Pogwatigue Perambulations: Cass Scenic Railroad

While in West Virginia last Autumn, I spent a morning riding the Cass Scenic Railroad, a tourist line that runs on the best extant collection of Shay locomotives. Unlike the vast majority of steam engines pistons and rods moving parallel the track, the Shay design arranges these critical elements vertically. Principally this modification allows Shays to navigate tighter turns; though at the expense of top speed. Logging and mining railroads adopted the design for winding narrow-gauge lines into rough mountain terrain. The Cass line descends from a lumber company that harvested the slopes of Back Allegheny Mountain.

I booked a ticket on the first train of the day, the 9:30 two-hour round trip to Whittaker Station about four miles up the line. I later train traveled further up to the mountain to bald knob one of the high points in the state. In the cold morning air, I found a seat the first car, which was actually the furthest from the engine, so that I could see the track ahead. The route passed the ruins of the lumber mill that once process the railroad's quarry; shifted off the mainline at a junction with a classic water tank and started the tough assent up the mountain. I especially enjoyed my front row seat at the two switchback required to gain elevation quickly. For a spell, I was at the back of the train.

Full Screen Version

The train stopped at Whittaker Station, a replica of an old logging camp. I bought some lunch and hot cocoa before catching up with a guide talking about aspects of the logger's life. Also during the break, I watched as the engineer oiled part after complex part on the Shay engine. On the ride down we passed the the Bald Knob bound train via fascinating maneuver at the upper switchback. Back in town, I enjoyed watching the black-smoke belching Noon train depart from the station and then took a quick turn at the guided tour of the logging company town.