Montgomery - Least Used Amtrak Station in West Virginia

[@Islington_Express_Bus]

1. Nathan is an underrated Miles in Transit companion. 2. This video is up there with the Rutgers full system ride video in terms of how miserable it looked to film. We the viewers salute your dedication to delivering quality content.

[@markkajc]

We need more Nathan in Transit

[@keithcaito3639]

@@Islington_Express_Bus Big fan of Nathan too but I can’t decide who my favorite MiT companion is between him, Jeremy, Jackson, and Aleena.

[@MirkoC407]

@@keithcaito3639 For me Nathan comes first as companion by far. Also Jeremy and Jackson are cool. Aleena sometimes seems to me like she is "dragged into something", especially if the topic is rather nerdy. For the more serious travel topics like the last one with the ferries in Canada with some (unfortunately quite wet) sightseeing at the fortress is okay. But I can't imagine her in today's video. This one today is 100% "Bridge over troubled water" Nathan or "Sounds weird, I'm on it" Jeremy stuff.

[@johnp139]

Where is Miles’s girlfriend?

[@eliaomg]

@@johnp139Aleena - Mile’s girlfriend

[@frostracing3649]

It's SO nice having Nathan back on for these, you two's dynamic is the best for these videos! No offense to the faceless participants but they just don't bring the same vibe and it's harder to feel involved in the adventure with them on.

[@Leonard_Wilson]

I hope that the redacted characters NEVER appear again. At first, it was funny. After a while, their appearances became repetitive and annoying.

[@gracestallman2379]

Agreed 😂 ​@@Leonard_Wilson

[@officialmcdeath]

@@frostracing3649 must say I quite warmed to Darth Blackout \m/

[@JeffTaylor-tr7my]

I think I can guess the redacted quite real reason to be redacted. They were ok. But no chance to shine like the A lister companions.

[@TheManKnownAsAi]

As a WV expat my god this took me back. The casual mountain views. The New Deal architecture. The D.P Dough coming through at 3 am. Brilliant content, lol

[@tarasaurus98]

I really like how you spend time exploring the local areas when making these station videos. Really adds to the charm to see the context that they all exist in

[@sdsd4139]

These stations truly exist in the context of all in which they live and what came before them

[@nicholasthompson7690]

It's pretty cool

[@choicebarrelscrotes2732]

Miles did not fall out of a coconut tree

[@steelers3814]

The Tennessee least used station video is one of my favorites because he ended up on that adventure with a bunch of random local teenagers at 1 AM. Miles’ videos beat everyone else’s because of what you said.

[@Northern_Idaho]

Shoutout to Thurmond for being so legendary as the least used Amtrak station that it isn’t even the least used in West Virginia anymore

[@sammymarrco47]

I believe it gets decently used during some local events. I think there’s like a 5K or some sort of physical activity done in that area.

[@jaanikvestergaard]

@@sammymarrco47Omg ur everywhere I am lol

[@MilesinTransit]

I eagerly anticipate when someone asks "But isn't it Thurmond?" Hasn't happened yet!

[@mattburke1869]

@@MilesinTransitbut isn’t it Thurmond?

[@ashumate-s6c]

What about Prince?

[@brucearthur5108]

This is the kind of content we come to this channel for. None of the other transit KZbinrs are crazy enough to do something like this.

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you!!

[@glowingfish]

I was that crazy when I was younger...too bad there wasn't KZbin then.

[@smaenchtumpus6640]

good news for the cleveland greyhound station- it was just purchased by playhouse square (local theatre company literally across the street) & they’re going to redevelop the building while maintaining historical integrity

[@MilesinTransit]

That's amazing! It's still a bit of a shame it won't be used as a bus station, but the building is magnificent so any use for it is good!

[@Chronograph71]

That's fantastic news!!! I was about to write how sad I was that the station was to go. Thank you!!!

[@clayshriver6664]

As a WV native I love seeing folks visit the area for different reasons. Glad that brought me to your greyhound content.

[@mattmakescovers]

I'm a lifelong Charleston resident and I love that you all enjoyed your brief time here regardless of it downpouring and being super gross weather! Absolutely nothing goes on past about midnight here, mostly everything is closed but its a super fun city to visit during the day with quite a few good restaurants. The little urban park you walked through is Slack Plaza and gets used during the day, definitely looked empty since it was downpouring and late. The swing benches have tons of people sitting and enjoying the day when it's the daytime. Very fun video- enjoyed it!

