Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

P.O. Box 107
Cass, WV 24927
Phone: (304) 456-4300

Located in eastern West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad is accessible by State Route 28/92N between Dunmore and Green Bank in Pocahontas County. A new 11-mile connector route, WV 66, now links the town of Cass to U.S. 219.

Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers excursions that transfer you back in time and let you relive an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Trips to Cass are filled with rich histories of the past, unparalleled views of a vast wilderness area, and close-up encounters with the sights and sounds of original steam-driven locomotives.

The town of Cass remains relatively unchanged. The restored company houses add to the charm and atmosphere of the town. From the company store and museum to the train depot, you'll find an abundance of things to do prior to your departure on the historic Cass Railroad.

The Cass Scenic Railroad is 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 in the rain forests of British Columbia for more than a half-century. The passenger cars are old logging flatcars refurbished and made into passenger cars.

The carefully restored Shay locomotive will start pulsing, driven by hundreds of pounds of steam pressure. With thick, black smoke belching from its stack, the train pulls away from the station, passing the old water tower from which the locomotive tanks are filled. As the train rounds the curve up Leatherbark Creek, you'll pass the Cass Shop, where the locomotives are serviced and repaired, and a graveyard of antiquated, but fascinating equipment on sidetracks.

The Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association has recreated a logging camp of the 1940's at Whittaker Station which shows both 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 left in the world. These huge railcar-mounted machines carried logs out of the woods on aerial cables high in the air and for distances up to 3000 feet.

Should you take the full five hour trip to Bald Knob you will leave Whittaker Station and proceed to Oats Run for the engines to take on additional water at a spring. The train will then climb up the mountain, finally reaching Bald Knob, the second highest point in West Virginia. The overlook at Bald Knob provides a spectacular view at an altitude of 4,842 feet. The Bald Knob area has a climate similar to Canada and is abundant in plants typical to the Canadian wilderness!

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is an unforgettable adventure. It is a journey back in time to the days of geared locomotives and log trains.

• Online at: www.cassrailroad.com