very nearby presence. That was a hell of a sprint back down to my spot at that moment! Immediately after the engines passed me, though, my momentary relief was forgotten as I sprinted back to the car and raced to the next crossing to get ahead of the train. What a risky play that was!
Out Of My Element Rarely do I tend to get places outside of my familiar midwestern fields - I grew up in these flat lands and I'm used to them! My little car is brilliant for my home turf. Going east, however, is something a bit different. It's not to say I haven't driven over hills, of course - I'm perfectly capable of handling most any road. But, deep in eastern Kentucky and in the valleys between mountains, it's a whole new ballgame, doubly so when chasing down a train. Twisting and winding, steep, and narrow roads make up a large portion of the connections between signals on the CSX Big Sandy line (if the roads even get to them!). Taking my small car to these roads and pushing it to do as much speed as I can safely do is a bit scary - doubled with the fact that there's absolutely no cell service in these places. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at Chapman - home of CH Cabin - to find I had no data to set directions to get back to Louisa for my next shot. Thankfully I had enough of the areas map cached to just navigate by hand, but I was a little concerned for a few minutes there... Beating CSX C007 to the bracket at CH Cabin was, surprisingly, a breeze, and a little wait later brought the infamous GE rumble echoing between the hills and trees. As the train rolled past the C&O R2s, I knew I had to come back to Chapman the next day for sure.
The Start of Something New Day one of my week long eastbound adventure brought me to the CSX Big Sandy sub. After six hours on the road, I found myself wandering farther down the line and searching for signals, but lacking in trains. I knew the traffic was spotty, but I was still hopeful. Arriving in Paintsville, I decided that this was as far south as I could take it. I had limited time here, so I stuck to just one section. A little wandering around the area, and I found Thelma. A garbled squawk on my scanner suggested there was a train nearby, so I decided to just... wait. The old C&O-installed US&S R2 signals made for nice scenery, despite the long wait. An hour and change later, the rumble of GEs signaled it was time to do a little chasing of C007. Here we go...
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Contact VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY

VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC
PO BOX 369
VAN LEAR
KY
41265

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VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY Information

MID # 8402100203
Name VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC
Alternate Name VAN LEAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Classification Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Southeastern
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 311085159
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM) 201312
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 37.769036, -82.752108
CODES FIPS State Code: 21
FIPS County Code: 115
US Census Tract: 960600
US Census Block: 1035