The primary source of revenue on the N&W Caretta Branch was this tipple and processing plant in the town of Caretta, West Virginia. The town was named Caretta after the transposed syllables of Mrs. Etta Carter, the wife of George Lafayette Carter, who founded Carter Coal. Carter Coal was one of the various outfits that owned the mining operation in town over the years. The mine closed for a period of time in 1982, only to reopen the following year. The operation in Caretta closed for good in 1986 and all that remains today are vacant structures and an open field once populated by coal cars destined for export at Norfolk, Virginia. In this photo from December 2012, we are looking south towards the old tipple which is visible in the distance. I'm standing in what used to be a five track yard that was once bustling with hard working men and machines.