Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In October 2023, I twice again returned to the Cass Scenic Railroad in beautiful Pocahontas County, West Virginia. On my first visit the fall colors were just hitting their peak, decorating the Allegheny Mountains with gold and red hues as Shay 4 departed with the new Greenbrier Express, nearing the end of its first season of operation. I was planning to chase that train all the way to Durbin when Western Maryland 6 rounded the corner with the Whittaker train. Affectionately known as "Big Six," WM 6 was the last Shay locomotive ever built and is the largest to survive into the present. Big Six had been out of service for a major overhaul since 2018, so naturally I had to stick around to see the mighty beast ascend the hill after five years dormant. Two weeks later, I was on my way to the Shenandoah Valley when I found out that N&W 611 had been sidelined for a staybolt failure. That left me less than two hours away from Durbin, so I headed over to finish my chase of the Greenbrier Express. The leaves had mostly fallen at this point, but a few pockets of color were still clinging onto the hillsides as the no. 4 rambled alongside the Greenbrier River. After the train was wyed and backed into the former Durbin Rocket depot, I had a delicious lunch at the Station Two Restaurant across the street and then chased the return journey back down the river. This was my first visit to see the daily operations since the Greenbrier line was reopened, and while it still feels surreal to see Shays in Durbin it is exciting to see the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad's efforts to reconnect the two towns pay off in such a big way. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this amazing railroad in Wild & Wonderful West Virginia.
In October 2023, I twice again returned to the Cass Scenic Railroad in beautiful Pocahontas County, West Virginia. On my first visit the fall colors were just hitting their peak, decorating the Allegheny Mountains with gold and red hues as Shay 4 departed with the new Greenbrier Express, nearing the end of its first season of operation. I was planning to chase that train all the way to Durbin when Western Maryland 6 rounded the corner with the Whittaker train. Affectionately known as "Big Six," WM 6 was the last Shay locomotive ever built and is the largest to survive into the present. Big Six had been out of service for a major overhaul since 2018, so naturally I had to stick around to see the mighty beast ascend the hill after five years dormant. Two weeks later, I was on my way to the Shenandoah Valley when I found out that N&W 611 had been sidelined for a staybolt failure. That left me less than two hours away from Durbin, so I headed over to finish my chase of the Greenbrier Express. The leaves had mostly fallen at this point, but a few pockets of color were still clinging onto the hillsides as the no. 4 rambled alongside the Greenbrier River. After the train was wyed and backed into the former Durbin Rocket depot, I had a delicious lunch at the Station Two Restaurant across the street and then chased the return journey back down the river. This was my first visit to see the daily operations since the Greenbrier line was reopened, and while it still feels surreal to see Shays in Durbin it is exciting to see the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad's efforts to reconnect the two towns pay off in such a big way. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this amazing railroad in Wild & Wonderful West Virginia.
