Cass Scenic Railroad State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Cass Scenic Railroad Heisler #6 along with Shay #11 lead a loaded log train down the former C&O Greenbrier Division mainline.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park Location in West Virginia
Location	Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Nearest town	Cass, West Virginia
Area	940 acres (380 ha)
Elevation	2,438 ft (743 m)
Established	March 7, 1961
Named for	Former logging railroad at Cass, West Virginia
Governing body	West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a special place in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia. It's both a state park and a historic railroad.

The park features the Cass Scenic Railroad, which is about 11-mile (18 km) long. This historic railway is owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority. It is operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the old company town of Cass. Plus, it has part of Bald Knob, a high point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

History of Cass and Its Railroad

Building a Logging Town

Cass was started in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. It was built as a company town. This means the town was made just for the workers. These workers cut down trees in the nearby mountains. They harvested spruce and hemlock trees. The company used these trees to make paper.

The sawmill in Cass was once the biggest in the world. It processed a huge amount of wood. Over its lifetime, it handled about 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m³) of lumber.

The Railroad's Beginnings

Work on the railroad began in 1901. It was a 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge wide track. The railroad climbed up Back Allegheny Mountain. It reached a spot now called Whittaker Station. Here, a logging camp was set up for the workers. These workers were building the railroad.

The tracks soon reached Gobblers Knob. Then they went to a place on the mountain called 'Spruce'. The railroad built a small town there. It had a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor's office. Workers then started logging the red spruce trees. These trees grew high up on the mountain.

From Spruce to Hardwoods

At first, the company only wanted red spruce trees. They used them to make pulp for paper. But after a few years, they found something new. The mountain had many valuable hardwood trees. These included maple, cherry, birch, and oak. So, the company decided to build a mill in Cass. This mill would process the hardwoods.

The railroad eventually reached the top of Bald Knob. This is the third-highest mountain peak in West Virginia. The red spruce in that area was all cut down. So, the track was removed in the early 1910s. The track also went to a valley near the town of Spruce. This was by the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. The company built a new town there. It had about 30 company houses, a big store, a school, and a pulp mill. Here, red spruce trees were processed on the spot. This new town was also named Spruce. The older town became known as Old Spruce.

Changing Hands and Becoming a Park

In 1942, the Cass operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company. They continued logging until 1960. They cut down second-growth timber. The mill and railroad closed in 1960. This was because the timber business was slowing down.

After closing, the railroad and equipment were sold. A company started to scrap the railroad. But a group of local business people stepped in. They convinced the West Virginia state government to save it. They wanted to make the Cass Railroad a state park. In 1963, the first tourist train left Cass. It went to Whittaker Station, 4 miles (6 km) away.

In 1977, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park took over the entire company town of Cass. This included the old hardwood mill. In 2015, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad began operating the railroad. They work under a lease with the State of West Virginia.

What You Can Do at Cass Today

Today, visitors can ride on special historic trains. These trains use converted log cars. They are pushed by powerful geared logging locomotives. The trains travel on 11 miles (18 km) of standard gauge track. This track was laid in 1901 by immigrant workers. The line goes up very steep hills on Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad has many unique locomotives. It owns eight Shay locomotives. It also has one Heisler locomotive and one Climax locomotive. The Climax is being fixed up by volunteers. The Heisler and Climax were rivals to Shay's geared locomotive design.

You can choose from different trips:

• A two-hour trip to Whittaker Station.
• A five-hour trip to the old ghost town of Spruce. This was once the coldest and highest town east of the Rockies. (Note: trains to Spruce are not currently running).
• A five-hour trip to Bald Knob. This is the third highest point in West Virginia.

You can even rent refurbished old company houses. A small cabin on Bald Knob is also available. You can even reserve cabooses for private use.

You can take tours of the town and shops daily. You can learn about the lumber industry. You can also see how the special geared locomotives are cared for. A tour of a recreated logging camp is available at Whittaker.

Who Runs the Railroad Now?

In 2015, the way the park was managed changed. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) transferred some duties. They gave them to the West Virginia State Rail Authority (WVSRA). Now, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (D&GV) runs the daily train operations. They handle train schedules, staff, and maintenance.

The WVDNR still owns the land and equipment. They also continue to manage the parts of the park not related to the railroad. This includes the historic town of Cass, the visitor's center, and the rental cottages.

Locomotives at Cass

Images for kids

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  Back Allegheny Mountain as seen from Whittaker Station

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  Cass Shay #2 at Cass Station

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  Shay #4 and #11 pulling the Bald Knob train up the mountain

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  Cass Shay #4

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  Cass Shay #6 getting ready to leave Cass in 2004

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  Shay #6 at Whittaker Station