By Micah Turner

Coalfield Chronicles

May 28, 2026 - This past week, I visited the Holmes Mill area while working on a project for my YouTube Channel “Railfan Micah Turner.” My goal was to grab some aerial drone footage of the Lone Mountain operation that only recently idled in 2024 following the closure of the Darby Fork mine, the project of which led me on a research mission regarding the operation’s beginnings.

Arch Natural Resources was no stranger to our area, the company of which became a major player in the coal industry following the formation of their Arch of Kentucky Division in the late 80s where they acquired the former U.S. Steel and International Harvester properties at Lynch and Benham. Part of this expansive operation, however, was also developing the Lone Mountain facilities in Holmes Mill by tapping into rich coal reserves via their Huff Creek and Cloverfork mines. When constructed in the early 1990s, they had hoped to strike a deal with CSX to construct a new unit train flood loader on site, however CSX refused, stating that they would not allow a structure to be built overtop the mainline despite the rails being out of service any further north (part of the railroad trestle on site recently removed). Seeing its opportunity, Norfolk Southern then stepped in with a deal that they would pay for the construction of a belt corridor through the mountain over into Virginia, if they would load their coal via NS at the idled Benedict unit train loadout near St. Charles. Of course, Arch happily accepted and thus began the construction on what would become the 6C Cut-Through that remains today. In 1993, Arch opened its Darby Fork mine (not to be confused with the ill-fated Kentucky Darby Mine that claimed the lives of five miners in 2006) to add to their impending flow of tonnage, coinciding with Huff Creek, Cloverfork, and several other mines littered within the area.

Arch's former Lone Mountain facilities sit idle in Holmes Mill in May of 2026. The site is owned by Bluegrass Natural Resources.

Arch eventually sold its Cloverlick and remaining local assets to Richard Gilliam in 2000, who would go on to form Black Mountain Resources and run full swing going forward. Meanwhile, Arch held onto the Lone Mountain facilities and continued operations there for many more years under their subsidiary company, Lone Mountain Incorporated. Finally, Arch tapped out in 2015, selling the facilities to Revelation Energy (which had also acquired the aforementioned properties sold to Gilliam) and continued operations for a few short years. It was under Revelation, however, that both the Huff Creek and Cloverfork mines would be closed for good. Darby Fork persisted, however, as the last of the “Arch mines” feeding the complex. Fast forward through Black Jewel Inc. and Inmet Mining, Darby was saved from closure by Bluegrass Natural Resources in 2022, who carried the Lone Mountain operations forward for another few years. Alas, the reserves had finally been depleted in 2024 and it was opted to close Darby for good.

Today, the Kentucky side of the Lone Mountain operations sit idle along with the Lone Mountain Preparation Plant and Benedict flood loader in St. Charles, Va. There are eventual plans to open new mines to feed the facilities once more, however for now they sit quietly awaiting their next call to action. If you would like to view my mini-documentary on the last days of Darby’s operation, you can do so at my aforementioned YouTube Channel. The video is titled “The Final Coal Train – Lone Mountain” should any of you have interest.