Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407120014
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SU CLAUSON-WICKER CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CASS, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
At 5, David knew exactly what he wanted - "a real engine with lots of smoke and a chugga-chugga sound." The Tweetsie Railroad would not do. I could see we were going to have to head up to Cass, W.Va., to the ride the Shay steam locomotive.
At Cass, about 21/2 hours from Roanoke, you can peel back the calendar to the early 20th century, when the mountain logging town hit its prime. Soon after the Cass line was built, around 1902, the town flourished with bars and brothels, as well as churches, schools, and lodges. Several decades ago, a flood washed away the brothel side of town, and the respectable side of town is all that remains. The company houses have become state park vacation cottages open year-round to visitors.
Cass Depot comes alive each May though Labor Day and special fall foliage weekends when steam engines pull visitors instead of logs up Cheat Mountain. David was not disappointed with the black smoke pouring from the smokestack, the loud huff-huff of the steam-driven pistons and the clanking of gears. While his younger brother clambered around collecting souvenir coal chunks from the track, David waited patiently for the first seat in the first open-sided flatbed car behind the engine. While we waited, he watched a soot-covered brakeman lubricating the wheels and made a career decision. I didn't have the heart to tell him that this working museum was about the only place he'd find work on a steam train.
The 90-ton locomotive picked up speed as we passed the water tower where we'd watched the engine being filled earlier. We rounded a curve around Leatherbark Creek and passed the Cass locomotive repair shop. A graveyard of antiquated railroad equipment enticed David to take his eyes off the smokestack for a few moments. He and Steven had squirmed in the back of the car all the way from Virginia, but now they sat transfixed on a bench in the open car, just gazing at the billowing smoke. Occasionally Steven would improvise a little song to the clackety-clack of the rails.
The train soon entered deep forest and passed through the first switchback, reversing up a steep grade, and ascending to the second switchback where the process was repeated. The train was traversing a grade of 11 percent or 11 feet in altitude for each 100 feet of track, our commentator told us. A 2 percent grade on modern railroads is considered steep.
In an open field we could see another train descending from Bald Knob, West Virginia's second highest peak. We stopped at Whittaker Station to enjoy the view and have a dessert at the park snack bar. Round trip to Whittaker Station is 11/2 hours. If we had decided to take the full 41/2 hour trip to Bald Knob, we would have proceeded to a stop further up the mountains to a spring where the engine would take on more water. The 4,842-foot altitude overlook at Bald Knob provides a view back into Virginia. The climate and vegetation up there is called a bit of misplaced Canada because it is so strikingly different from the environment at the bottom.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park holds the attention of adult history buffs as well. For the price of excursion tickets ($8-$10 adults, $4-$5 children), you get admission to the Cass Showcase multi-media logging history of the town, the historical museum, the wildlife display, and a guided tour of the town. David especially enjoyed being locked up in tiny town jail, while his dad was happy to secure the services of the town barber at the old-fashioned price of $2.50.
Guests visiting Cass park may choose from among several completely furnished, two-story company homes for their stay. These six-, eight-, and 10-person cottages have been totally refurbished and feature bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens. Energy efficient wood stoves and electric heaters provide warmth. The Shay Inn, located in what was formerly the park superintendent's house, is a bed and breakfast inn featuring country antiques and home style food. Reservations are required (800-CALL-WVA).
In the summer, Cass Scenic Railroad runs Saturday evening dinner trains serving barbecue and live bluegrass. A recent addition to the Cass experience is "Cass," a one-act play bringing to life Cass in its boom town days, which is offered in the Cass Community Center.
Nearby attraction include the 75-mile Greenbrier River Trail, a biking/hiking trail which runs from Cass to Lewisburg, and tours at the nearby Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
For more information about Cass State Park or to make train reservations (suggested but not required), call 800-CALL-WVA.
by CNB