[@nicholasorr4230]

DP DOUGH is ICONIC

[@khem3275]

Shoutout Nathan definitely a top 10 transit companion O.A.T.

[@Michael_DCA]

Fun Fact: Metro trains started using the "Auto Door" feature this week. Train doors open within 3-5 seconds of the train stopping!

[@Nerdy_dude]

In dc?

[@Michael_DCA]

@@Nerdy_dude Yes. It started Wednesday.

[@ChristopherMartin-e8r]

Also, literally before this video released wmata changed their fare system. Now the most expensive fare peaks at $6.75 and weekend fares range from $2.25-$2.50 based on distance. Truly the end of the cheap, quality rides era.

[@keithcaito3639]

The Least-Used Station Series is definitely my favorite MiT recurring segment. Can’t wait until you do the least used station in Rhode Island(anti-spoiler).

[@glowingfish]

Also looking forward to the least-used station in DC.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Those iconic Greyhound bus stations were genius design for their time! Even in foggy weather, the mountains of WV still look beautiful! The area of what's now New Philadelphia, Ohio was founded by the Moravian Christians in 1772 who founded the community of Schoenbrunn, which was the first US settlement of the whole Northwest Territory (now Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and northeastern Minnesota; Schoenbrunn was the first in general but Marietta was the first permanent settlement in 1788), but this pacifist settlement was abandoned during the American Revolution. Then it was resettled in 1804 because of the presence of coal and clay which led to early industry in the city centered on mining interests and the manufacture of tons of things like steel, canned goods, bricks, vacuum cleaners, roofing tiles, carriages, and flour. John Knisely, originally from Pennsylvania, wanted to settle in a location where game was more plentiful, he returned to Ohio in 1804 with his family and 33 other pioneers, hiring surveyor John Wells to plot out the modern city of New Philadelphia in the same grid style as Philly!

[@howardberk8396]

I miss seeing Jackson and Jeremy on your videos, but with all due respect to them and the others who appear (and A LOT is due!), I think the pairing of you and Nathan is my favorite. Hearing both of your mellifluous voices is like taking a much needed tranquilizer❣️

[@MilesinTransit]

They will be back soon!

[@WBrown21]

As a DC resident... #MoreMilesinDCPlease What a pleasant surprise

[@sagechan9]

As a Charleston resident and alumnus of WVU Tech when it was in Montgomery this was a good video. DP Dough doing what it does best, greasy late night people saving food.

[@OneOneTwo112]

Happy to see you briefly in the DC area! You'll be pleased to know that as a of a few days ago, Auto Doors were re-enabled on all of the Metrorail lines which cuts the absurd 10-second wait on the 7Ks to a still-long-but-more-acceptable 3-5 seconds (the 3Ks and 6Ks also had their times reduced to 3-5 seconds). Previously Auto Doors were enabled on the Red Line last year. Automatic Train Operation is still in the works but there is no word on a date. Shout-outs to Potomac Yard btw. It's a special station to me because of all things, I got on the news for being one of the first passengers which was quite cool! Glad you enjoyed the station as well.

[@davidpasmanik]

Omg really?! I've been away I'm so excited to go home now

[@himbourbanist]

gotta give some credit to that transit facility in Charleston. It looks nice and new, and the screens were really nice. Hopefully someday the transit service improves as well, and when it does the station will be ready for it. The e-ink displays are popular right now and pretty nice

[@maxbuskirk5302]

What unique content. Wacky overnight trips are a very niche category! Also 4:28 is very relatable as a recent transplant to the state.

[@amprosk]

Same here for another recent Ohio transplant lol

[@sequences8942]

Montgomery used to be a college town for WV Institute of Technology. The campus has since moved to Beckley. This video brings back some memories of walking around Montgomery late night with my college buddies, including over to Smithers at the McDonalds you went to (or to the Burger Carte down the road). Also in my last few semesters I skipped the dorms or renting in Montgomery and just took the KRT from the west side of Charleston to Montgomery with a transfer in the transit mall. It's a much nicer ride during the day when you can see the old towns sparsely set throughout the trees and mountains. I can't say I ever used the Amtrak though, but I thought about it. I wish it was used more, Amtrak was way less noisy when you're studying than the coal trains that would barrel through there.

