Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

The Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia has a train and restored logging town; we went for the scenery but there is a lot of history to absorb as well. I’d bought the tickets ahead of time online. We arrived early enough – leaving Cranberry Glade behind and enjoying the winding roads through the West Virginia forested mountains near Snowshoe Ski Resort - to walk around the depot area and have lunch before our train departed. The hillside across from the depot was full of color.

As we started our journey up the mountain, the sawmill ruins were not far from the track. The track, engines and cars for the scenic train were originally built to carry logs out of the mountains…down to this mill.

Now the area is reforested (although the trees are still relatively young…there are no giant trees yet) and

The streams appear to be recovered. The area is either National Forest or under conservation easement.

The day was sunny and comfortable with a sweater or sweatshirt. The train moved slowly up the mountain and took pictures all along the way. We had taken this same train ride back in 2001 but I had forgotten that the train gets up the mountain via switchbacks. The slow speed and then stopping to achieve the switchback makes it easier to get pictures of the forest.

Many of the trees has already dropped their leaves but there were brilliant exceptions.

The train stops at Whittaker and the passengers get off to buy hot chocolate, photograph the hillside,

Or walk around the ruins of the logging camp. The temperature was cooler than down at the depot…and a good deal more exposed to the wind. Men that worked here lived in thin walled shanties.

As the trains went around a curve – lots of passengers leaned out to get a pictures of the engine with its billowing smoke. It is a coal fired steam engine. Our trip to Whittaker and back took about a ton of coal.