I was up at 6:15 AM and after checking out on another rainy morning, I drove to McDonald's for hot cakes and sausage then drove to the boarding area for the first trip of the Cass Scenic Railway's 40th Anniversary Railfan Weekend.
The New Tygart Flyer features two separate mountain grades, an 'S' curve tunnel, passage into a 1,500 feet deep canyon with steep, densely forested slopes and a high bridge over the rushing Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. This smooth climate-controlled passenger train has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting mountain wilderness excursion rides in the United States. This trip culminates at the inspirational "High Falls of Cheat", a waterfall in one of the most remote and pristine settings in the Eastern United States.
It was pouring rain as I waited under my umbrella for the train to arrive, which it finally did at 9:17 AM.
The train arrived with Western Maryland BL-2 82, FP7B 415 and FP7A 67, West Virginia Central observation car first class 120, West Virginia Central lounge 506, West Virginia Central coach 324, West Virginia Central table car 850, West Virginia Central diner 1493 "Mountain Explorer" and a generator car, three hoppers and a Baltimore and Ohio caboose. The freight cars would be used as a photo freight train once we reached Woodrow.
A face full of Western Maryland FP7A 67. I had to walk through the train to get to the First Class section in the observation car.
Passengers were enjoying the observation car.
I sat at a table and was joined by these three people. Once on the move at 9:36 AM on this rainy day, it was announced in our car by a reader of Trainorders.com that I was the Million Mile Rail Man so I passed out my business cards. The train climbed the grade to the 1,716.5 foot tunnel while I enjoyed a muffin and the first runby of the morning was announced for the east portal of Tunnel 1. Our train travelled through the bore and stopped just east of it where we all detrained. The rain continued to fall and I used my umbrella as I climbed the hill.
The reverse move.
Photo Runby 1 at Tunnel 1.
Reverse move 2, after which I relocated trackside.
Photo Runby 2, a face full of BL-2 82. I just watched and listened to Photo Runby 3 then everyone reboarded to dry off before I walked through our train.
West Virginia Central lounge car 506, ex. Burlington Northern 506, nee Northern Pacific 56-seat coach 506 built by Pullman-Standard in 1947.
West Virginia Central coach 324, ex. Central Railroad of New Jersey 314 1968, exx. Missouri Pacific 479 1963, nee Missouri Pacific 56-seat coach 733 built by Budd Company in 1942.
West Virginia Central table car 850, ex. South Texas Railroad Historical Society, exx. Missouri Pacific 494, nee St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad coach 850 built by American Car and Foundry in 1948.
West Virginia Central diner 1493 "Mountain Explorer", ex. Amtrak 8038, nee Santa Fe 1493 built by Budd Company in 1942.
The kitchen. I walked back to the observation car.
Food spread.
I then answered questions from passengers about my train travels and told the Hotel Roosevelt story. Our route descended to the Shaver Fork of the Cheat River, passed underneath US 33 and followed the river to Bowden and Woodrow, where our next photo runbys would be held.
The motive power ran around our train. The F units would cut off and be put on the point of the New Tygart Flyer while the BL-2 would power the freight train.
The New Tygart Flyer then reversed.
The freight train came up on the siding.
Photo runby 4 at Woodrow.
The freight train then moved further down the siding.
The New Tygart Flyer reversed as some globs of snow were falling.
Photo runby 5.
The New Tygart Flyer then reversed before slowly pulling forward.
Western Maryland FP7A 67, ex. CSX Transportation 118, exx. Seaboard System 118, nee Clinchfield 200 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952.
Photo runby 6. Once again, we all reboarded and our F units would push us to the High Falls of the Cheat River.
We passed Bemis, West Virginia and were then taken to Greenbrier Junction, where we detrained for our next series of photo runbys as it was trying to snow.
The New Tygart Flyer reversed across the bridge and went down the tracks to clear.
Photo runby 7 with the freight train.
Freight train reverse move.
Photo runby 8 with the freight train.
Reverse and clearing move with the freight train.
Photo runby 9 with the New Tygart Flyer.
Reverse move.
Photo runby 10.
We all reboarded and here is that bridge from the train. Lunch was served and I enoyed a pair of roast beef sandwiches as we made our way to the High Falls of the Cheat River, where everyone was given thirty minutes to explore.
I was first off the train and led the way.
The lower view of the High Falls of the Cheat River.
The upper view.
The rear of our train.
The front of our train here. After the thirty minutes, we resumed the journey toward Elkins.
Looking back to where we had come from.
We passed through Tunnel 1 and returned to Elkins. After such a fantastic trip, I detrained for a few more pictures in the rain.
Durbin and Greenbrier Valley F7B 415, ex. CSX Transportation F7B 415, nee Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis 918 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950 and painted in Western Maryland colours.
Western Maryland FP7A 67.
One last view of the New Tygart Flyer. This is one train I want to ride again someday. Now it was time to drive to Cass.
