By Sherman Shifflett
Most of us have places we would like to visit, but never got around to it. One of mine was the Cass RR in West Virginia.
Finally, Ava Pippin and I made it happen on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Friends said we could go over there and back in a day, but it is a three-hour drive from where I live in eastern Louisa County (near Cuckoo), plus a four-hour train ride, so we made reservations to spend the night.
Because of a road closure and a long detour, we arrived just 10 minutes before the train left the station. There were four or five cars in our train, with 20-25 passengers per car. Long benches, back-to-back, ran down the middle of each car. Each car had a roof and open sides. The trains run, rain or shine. Many passengers stood.
Cass RR offers short excursions and long rides. We selected the long ride, an 11 mile round-trip and four hours. There were two switchbacks, going each way, and the steam engine alternated pushing and pulling the train. When the engine was ahead, there was a lot of soot flowing back, especially on the curves. The train stopped to take on water, going up and coming down.
The trip going up and coming down the mountain was mostly through the forest, with only a few scenic views. At the summit, Bald Knob, 4,800′, there is a large open area with great views, and a deck to take pictures. Rest room facilities were also available. We got a 30-minute break to stretch our legs. Picnic tables were available for those who wanted lunch. Some passengers packed their own coolers, but Ava and I ordered lunches in advance, and they were delivered when we boarded the train.
Going up, some passengers in our car saw deer, but they were on the opposite side of the car, down the mountain, so we did not see them. On the way down the mountain, we saw a teenage black bear, sitting on his haunches, watching the train pass.
I waved, but he didn’t respond. We saw lots of deer near dusk, around town, including many fawns.
Cass was built by a timber company during the early 1900’s. They built RR tracks into the mountains to transport the spruce tree logs to the mill at the bottom of the mountain. The company also built a large store and houses for the employees. Ava and I spent the night in a renovated company house, bedrooms were upstairs. Nice facilities. They have some fairly large company houses that can facilitate large family groups. Cass RR is now part of the state park system.
The old company store is open. They have a nice museum, retro drugstore (not open), gift shops, ice cream shop (try the blackberry flavor) and a restaurant. We cannot recommend the Last Run Restaurant for dinner.
Other than the curvy roads getting there, we enjoyed the train ride and the trip. We believe you will too. There were lots of children on the train, and they loved it.
If you go, it’s about 2 1/2 hours from the Charlottesville area. GPS will probably take you I-64W to Staunton; Rt 250-W to Monterey; Rt 220-S to Rt 84-N. Rt 84 was closed last week, and the locals advised us not to take the detour, but return to Monterey and continue on Rt 250-W to Rt 28 in WVA, turn left and follow the signs. Difficult to re-route because not much cell service.
If you go just for the day, the train ride is about $75 a pop. Not sure about children. We opted for the package deal – train tickets, lunch on train and lodging. The people were extremely nice.
Go!