Rails of Cass Scenic Railroad Bring Adventure to Riders

Deep inside the Allegheny Mountains, set against backdrops of quaint country villages like Durbin and Cass, Pocahontas County West Virginia offers a Mecca for the restoration and operation of historic railroads, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and enthusiasts each year.

These iron beasts of the past fascinate and inspire us, even a century after their prime days of transport and hauling are over.  Riding the trains today provide an inimitable picture into the history of these unique railroads, the engineering that paved their way into the mountains, the men who built the powerful locomotives and the pioneers who operated them.

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Photo: Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Ride the Durbin Trains to Yesteryear

Nestled along US Route 250 in northern Pocahontas County sits the small hamlet of Durbin West Virginia.  In its heyday, it was a grand place, where people strolled the streets, and patronized the many shops.   Passenger and freight service on the line boomed, and agency stations and flag stops sprouted up all along the line. There were so many stops in the early days that the saying was “a train had to back up in order to have whistling distance for the next station.” 

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Photo: Stephen Shaluta

Small West Virginia Town Features Largest Moving Structure on Land

Set against the backdrop of rugged mountains and a stunning valley in the Northern Region of Pocahontas County is the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).  The 17 million pound structure is in sharp contrast to its natural surroundings and yet folks have become accustomed to the peculiar site.

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