[@phantomaviator1318]

Did you ever see the store manager of the mcdonalds there? Sweet old black lady? She used to be my boss.

[@ataridc]

As a mont resident, mont losing its college was a very depressing blow. Literally half the city was college campus...

[@phantomaviator1318]

@ataridc It really was. I used to work there about a month ago for the city, doing trash in the mornings and mowing in the evenings. Ain't nothing there but Gino's, the Mexican, and the dollar general really

[@robertsole9970]

yes, I graduated from WVIT in December 85 with EE Degree ....it's sad to see the college buildings slowly decaying away. I never go back there as its too depressing. Then WVU scooped up the school not long after and ruined it. My degree from there has let me earn over 3 million over my career, which will end this spring when I retire.

[@ck4426]

I just absolutely love your least- used Amtrak station series!!! You and Nathan are a matched pair of transit adventurers and I admire your ability to navigate, contemplate and appreciate all of the transit you encounter!!! Press on!!!

[@gracestallman2379]

Same here!!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much!

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

I love how all the travel buddies are just so fckn chill and happy to be there. Nathan is so chill. Also, Charleston has so much charm. Maybe the economies keep changing and people can move about the country more, because it's got potential to have an amazing renaissance.

[@TheHungryTransitFan]

As you have "High Hopes" for New Philadelphia, in Regular Philadelphia, when the Phillies win, the loudspeaker plays legendary play-by-play announcer Harry Kalas's iconic rendition of "High Hopes" Now THAT'S a Fun Fact

[@Pedalshift]

Low key one of my favorites you've done...

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much!

[@Spanderson99]

I wound up pulling a stunt like this in Nanaimo, BC once. Left Courtenay in the afternoon, rode 100km and got into town at 0200. It was pouring rain, just like this video. I couldn’t find a hotel for less than $400. Not even 7-11 stays open out there, so I biked through the a&w drive thru and crushed a lonely teen burger under an overhang in the rain. Spent the rest of the night in front of the ferry terminal, caught the 6:30 ferry, rode all the way across Vancouver to the Via station. Finally fell asleep that night in the back of the dome car, watching the headlight snake through the gorge. Loved watching the sleep dep set in, from the optimistic start to your slow decline into misery. I believe this sort of thing falls under “type II fun”, the kind that’s only fun a couple weeks after the fact!

[@MilesinTransit]

Wow, great story! Thank you!

[@christianfiguereo987]

Seeing you go into D.P. Dough gave me shivers down the spine.

[@patrickmartin3322]

The reason Greyhound is closing all their stations is because none of the stations were included in the sale when Greyhound was sold to Flixbus, First Group held on to the stations for a year and then sold them all off to a hedge fund, who’s now selling them out from under Greyhound

[@Sidthedentist]

Nothing goes right for Greyhound lol.

[@jonathankleinow2073]

yay capitalism

[@davidrivera9743]

@@patrickmartin3322 and that is Disgusting.

[@jamesqualls8125]

I'm surprised. Everything is going wrong. Greyhound used to have a big bus station, but the bus station is used by a local/metro bus service. The ticket office, Greyhound still has it

[@chazman4461]

@@jonathankleinow2073 Yep. Socialism will make all of us rich.

[@freddysanders2826]

that fine o meter is so cool i'm becoming a parking meter foamer now

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

VT is for Virginia Tech! Potomac Yard station was partially inspired by the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas! The chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones and was constructed in 1980. E. Fay Jones was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the chapel is of the Prairie School style that Wright popularized! Only 20 years after it was built, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which usually isn't even given to buildings less than fifty years old unless said building is very significant! The chapel itself was inspired by the Gothic Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and is meant to be a non-denominational place for meditation in a forested landscape that can seat up to 100 people. Fay affectionately labeled Thorncrown’s style as “Ozark Gothic.” The chapel rises 48 feet into the sky with over 6,000 square feet of glass and 425 windows. Its dimensions are 24 feet by 60 feet. The chapel is made with all organic materials to fit its natural setting. It's surrounded by rock formations and a canopy of trees, so the chapel is indeed quite beautiful!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

