T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Dr. Frederick Ripley, photographer of area railroads, adjusts one of his photographs on display at the Belmont Heritage Museum through the month.

By ROBERT A. DEFRANK

Times Leader Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Railroads were central to building the nation’s economy and Ohio’s in particular, and this month the Belmont County Heritage Museum will feature a story in pictures of some of the area’s railway sites and trains.

Displays of photography by Frederick Ripley of Columbus will be featured this month at the museum located on the courthouse plaza.

The showcase kicked off Thursday evening with a talk from Ripley at the St. Clairsville District Library across the street.

“I have photographed railroads since I was a kid,” he said. “This is the 35th year I’ve been photographing railroads with very good equipment, and a lot of railroad history has taken place in the last 35 years.”

He has been offering exhibits for the past 10 years, with enlarged, framed pictures of scenes from 25 states.

“I’ve had close to 50 exhibits in galleries and museums and public spaces,” he said.

The museum will host 16 of his pieces, each accompanied by an informative sheet giving the date the picture was taken, the location and historical context.

Ripley said his work has wide appeal.

“Obviously folks who like trains and like railroads are going to like this right off, but my goal in presenting these is to reach a broader audience, people that just have general interest in history in different areas of the country,” he said. “I believe the combination I’m presenting, of railroads that are so tied to our history and our economy and different regions of our country, I hope the manner in which I’m presenting it strikes a cord and again draws in people who don’t consider themselves railroad enthusiasts.”

He pointed out some particularly well-known railroads.

“The two railroads most associated with this region are the Pennsylvania Railroad and the former Baltimore and Ohio. This exhibit has images from both,” he said, adding his presentation would focus on the PRR along the Ohio River. “An area I’m sure many folks from here have driven up.”

When he began photographing, he saw the potential of showing a scene in a new light, particularly in displaying the train’s interaction with it’s environment. He said the geography as a natural setting is integral.

“Someone said to me: ‘You’re photographing an industrial activity, but so many of your photos are set in natural areas.’ To me, that’s a very important theme of what I’m trying to accomplish.”

He pointed out the rich variety of scenes as trains are pictured crossing rivers and mountain streams, along the curvatures of mountains and passing through communities long associated with railroads.

“In our varied country, railroads transverse all sorts of terrains,” he said. “In the eastern mountains there’s a natural combination.”

He said many of the pictures also serve as snapshots in time for structures and practices that no longer exist. He pointed out a D tower, pictured in Grafton, West Virginia, in October of 1992 that is now closed.

“This was the tail-end of the use of manned interlocking towers,” he said. “That controlled important junctions and switches, and they were already being automated from remote locations in this era. By the beginning of this century pretty much all the towers were closed.

“Even the styles of signals,” he said, pointing out some of Pennsylvania Railroad’s unique signal style: position lights with alternating horizontal and vertical lines of lights mimicking the raising and lowering of a semaphore blade which signals a clear route or to stop when a train is incoming. Ripley said the signals have all been replaced in the last 10 years.

“It’s constantly changing, the railroad equipment,” he said. “It’s almost a comfort that the landscape around, that’s the most timeless thing. … The great mountain landscape. …The mountains around it are still the mountains, so the railroad dealing with existing nature.”

His pictures include a scene in East Palestine from happier times, taken in October of 1993, long before the February train derailment that resulted in chemical contamination of the region.

Ripley has exhibited in Wheeling and presented during the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society’s Winter Lecture series. This is his first time presenting in St. Clairsville and he thanked the museum and library for their support.

Museum Curator Cathryn Stanley said there has been local interest.

Belmont County Tourism Director Jackee Pugh said Ripley’s work showcases the historic nature of the industry and the museum was proud to showcase his exhibit.

“The transportation industry with railroads really built up a lot of the small towns that we have, so it’s great that we’re able to accent that with his beautiful photography

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The artwork will be up until June 3. It is located at 101 E. Main St. in St. Clairsville and can be reached at 740-298-7020.