Cass Scenic RR

Off on another RR Run !!

This one came on kinda sudden.

Although I had visited Cass West Virginia several years ago on my way back from a fishing trip from Virginia, I couldn't stand to see two tickets that a friend had purchased for the evening dinner train go to waste. Something came up and he couldn't make the trip so being the trooper that I am ..I stepped up to the plate and went for him. (nice guy points ?)

So being the nice guy that I am I loaded my camera and a bottle of water into my wife's car and set out on the four hour ride to the deep 'sticks' of southern West Virginia.

I even let her drive. (her insistence) .

Thanks to wondrous invention of GPS units we managed to get sidetracked somewhere around Elkins.

What amazes me is that I had no trouble finding the place on my own before, but with the aid of this magical instrument we found ourselves in a pasture field about six miles out of town looking at a checkered flag on a tiny screen and listening to a voice saying .. destination on right... All I seen was a cow chewing her cud and a couple curious calves. So much for modern marvels.

Anyway with the aid of a local farmers directions we found our way into town and to the train station. (I'm bettin' he's still laughing) From there on the trip went fine.

We took the train ride up the mountain to Whittaker Station, a outpost on the railroad that is home to an old logging camp. Much of the old machinery used in the logging industry of the day is there plus a reproduction of the old buildings that the loggers stayed in while they worked the mountain.

After a quick picture taking walk we went to a pavilion for a nice meal and some fellowship with our fellow passengers from the train. As we ate we were treated to a four piece bluegrass band that played, sang and entertained us with jokes corny enough for me to relate to. We then boarded the train for a nice but somewhat noisy trip back down the mountain. Evidently holding back a train going down a mountain is harder than pushing one up..haha.. Brakeman were busy people adjusting squealing brakes on the steeper parts of the grades.

We did get to see some deer and small fawns on the way up the mountain which delighted some of the other passengers, obviously from the city... possibly the same deer that ate my cabbage plants this spring. My camera skills failed me though and i didn't get any pics.

I did get a few to share though... enjoy !