For more info on the Greenbrier those other passengers at Montgomery were visiting: The current Greenbrier was built in 1913 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, who purchased the property in 1910, and was owned for much of its history by that company and it carried on through Chessie System and CSX. It was purchased by Jim Justice's family in 2009 after CSX had the hotel file for bankruptcy. In the late 1950s, the federal government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in creating a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear showdown, and so they built a bunker for it at The Greenbrier under Project Greek Island, but it was decommissioned in 1992 after the Washington Post did a story on it. The current Greenbrier was developed by John H. B. Latrobe who invented the Latrobe Stove, a coal fired parlor heater made of cast iron and that fit into fireplaces as an insert, and the hotel was designed by Frederick Junius Sterner who designed many buildings in Colorado including Briarhurst in Manitou Springs, Daniels & Fisher Tower in Denver, and the Lennox House in Colorado Springs

[@thomasopala5509]

Glad to see that 2 more ur. are working at the Cleveland Bus station so happy to see you take the bus and share the adventure with us.

[@rykilg]

Miles, I feel bad that your caption of most miserable trip ever excited me. It’s not that I want bad things to happen to you. You and your friends are just too dang good at experiencing and documenting them. Much love

[@MilesinTransit]

I mean, I put that caption in to excite people, so it was 100% intended!

[@everacite]

Miles got his last WMATA door countdown lmfao (they just turned on automatic doors last week lol) also VT is Virginia tech for anyone curious

[@COASTER1921]

At least as if Sunday the red line certainly didn't have the automatic doors running. I've been on WMATA with automatic doors exactly one time around 6mo ago and it really makes such a huge difference. It's crazy that they need to wait. It's well beyond its original "safety" purpose at this point.

[@adammoldover8769]

​@@COASTER1921I think it started Tuesday

[@nerdyandnatural]

​@@COASTER1921I took the red line today and can confirm the the auto doors were in use

[@williamchristian8389]

Most excellent, Miles and Nathan!! Now I am freezing and and ready for bed.

[@himbourbanist]

This was a really great video. I'm an absolute Cardinal / West Virginia stan since I rode the Cardinal earlier this year and it's been one of my favorite Amtrak routes, the portions through Virginia and WV are some of the most gorgeous views I've seen on the Amtrak network and I really wish it was a daily train.

[@TomHoffman-uw7pf]

I've taken it DC-Chicago or vv several times. Always a great ride. Rumor has it going daily before too. long.

[@XoeDanger]

Oh hey! D.P. Dough started in Amherst MA! Shout out to the countless UMASS Transit student drivers of PVTA.

[@trevorlane]

Immediately thought of that and I heard it actually reopened in Amherst.

[@MilesinTransit]

Wow! Is it a chain? I had never heard of it!

[@nod_neth]

love the extra content we always get with these least used station reviews! 😊

[@seanrobbins7125]

I'm glad no one was blurred out in this video

[@throughthethicket]

I truly adore your content Miles, after recently discovering the channel through your Buenos Aires visit. Nathan and you make great travel companions. Agree fully with another commenter about your voices being mellifluous (new word for me). All the best and greetings from Brussels.

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much, and that's a great new word for me as well!!

[@gracestallman2379]

It got really real watching yall explore Montgomery/Smithers.

[@FTFLCY]

OMG! A cord bell pull! Haven't seen those for 50 years in the UK. Back to the future, US style.

[@MilesinTransit]

They're super common in the US!

[@johntathers8276]

As a guy from the Charleston area who now lives in DC, the view of the mountains makes me homesick. Love taking the Amtrak back to visit my folks for like $99 round trip!

[@soulman4292]

Local Cleveland boys that also have a public transit focused channel? Hell yea I’m subscribing with notifications on.

[@MilesinTransit]

Unfortunately Nathan's the only one who lives in Cleveland, but we do have other videos from the area on the channel (and on the way)!

[@psychorabbitt]

Miles, I can assure you that had you tried to walk through the McDonald's drive thru in the middle of the night - the guy working the window would have hated you.

[@davidrivera9743]

@@psychorabbitt yup. I've had to do drive thru as a pedestrian. It's slightly awkward but sometimes the person on the register takes pity.

[@johnsnyder3164]

We used to have a Greyhound station in Morgantown. Ohio and Pennsylvania used to bus their homeless to WV and there was literally a shelter right next door to the bus station. It’s a parking lot now. Thankfully.

[@jeffdavis5588]

Heck yeah DP Dough! Edit: Tomorrow I'm doing the same shuffle you did, Amtrak to Alexandria, then Metro, for a flight out of DCA. Totally did not expect to see you do the exact same thing in this video about West Virginia!

