A new season is near at the Cass Scenic Railroad. As I type this Shay's #4 and #5 are steamed up as well as heisler #6. This is the first time that #4 and #5 have both been steamed up together since 1995. Western Maryland #6's repairs are just about complete as well as Shay #11. All six engines at Cass will be operable this year, something that hasnt been seen in years!

In July Western Maryland Shay #6 will be making the long trek to Elkins, WV for the Elkins Depot celebration. More on info this rare mileage trip can be found at msr&lha.org.


*On a foggy morning in Cass, WV Shay's #4 and #5 sit in the Cass yard. This is the first time that both former Mower Lumber Co. engines have been steamed up at the same time since late 1995.

http://scriptunasimages.smugmug.com/pho ... AaQg-M.jpg


Shay #6 sits in the Cass shop, photo taken two weeks ago.

http://scriptunasimages.smugmug.com/pho ... STmH-M.jpg

Beginning this year Shay #6 will now be used on the Bald Knob train, in order for this to be a sucess the sharpness of the WYE's curve needed to be fixed. The sharpes curve #6 can make is 32 degrees.

http://scriptunasimages.smugmug.com/pho ... aymE-M.jpg

The early morning pic with the two shays hot is fantastic. I can smell the atmosphere with the humidity, steam, hot oil and grease and too much coffee and not enough breakfast. Cass, C&T and Nevada Northern are my dream visits that have not yet become reality, along with most places. Cheers and many thanks for the updates and pics, John.

Glad you liked the photo. Hope you can make it to Cass sometime!

Will the Big Six make the run to Bald Knob unassissted or will this still be a double-header?

I pretty sure the most cars they will let Big 6 take is 8 cars. I am sure we will still see doubleheaders in the Fall.

Big 6 is perfectly capable of taking the Bald Knob train by herself. A couple of years ago when MSR&LHA ran a photo special with #2 in September, the Big 6 took the Bald Knob train and a caboose up to Bald Knob by herself. The wye has been back in service for several years and #6 can go up the other leg of the wye with the train and then back into Bald Knob station. If there is a caboose to be left on the mountain as there was that day it will be behind the loco on the trip up.
By the way great pictures. From the looks of the work on the wye maybe they have eliminated the need for Big 6 to back up.

I wonder if fixing the wye so as to allow #6 the ability to go to Bald Knob without the turning has any relation to the Elkins trip in July. With a wye in Elkins, it makes considerably more sense to turn the #6 there, and let it pull the return trip to Cass facing southbound as opposed to backing the entire train passenger cars first (for the promised runbys) on that marathon 70-mile return. Of course, for that to happen, there must be a way to turn #6 back north when it gets to Cass. Thus being why you would need that wye rebuilt. The added benefit is that you get #6 on the Bald Knob trains.

Cass has been surviving over 25 years without running #6 on the Bald Knob trains. I can't see ridership increasing because of the move, so there HAS to be another reason. The Elkins theory makes sense.

Kevin

A somewhat related question: Can WM 6 run at speeds faster than the older Shays at Cass? What is the top speed of WM 6, without it thrashing itself to bits?

Howard P.

Yes the WYE is being fixed to enable #6 to be able to make the curve without having to be turned as I mentioned in the photo remark(Beginning this year Shay #6 will now be used on the Bald Knob train, in order for this to be a sucess the sharpness of the WYE's curve needed to be fixed. The sharpes curve #6 can make is 32 degrees. ), this project has been in the works for years and is now coming a reality. They didnt just do this for the Elkins trip.

#6 will be running the Bald Knob train now, this will save the park money and personnel.

Yes #6 is capable of taking the Bald Knob train by herself, this is why they are putting her on the run. I was saying that in the Fall when more people ride they will add more cars thus requiring a double header.

I believe the fastest #6 ever went at Cass was around 18mph on the Greenbrier run, it was a very rough ride I was told.

WM 6 is geared for a little higher speeds than most shays. I have not been able to find the information yet but 22 mph sticks in my mind.

I remember when Cass sent a train set to Elkins for the Forrest Festival each October. Often Heisler 6 was sent because it could run a litle faster than the shays. Most engineman prefered the 5 to the Heisler because it rode better even if it was a little slower. They ran a trip to Spruce on Sunday with a WM diesel leading the steamer and the train consisting of the Cass coaches and a string of cabooses. The steam engine cut off at Cheat Junction and the train returned to Elkins behind the diesel.

John Bohon