This morning I was up as usual at 5:30 AM, went to MacDonald's then called Enterprise to have them pick me up and the girl said she would be there in a few minutes. Robin and I went to get the car and though the paperwork was done rather quickly, when we were walking out to car, she left to fill it up with petrol so that delayed us forty minutes. Once we received the car, a Nissan Altima, we picked up Bob and Elizabeth and drove to Cass. It turned out to be a most interesting drive, starting first when I missed the turn to Highway 28 so Elizabeth used her mobile phone and guided me. That took us to a road that said toll bridge ahead so we pulled up, the lady held a stick out with a cup on it and I asked her to move it closer so I could put the dollar bill in that Elizabeth gave me. We then proceeded to the bridge and drove across it very slowly, since I was not sure it would hold up.
We made it across, much to our glee and delight, and continued down Highway 28, passing through such places as Moorefield, Petersburg, Seneca Rocks and finally Greenbank, before arriving at Cass at 11:26. Mapquest was completely correct saying it would take two hours and twenty-eight minutes to get there. We stopped at the locomotive since we had a few minutes to spare.
Cass Scenic Railroad Pacific Coast Shay 2 1970, ex. Vancouver Wharves Ltd. lease, exx. Railway Appliance Research Limited 114 1964, exxx. Western Forest Industries 5 1946, exxxx. Lake Logging Company 5 1943, nee Mayo Lumber Company 4 built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1928.
The train was almost ready to leave for Bald Knob and we stopped at the depot immediately to pick up our tickets for the noon train. Elizabeth, Bob and Robin and I were assigned to Car G with a bathroom. At noon, the train started up the grade.
Some of the Mountain State Railroad & Logging Equipment Association logging equipment on display here.
Departing Cass.
Bob, Elizabeth and Robin are making their first trip on the Cass Scenic Railroad.
The Cass Mill included the drying kilns, boiler house, power house and sawmill ruins which can be seen to the east of the tracks.
The water tank was shared with Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, the link to the outside world. The water tank was replaced with this one in 2005.
Cass Railway three truck Shay truck 11 ex. moved to Campo in 1983, exx. Pacific Southwest Railway Museum at San Diego, California 1967, exxx. transferred Feather River Railway Company 3 at Feather Falls, California in 1939, exxxx. Feather River Pine Mills 3 1927, nee Hutchinson Lumber Company 3 at Oroville, California built by Lima in 1923.
Cass Scenic Shay 5 1962, ex. Midwest Raleigh, Inc. 5 1960, exx. Mower Lumber Company 5 1942, exxx. West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company 5 1927, exxxx. Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk River Railroad 5 1910, exxxxx. West Virginia Pulp and Paper 5 1909, nee Greenbrier and Elk River Railroad 5 built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1905.
W.M. Carney Mill Company three truck 36, ex. State of West Virginia in 1994, exx. leased to Cass Scenic Railway 36, exxx. George Kadelak, exxxx. Bear Creek Scenic Railroad at Robbinsville, North Carolina for display in 1973, exxxxx. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at Chattanooga, Tennessesse 1967, tranferred to Southern Railway Company in 1966, exxxxxx. corporate sale to New River Railway Company 36 1966, exxxxxxx. lease to Brimestone & New River Railway Corporation 36 1965, exxxxxxxx. transferred to Brimestone Railroad Company 36 at New River, Tennessee 1942, exxxxxxxx. moved to Maben, West Virginia, nee W.M. Ritter Lumber Company 36 at Oxley, West Virginia built in Lima in 1920.
Cass Scenic Railway three truck shay 7, ex. sold to State of West Virginia Cass Scenic Railway 7 1964, exx sold to Meadow River Lumber Company 7 at Rainelle, West Virginia in 1937, nee Raine Lumber Company 3 at Clover Lick, West Virginia, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1920.
Leaving the Cass Shop behind with the average grade of 4.55 percent to the top of Cass Summit.
We crossed Leatherbark Creek twice.
Cass Shay 2 was working hard up the grade to the Back Mountain grade crossing.
Crossing the Back Mountain grade crossing.
You could see the grade ahead of the train.
Cass Shay 2 continued to work hard.
Leatherbark Creek was below us.
I found the second growth trees really interesting.
Approaching Gum Road crossing.
Gum Road, after which we were on a five percent grade.
The first view of our destination, Bald Knob.
Robin and Elizabeth were really loving this trip.
We had almost climbed two miles from the Cass water tank.
Milepost 2.
Nearing the lower switchback.
The train reversed direction and now the engine pulled the train up the 6.3 grade from the lower switchback.
Proceeding to Gum Curve on a 3.55 precent grade.
Views looking down from Gum Curve.
Steadily climbing the 6.1 percent grade.
Continuing the journey to Limestone Cut.
Approching the cut on a 6.7 percent grade.
Nearing the upper switchback.
The 11:00 AM train to Whittaker, led by Cass Scenic Shay 4, was waiting for our train.
We pulled way down the long tail track of the upper switchback to clear the track behind us for that Whittaker-bound train.
Pushing us up the 7.1 percent grade.
The track we came up on.
Beautiful clouds on a near-perfect afternoon in my life.
Climbing towards Whittaker.
Great views are to be found on the Cass Scenic Railroad.
The railroad yard at Whittaker.
Arriving at Whittaker; the sign that used to cross the tracks has been replaced.
Bald Knob again.
Milepost 4.
The tender from Cass Scenic Shay 2 was used as a water storage tank.
Climbing the 5.75 percent grade.
Ascending to Austin Meadows.
Austin Meadows overlook.
The train increasing its elevation to Gobblers Knob.
Gobblers Knob overlook.
The yard limit sign for Old Spruce.
On the way to the next station.
The last overlook before Old Spruce.
In less than a mile we would arrive there.
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