[@MilesinTransit]

Oh nice, have a great trip!

[@Otterside3548]

I actually live in Marietta! So cool to see you guys passing through my hometown! ❤ The guy spinning in the hula hoop you saw is Nik! he’s a juggler. i’ve seen him many times, and he usually performs by the fountain area where you saw him.

[@MilesinTransit]

Whoa, I love how he's a known person in town! That's so cool!

[@Aphrothena1221]

The park you visited at about 10:15 is actually a really popular venue for community events. It's not super crowded otherwise but it's a pretty place to hang out and they have sprinklers you can run through during the day.

[@Aphrothena1221]

I clicked bc I live near Charleston and it's always fun seeing people explore near where I live. I love your vibes

[@jasonwyland5198]

Scariest thing is that was probably one of the cleanest Greyhound-connected bathrooms. Special shoutout to Nathan for being a team.player.

[@cosmichoward4249]

I live in Montgomery. It’s quite wild to see someone come here and talk about our town and have a pretty big following to see it. Montgomery used to be bustling and was the spot to be in the 60’s but time hasn’t been kind. And I see the Amtrak come through maybe once a month.

[@wythetrumpet6419]

I attended West Virginia Institute of Technology in Montgomery, WV when they had a real train station, long before you guys were conceived. Great video!

[@wvrails]

21:57 I went to college in Montgomery WV (many) decades ago when West Virginia Institute of Technology was there. The dorm I lived in was in that green space to the left when you are pointing at the Amtrak sign. Friday afternoons I would ride KRT into Charleston for the weekend.

[@douglasengle2704]

I went to WV Tech in the 1980s and was president of Co-ed dorm 1987 by far my favorite dorm because it had A/C.

[@wvrails]

@@douglasengle2704 We were there at the same time. Co-Ed was the only dorm with A/C back then.

[@fenderbender4294]

always great to see nathan in your videos, even if your trip was miserable. and the charleston river is pronounced "kanaw"!

[@wetasspaddington]

all the nathan & miles in west virginia videos are all-timers. the thurmond trilogy is arguably your best actual travel video i love it so much :))))) this video is awesome please take nathan with you every time you go to wv!

[@Jbone_davis62]

Another great video absolutely love the channel. Watching your videos has given me the confidence to express my admiration for public transit as well keep it up brother

[@MilesinTransit]

That's so awesome to hear, thanks so much!

[@Whoami4967-p5r]

I am taking an Amtrak trip for the firsts time this saturday from South Carolina to Washington, and I came across your videos while researching Amtrak for the trip. Love the videos! Keep doing your thing man

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks! Have a great trip!

[@anumeon]

Thank you Fallout 3 for making me recognize those metrostation names. :)

[@jester1cp]

Greyhound was sold to a German company a few years back. Since then, they have been selling all the Greyhound buildings around America. Where I used to live, the bus picks you up in a Mall parking lot.

[@BoratWanksta]

I've heard rumors Greyhound/Flixbus will move out of their downtown Chicago station, by the end of October 2024. It's sad to hear. Though in a way doesn't surprise me, since sadly this new company seems to be horribly moving towards selling off most(if not all, though I fear one day it'll be all) of their bus depot buildings. Greyhound/Flixbus already sold off their Chicago bus maintenance building, and it was demolished a few years ago just to note.

[@tinytulip333]

This was my first encounter with your channel!! Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much!!

[@zachcrouch168]

That Mexican restaurant in Montgomery is actually really good. Also I work at the state capitol and I eat my lunch in that courtyard area every day lmao.

[@davidsaunders6700]

Very informative and entertaining trip report. Knowledgeable Miles and always articulate (and as it turns out, resilient) Nathan at the top of their respective games during an all-nighter. Well done guys!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you!

[@jacksonsdrones]

I wish I'd knew you guys were coming. Montgomery is Where I railfan the Cardinal at least every week. 😅 Thanks For Visiting!

[@JustPaulPlays]

Wow!! I am a 911 dispatcher in that area of WV!! It's so cool you decided to come! :)

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@CleverRat]

As someone who lived in WV for most of their life and went to school at WVU Tech 2 years before it moved from Montgomery WV - it's amazing to see it from someone else's lens. During the school year the streets would still be empty but the dorms would be lit up with life. A town like Montgomery always felt like a perfect spot for students because it was quiet and close. More love for the small towns of Appalachia.

