The depot stopped serving to passengers when Amtrak started operation on May 1, 1971, and discontinued services to the station, although the line still has the Cardinal using the route.

Ronceverte was welcomed by railroad services on January 28, 1873, when the C&O Main Line between White Sulphur Springs and Huntington was completed.

A new location was proposed for the use of 10 feet of Rail Road Avenue north side between Pine and Chestnut Street for depot purposes and new passenger station.

With the plans finalized, the current American Craftsman style station opened in 1915, with more than 65,000 passengers passing through its doors in the first year it was built.

The final blow came on May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over all passenger operations in the United States, and chose not to serve Ronceverte, despite retaining the George Washington and merging it with the James Whitcomb Riley.

The show itself is named after Jim “Red” Matheny, who was a key figure in building the C&O railroad, while he worked at the Ronceverte train station.