Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) passes through the crossing at Back Mountain Road as it starts the climb up the mountain, during the Cass Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/4, 1/640, ISO 220.

Mower Lumber Company steam locomotive, Shay No. 2, heads through the countryside, outside Cass, West Virginia, with a short freight train, on November 6th, 2022, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend at the Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to the Cass website: Shay #2, a Pacific Coast Shay, was constructed in July of 1928 for the Mayo Lumber Company of Paldi, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A Pacific Coast Shay is a souped-up model of the class C-70 3 truck Shay. The Pacific Coast features superheat, a firebox that is 13 inches longer, lower gear ratio, steel cab, cast steel trucks, and steel girder frame. A feature of the steel girder frame is the large opening for exposing stay bolts.

Also, the cylinders were designed so they attached only to the locomotive frame, rather than to the boiler shell as in other Shays. This allowed for easier access and maintenance. #2 is the only Shay of its kind in the east. Shay #2, originally a wood burner, 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 converted to burn oil 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 switching cars on Vancouver docks in 1970, making it one of the last commercially used Shays.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 11mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 140.

The crewmembers on Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive #11 watch the road ahead as they participate in the Cass Scenic Railway’s Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 250mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 2500.

Mower Lumber Company steam locomotive, Shay No. 2, through the main crossing in downtown Cass, West Virginia as they pass a gentleman and is old truck under rainy skies, on November 6th, 2022, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend at the Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to the Cass website: Shay #2, a Pacific Coast Shay, was constructed in July of 1928 for the Mayo Lumber Company of Paldi, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A Pacific Coast Shay is a souped-up model of the class C-70 3 truck Shay. The Pacific Coast features superheat, a firebox that is 13 inches longer, lower gear ratio, steel cab, cast steel trucks, and steel girder frame. A feature of the steel girder frame is the large opening for exposing staybolts.

Also, the cylinders were designed so they attached only to the locomotive frame, rather than to the boiler shell as in other Shays. This allowed for easier access and maintenance. #2 is the only Shay of its kind in the east. Shay #2, originally a wood burner, 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 converted to burn oil 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 switching cars on Vancouver docks in 1970, making it one of the last commercially used Shays.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 20mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 160.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, heads into the wye in the early morning at Durbin, West Virginia, to pick up a set of freight cars, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks. The tunnel of trees really draws attention to the locomotive emerging from a cloud of steam on November 4th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 3200.

Mower Lumber Company steam locomotive, Shay No. 2, heads through a grade crossing, outside Cass, West Virginia on November 4th, 2022, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend at the Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to the Cass website: Shay #2, a Pacific Coast Shay, was constructed in July of 1928 for the Mayo Lumber Company of Paldi, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A Pacific Coast Shay is a souped-up model of the class C-70 3 truck Shay. The Pacific Coast features superheat, a firebox that is 13 inches longer, lower gear ratio, steel cab, cast steel trucks, and steel girder frame. A feature of the steel girder frame is the large opening for exposing staybolts.

Also, the cylinders were designed so they attached only to the locomotive frame, rather than to the boiler shell as in other Shays. This allowed for easier access and maintenance. #2 is the only Shay of its kind in the east. Shay #2, originally a wood burner, 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 converted to burn oil 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 switching cars on Vancouver docks in 1970, making it one of the last commercially used Shays.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 11mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 180.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) climbs uphill through a S curve in forest during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 140.