[@TheSwanKing]

Not sure if you'll see this, but the park you guys visited in Charleston does get used, a member of my family has set up and ran sound equipment there multiple times for large events/gatherings. It's very nice👍

[@MilesinTransit]

That's awesome to hear!

[@jonathanveach369]

Loved the Mothman appearance at 6:30!

[@MilesinTransit]

Important West Virginia lore!

[@kenmmcnatt]

Par Mar, convenience store chain based in Marietta, OH but owned by a company closer to Pittsburgh. It is a combination of PARkersburg and MARietta. They buy up convenience stores and have been focusing on SE Ohio, SW Pennsylvania, and WV. There are some spots that have one Par Mar across from another and unlike some that intentionally build like that they bought two independent stores to achieve this. "If there isn't one near you now, there will be soon". They mean that. LOL

[@highkiddiesel5863]

Montgomery is my home town it was great to see it. And yet it still hasnt changed.

[@davidsixtwo]

I love the plot twist that Alderson is less used currently, and quite far away. WV really is a vision of a Dollar General America. These skin-in-the-game videos are great. An actual adventure ain't easy. I spent half the video wanting to buy you guys umbrellas. I just flew a red-eye to Sweden and I want you guys to know that I feel for you. I slept about 15 mins on the overnight flight (DC Metro & Amtrak got me there) and then had to spend 7 hours wandering around until I could check in to my hotel and go to sleep for a few hours. Can we recognize that the DC Metro is the second best metro system in the US in 2024?

[@MilesinTransit]

DC Metro is indeed incredible! What an improvement over the past couple years.

[@antonsmith9788]

Another fine video! Behold, the grandeur of WV! And, of course, a POOR BID! 👊❤️👊

[@oregonsenior4204]

Looking forward to your visits to Chemault, OR & Wishram, WA. i had to look them up on a map so I'm ready to believe they're the least used stations in OR & WA

[@MilesinTransit]

Yup, those are the ones!

[@forecast6026]

@@MilesinTransit​​⁠ something ~transit fun~ about Wishram, it seems like there’s a bus you can take from there through some wind turbine fields to Goldendale where (one 44 min walk later) there’s an observatory!

[@theplanesguy]

They greyhound station in Blytheville, Arkansas is beautiful and lights up so nicely at night!

[@eaglescout1984]

You rode by my house! Although that was during the "sleep" portion, ironically in the middle of the day when the Cardinal usually goes by. I also lived in Charleston for a couple of years. So, that's fun seeing you experience it and the Kanawha River Valley for the first time. Too bad Pies & Pints wasn't open. That's the best pizza in Charleston. I've also been to Montgomery, ate at Frank's Pizza when we took a trip out to Fayetteville and the New River Gorge. I actually worked on the elementary school in Smithers that you see on the right side at 18:51. Very beautiful places when you can seen the scenery.

[@JasonPuckettNY]

You’re making something very special here, Miles and team. Even when you’re miserable in these films, they are hilarious, informative, and compelling. Thank you for producing these!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much!

[@slingy09]

This is giving me PTSD 😅 I grew up in a house on that lot for sale. Montgomery has become a ghost since WVU Tech left. Long ago, it was a booming little mining town. My grandma used to tell me about working at Montgomery Ward Department Store and going to the bowling alley there in town. All gone by the time I showed up. Love your videos, bro!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much!

[@bridgetmccallum]

even before the bus update+when Baron bought (or rebranded?) the Go bus, it was still quite a pleasant experience! Used the college connection quite a few times when I didn't have a car

[@evah1928]

As an ohioan i always love when you come here!! And we have crosswalk buttons like that (10:12) in columbus where i'm from!

[@joezegers]

"Governor Jim Justice" *_Shows a picture of Ned Lamont_*

[@gingercat7925]

LOL. I was wondering who that was because Jim Justice has a good 200-300 lbs on that guy.

[@psychorabbitt]

Gotta slip in that high level MiT lore.

[@DL-tl3ls]

I can't get over that you brought up Country Roads (which was inspired by Springfield, MA) in a video where you reached a town called Smithers which happened to be next to Montgomery (Burns)

[@Okunno]

I grew up in Montgomery and Smithers with my grandma, it's sad to see all the stores closed and how dead the town seems. The main reason the town survived was because WVU Tech was located there, but after they relocated to Beckley the stores lost their customers. Apparently before the highway opened up Montgomery was a popular stop along Route 60. My grandma told me the main street used to be filled with people then. Great video by the way.

