On Friday, June 14th, 2024, I chased both the Whittaker Station and Bald Knob excursions on the Cass Scenic Railroad based in Cass, WV!
On this day, Pacific Coast Shay #2 would lead the Whittaker Station trips, with the first departing at 11am and the second departing at 2pm. Shay #11 would then be featured on the 12pm Bald Knob Excursion for the day. I was also able to catch the departure and end-of-the-day maneuvers of the Greenbrier Express, which featured Shay #4.
The Whittaker Station excursion is a 2-hour round trip, which takes riders up to a "halfway" point up the mountain known as Whittaker Station. The Bald Knob excursion, which is Cass's most popular trip, is a four-and-a-half-hour excursion that goes up to the peak of Bald Knob, where passengers have the opportunity to get off the train and witness the overlook of the surrounding mountains.
Shay #2 was constructed in July of 1928 for the Mayo Lumber Company of Paldi, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Being a "Pacific Coast Shay", it was fitted with superheat, a firebox that is 13 inches longer, a lower gear ratio, a steel cab, cast steel trucks, and a steel girder frame. Originally a wood burner, #2 spent its working commercial life with four companies in British Columbia including Lake Logging Company, Cowichan Lake B.C., and Western Forest Industries, Honeymoon Bay, B.C. Later, it was converted to burn oil and then rebuilt to burn bituminous coal at Cass. #2 is the only known Shay to have used all three types of fuel. The locomotive ended its career by switching cars on Vancouver docks in 1970, making it one of the last commercially-used Shays.
Shay #11 was built in 1923 for the Hutchinson Lumber Co.’s Oroville, California mill operation and rostered as No. 3. The locomotive was retired in 1965 and acquired by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, CA where she pulled occasional excursions until 1991. #11 was acquired by Cass and arrived in 1998. Following repairs, it entered service in the fall of 1999.
Shay #4 was built in 1922 for the Birch Valley Lumber Co. in Nicholas County. The Shay was acquired by the Cass-based Mower Lumber Co. in 1943 & pulled the final log train off of Cass Hill in June 1960. The locomotive was the original road engine for the Cass Scenic Railroad during the inaugural 1963 season.
Additionally, I was surprised by the appearance of a unique high-rail vehicle, this being a 1946 Cadillac Series 62 Rail Car formerly owned by the Vice President of Western Maryland Railroad. The car now resides at the West Virginia Railroad Museum, but it was brought down to Cass for the Parade of Steam event the following day. Needless to say, I was able to get some very rare and unique footage of it in operation, and had a nice chat with the gentlemen who were operating it!
Also, for those interested in the locomotive whistles, they were as follows as far as I know:
Shay #2 - MD Reading 6 Chime
Shay #11 - Rizzoli C&O 6 Chime
Shay #4 - Modified Crosby 3 Chime
I hope you enjoy this look at the traditional operations of the Cass Scenic Railroad!
0:00 Intro
0:25 A look at the old lumber mill in Cass, WV
1:48 Shay #4 departs with the 10am Greenbrier Express
4:59 Shay #2 Takes on water and enters Cass Station
7:53 11am Whittaker Station Trip Departure
10:07 Crossing Leatherbark Run
11:53 Crossing Back Mountain Rd.
13:18 Crossing Gum Rd.
15:50 Shay #11 rests at Cass Station prior to departure
16:21 12pm Bald Knob Excursion Departs Cass
18:14 Crossing Back Mountain Rd.
19:29 Crossing Gum Rd.
20:55 10am Whittaker Trip crossing Gum Rd. on its return
21:56 The Greenbrier Express shoves its train into Cass yard at the end of the day
24:08 Bald Knob Excursion returns to Cass
25:16 The Cadillac arrives from Durbin
28:04 Shay #11 shoves its train into the yard for the night
28:43 Outro
Music in this video:
Song: Tropic Fuse
Artist: French Fuse
Licensed to YouTube by: YouTube Audio Library
