The Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association (MSR&LHA) recently completed its annual Cass Railfan Weekend in partnership with the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (DGVRR). As many are aware, the DGVRR began operating the Cass Scenic Railroad, in addition to continued operation of its Elkins and Durbin operations in January. The new operation has allowed the railroad to expand on preexisting tourist train operations and sequentially, allowed MSR&LHA, a non-profit foundation supporting the DGVRR and the West Virginia Rail Authority in Cass, W.Va. to include a rare mileage steam-powered photo excursion on Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad as part of its three-day railfan tradition.
The Association uses monies generated from the three-day railroad photography excursion to fund preservation projects associated with railroad and logging infrastructure at the Cass Scenic Railroad and throughout West Virginia. The opportunity to host a rare mileage steam excursion on tracks that had not seen steam since Western Maryland Shay No. 6’s grand journey to Elkins, W.Va. in 2008 was quite a treat for photographers and preservationists and undoubtedly boosted attendance for the 2015 event.
Top: Cass Heisler No. 6 crosses the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River at Bridge No. 77 near Cheat Bridge, W.Va. on Saturday May 16, 2015. This is the first weekend steam has returned to the Shavers Fork of the Cheat since 2008.
Beyond the whistle blowing and picture taking, this past weekend’s railfan weekend shows that collaborative partnerships between non-profit organizations, railroad companies, and state agencies can work together to execute unique venues, and that West Virginia’s railroad tourism industry could be at its most exciting stage yet. At the completion of Railfan Weekend, railroad personnel were en route to North Carolina to complete the final move of Buffalo Creek & Gauley 2-8-0 No. 4 from the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer to its new home at Cass, W.Va. for full restoration. Once under steam, the locomotive is to be operated between Cass, W.Va. and Durbin, W.Va. on former C&O roadbed that is currently in its earliest stages of rehabilitation.
Additionally, the railroad is launching its new Wild Heart of West Virginia package that includes multi-day rail excursions connecting West Virginia’s obscure mountain terrain by rail. Not only do these adventure packages make West Virginia a family vacation destination, but its gives us railfans a chance to travel by rail from Elkins, W.Va. to Cass, W.Va. behind authentic first generation diesel and steam-powered Shay locomotives with overnight stays in Cass Company houses.
Let’s not forget that MSR&LHA is still well on its way to wrapping up work efforts on the rebuilding of its very own Climax locomotive at the MSR&LHA shops in Cass. It’s sure to be an exciting year in the Mountain State!
Left: Cass Shay No. 4 passes the photo line on a photo freight runby at Old Spruce, now known as Leatherbark Junction on this May 15, 2015 perspective. Right: Cass Shay No. 4 eases into Oats Run with a photo freight in tow.
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