Cass was once a logging town. Spruce was cut on the mountain and brought down to the sawmill on the Greenbriar River. A company town built up around the sawmill, housing the families of the workers at the sawmill, the lumbermen and the trainmen.
Today, Cass is part of the West Virginia State Parks and its railroad hauls tourists up to the top of Bald Knob and back down again. Along the way there are wonderful vistas and exciting switchbacks.
Rail buffs are especially excited by the type of steam engine used, the Shay geared steam locomotive. Geared locomotives are smaller, and provide power directly to the wheels. They are stronger and more maneuverable, and able to push a load up 14% grades and around tight curves. One can also see a working Heisler engine at Cass.
On our way home from Cass we stopped at the town of Durbin where a Climax geared steam locomotive sat in the station, ready to push its load of tourists along the river.