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Deep inside the Allegheny Mountains, set
against backdrops of quaint country villages like Durbin and Cass,
Pocahontas County West Virginia offers a Mecca for the restoration and
operation of historic railroads, attracting tens of thousands of visitors
and enthusiasts each year.
These iron beasts of the past fascinate
and inspire us, even a century after their prime days of transport and
hauling are over. Riding the trains today provide an inimitable picture
into the history of these unique railroads, the engineering that paved their
way into the mountains, the men who built the powerful locomotives and the
pioneers who operated them.
The town of Cass remains relatively
unchanged from its original configuration, with the Cass Scenic Railroad
operating on the same line built in 1901 to haul lumber to the mill in
Cass. The locomotives are the same Shay locomotives used in Cass and the
old growth forests of British Columbia for more than half a century. Today
the logging flat cars are refurbished and hauling train devotees through
these shadowy mountains instead of logs.
Whether a seasoned enthusiast or a
youngster, riding for the first time, the moment you board the train the
excitement begins. The great pistons of the Shay locomotive start pulsing,
the shaft begins turning, the wheels find traction and the monstrous steel
wheels begin to move. As the pressure builds, the “iron horse” is driven at
full steam and the arduous journey up the mountain toward the two
switchbacks begins. The whistle screams its warning at the crossing and you
can sense being transported back in time. The switchback process allows the
train to
gain altitude quickly and in this instance, the train
is traversing a grade up to 11 percent, or 11 feet in altitude for each 100
feet of track. Normally a two percent grade on conventional railroads is
considered steep.
The Mountain State Logging Railroad and
Logging Historical Association have recreated a logging camp of the early
1940’s at Whittaker Station, which shows the living quarters and the
equipment used by the loggers. The centerpiece of Camp One is a Lidgerwood
tower skidder, one of only two examples of this type of logging left in the
world. These huge railcar-mounted machines carried logs out of the woods on
aerial cables high above the mountain floor and for distances up to 3000
feet.
In addition to regular daily trips
visiting Whittaker Station, the old logging town of Spruce, and Bald
Mountain, the second highest point in West Virginia, Cass also offers
several specialty trains. There is a Murder Mystery Train, along with the
ever-popular Fiddles and Vittles Train which offers bluegrass music, and a
complete prepared dinner. “For a real adventure,” says David Caplinger,
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park Superintendent, “you can rent a caboose and
stay overnight atop Cheat Mountain!”
For ticket information and brochures you
can contact the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park at 1-800-CALL-WVA or
304-456-4300 or visit their website at
www.cassrailroad.com or you can contact the Pocahontas County
Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-336-7709 or visit their website at
www.pocahontascountywv.com |
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park
Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park |