[@susangordonmerdler4036]

I enjoyed this. In 1979, while trying to get from DC to Athens, OH on Amtrak, the train stopped in Grafton, WV because of track repair. At 4am we found ourselves in deserted Grafton waiting for a Greyhound, with only the other passengers, all of whom were members of bible study group headed to a convention at OU. Shout out to Cleveland!

[@winstonsmith2902]

Charleston has a pretty impressive bus system for its size.

[@charlesbaran1106]

The Potomac Yard development is where a big freight yard used to be, with the Pennsylvania RR bringing in trains using electric engines.

Awesome video! I love King St and Alexandria, probably one of the most scenic areas in the DC area. Thanks for the rare DC Metro content (please do more!)

[@sammyers7558]

The tracks in the street in Marrietta at 5:54 appear to be from an old streetcar/interurban system; ownership changed hands several times but I think it spent the most time as part of the Monongahela-West Penn Public Service Company system. There is also a CSX line that does some streetrunning on the west side of town. EDIT: upon further research, the tracks in the video may have been owned by the local streetcar company and not the interurban; the interurban may have used those tracks too, but I'm not sure how extensively. The local line was abandoned in 1931 or 1934, while the interurban to Parkersburg held on until 1947.

[@robertstutes2547]

What an awesome video! It makes me want to duplicate this trip but my wife would never stand for it!

[@rrivierareject03]

Charleston giving Des Moines vibes. That brush with frostbite was fun!

[@MarylandResident]

Always nice to see DC content

[@uniontpke772]

Great call on half the star market logo. This New Yorkah gets it.

[@jackbates7467]

Finally a least used station that I've actually been through on a train.

[@davidfirth1]

I graduated WV Tech in '90. Montgomery is a shadow of its former self today. The college was pretty much the economy, but the deteriorating conditions of the buildings made a move to Beckley, where they could take over the defunct but still serviceable Mountain State University campus, the best course of action. I remember on one of my stops over the years to see how the town was doing that the Amtrak platform was being redone, and my old dorm had been torn down. Change happens.

[@Cednation]

It’s so surreal to see people visit my home town.

[@Cednation]

Being Smithers Montgomery

[@ridetrainz]

Great job on this whacky video Miles. Night videos kinda your cool niche. Nathan is an unflappable warrior. Great chemistry!

[@EPMTUNES]

This is one of my favorite videos from you! I love that you explore these often neglected or unapreciated places in america. My conception of west virginia is that as one of the poorest states and one where many people leave when they get the chance. Yet you show off stuff like their beautiful state capitol and what the city is like late a night. I had the pleasure of visiting Baton Rouge and the Louisiana state capitol when on a trip to New orleans and all the native baton rougers said not to go. I am glad I did as the capitol was beautiful and basically free of people despite its beautiful park. I'm glad that theres someone out there that visits these places and takes their oddest transportation routes, theyre there for a reason!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@daggy174]

Charleston is an exception to the ruin and poverty associated with West Virginia because its economic fortunes aren't tied to one failing industry like other parts of the state. The petrochemical industry is a sizeable economic driver in the Kanawha Valley. The automotive industry, logistics and the governmental sectors also help diversify the region's economy. That said, Charleston is losing population and there are some blighted neighborhoods in the western section of the city away from the areas shown in the video. The collapse of the steel industry in the 70s-80s and of the coal industry in the 00s pretty much ruined the fortunes of the Northern Panhandle and Southern Coalfields. I can assure you that the towns in those regions do not present themselves nearly as nicely as Charleston does.

[@axelthealpha8147]

Nice to see my lovely hometown just as dreary and miserable as I remembered

[@ccooper585]

Miles: Why is the video playing now? Nathan: Because it wants to. 😂😂

[@maxcrazyhorse]

After this great series, I think most used station could be super interesting

[@Mdrailer1]

Wow That station improvements are amazing. When I went to college in the late 80s and early 90s. The town was a lot busier. West Virginia Tech had 3000 students and the town had a population of 3000. The state of WV ruined the town when they moved the college to Beckley, WV. It is a former shadow of itself. Thank you for showing the town.