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SPRING 2018 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 03
After a great night ’ s sleep , I was up early and on my way to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park , one of West Virginia ’ s 35 state parks . Cass is an old lumber mill town . A small rail system was built to take the lumberjacks up to the timber and bring the logs down to the mill . Because of the steep terrain , a special type of steam engine was pressed into service : the Shay Locomotive . The Shay was unique in that it had all-wheel drive , allowing it to climb the 8- and 9-percent grades needed at Cass . Today you can ride to the top of Cheat Mountain on the same tracks those hardy loggers used years ago .
Top and above : Cass Scenic Railroad State Park preserves an all-wheel drive Shay Locomotive and other classic modes of transportation .