West Virginia Operation Lifesaver held the 2007 WVOL Rail Camp June 24-30

at Camp Echo in Cabins, WV. The event was hosted by the South Branch Valley Railroad for the eighth consecutive year. WVOL State Coordinator, John Perry said, "The camp was a tremendous success again this year. The campers all seemed to have a great time and whether they realized it or not, they also learned quite a bit."

During their week at the camp, the campers were given Operation Lifesaver classes each day. They spent approximately one hour in class, as most of their training was conducted on the railroad. They received instruction on how a highway-rail grade crossing operates and learned about the dangers of on-track equipment. They were taken on a 50-mile motorcar ride in antique motorcars, were treated to a dinner train ride, operated a hand car, and were allowed to operate a locomotive. Perry noted, "Most people will never get to operate a locomotive, so this is really a unique experience for these young people."

Campers also participated in several games and competitions at the camp and took a tour of Seneca Caverns.

Roger Lipscomb, Chairman of the WVOL Board of Directors said, "This has been a great week. These young people left our camp with memories that most people will never get to experience, and as one of our slogans says, they got "the learning experience of a lifetime"."

The camp is held each year for a limited number of students ranging in age from 10 to 17. The camp is fully funded so there is no charge to the campers who attend. This year's campers were from West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennslvania and Minnesota. The WVOL Rail Camp is the only Operation Lifesaver camp in the country.

The camp is sponsored by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, the Rahall Transportation Institute, the South Branch Valley Railroad, and the West Virginia Southern Railway. Other contributors include Appalachian Rail Excursions, Norfolk Southern Corp. (Pittsburgh Division) and the Pepsi Bottling Group of Grant County.