West Virginia Railroads – Page 2 – Jim Pearson Photography

The fireman stands on the tender of Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 at Cass, WV

The fireman stands on the tender of Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) as they take on water during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/350, ISO 200.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, heads into the wye in the early morning at Durban, West Virginia, to pick up a set of freight cars, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks. The tunnel of trees really draws attention to the locomotive emerging from a cloud of steam on November 4th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 3200.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #cassscenicrailway #durbinandgreenbriervalleyrr #trainsfromtheair#steamtrains

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 at Durbin, WV

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, heads into the wye in the early morning at Durbin, West Virginia, to pick up a set of freight cars, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks. The tunnel of trees really draws attention to the locomotive emerging from a cloud of steam on November 4th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 3200.

A variety of Kanawha River Terminal Railroad locomotives sit just outside the engine house…

A variety of Kanawha River Terminal Railroad locomotives sit just outside the engine house in the yards at the Kanawha River Terminal (Ceredo Dock) at Ceredo, West Virginia, on November 2nd, 2022. From what I can tell, from the left is #698, 455 (high nose green) 894 & 994. Can’t read numbers on the back units behind them.

According to their website: The Kanawha River Terminal Railroad is a switching operation serving the Kanawha River Terminal (Ceredo Dock) facility, situated along the Ohio River west of Huntington, West Virginia. The railroad operation handles interchange with Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation.

The terminal has an annual throughput capacity of nearly 20 million tons and is equipped with a rotary dumper and a barge loader, the latter of which provides volume coal loading to barges. The facility and the switching railroad are owned by SunCoke Energy. A variety of first and second-generation motive power is maintained at an engine house in Ceredo, West Virginia, adjacent to the terminal.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 150.

Mower Lumber Company steam locomotive, Shay No. 2, heads through a grade crossing, outside Cass, West Virginia

Mower Lumber Company steam locomotive, Shay No. 2, heads through a grade crossing, outside Cass, West Virginia on November 4th, 2022, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend at the Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to the Cass website: Shay #2, a Pacific Coast Shay, was constructed in July of 1928 for the Mayo Lumber Company of Paldi, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A Pacific Coast Shay is a souped-up model of the class C-70 3 truck Shay. The Pacific Coast features superheat, a firebox that is 13 inches longer, lower gear ratio, steel cab, cast steel trucks, and steel girder frame. A feature of the steel girder frame is the large opening for exposing staybolts.

Also, the cylinders were designed so they attached only to the locomotive frame, rather than to the boiler shell as in other Shays. This allowed for easier access and maintenance. #2 is the only Shay of its kind in the east. Shay #2, originally a wood burner, spent its working commercial life with four companies in British Columbia including Lake Logging Company, Cowichan Lake B.C. and Western Forest Industries, Honeymoon Bay, B.C. Later converted to burn oil then rebuilt to burn bituminous coal at Cass, #2 is the only known Shay to have used all three types of fuel. The locomotive ended its career switching cars on Vancouver docks in 1970, making it one of the last commercially used Shays.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 11mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 180.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 at Cass, West Virginia

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) moves through a cloud of its own smoke as it runs through the forest during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: iPhone 14 Pro, f/2.8, 1/75, ISO 64.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) climbs uphill at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) climbs uphill through a S curve in forest during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 140.

CSXT 7905 pulls G115 through downtown Thurmond, West Virginia

CSXT 7905 pulls G115 through downtown Thurmond, West Virginia as it heads east with a grain train on the New River Subdivision on November 3rd, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River. The population was five at the 2020 census. During the heyday of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a prosperous town with several businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.

Most of Thurmond is owned by the National Park Service for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Thurmond is the least-populous municipality in West Virginia. During the June 14, 2005, city elections six of the city’s seven residents sought elected office.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 140.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 passes through Nottingham, WV

On November 4th, 2022, Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 passes through Nottingham, WV, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 140.

Kanawha River Terminal Railroad locomotive 1100 at Ceredo, WV

Kanawha River Terminal Railroad locomotive 1100 (GP40-2LW, built as Canadian National #9505
to Kanawha River Terminal #1100) and 1200 (GP40-2LW, built as Canadian National #9638) to Kanawha River Terminal #1100), work on moving a coal train at Ceredo, West Virginia, on November 2nd, 2022, at Kanawha River Terminal (Ceredo Dock) facility.

According to their website: The Kanawha River Terminal Railroad is a switching operation serving the Kanawha River Terminal (Ceredo Dock) facility, situated along the Ohio River west of Huntington, West Virginia. The railroad operation handles interchange with Norfolk Southern and CSK Transportation.

The terminal has an annual throughput capacity of nearly 20 million tons and is equipped with a rotary dumper and a barge loader, the latter of which provides volume coal loading to barges. The facility and the switching railroad are owned by SunCoke Energy. A variety of first and second-generation motive power is maintained at an engine house in Ceredo, West Virginia, adjacent to the terminal.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 200.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 at Cass, West Virginia

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) passes over Leatherbark Run Stream, a tributary of the Greenbrier River, during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022. Leatherbark Run has the distinction of being West Virginia’s highest stream.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 approaches Whittaker Station, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) climbs into Whittaker Station, during a light rain, at the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022. In the upper left is an authentic logging camp recreated by volunteers of the Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/350, ISO 160.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leads a freight train past a wetlands area at Hosterman, West Virginia during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

This week’s Saturday Infrared photo is of Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11…

This week’s Saturday Infrared photo is of Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) as it backs through the forest during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24 @ 24mm, f/4.5, 1/180, ISO 2000.

November 4-6th, 2022 – Cass Scenic Railroads’ Rail Heritage Weekend at Durbin and Cass, WV

This week’s edited video is from my trip to Cass Scenic Railroad’s Rail Heritage Weekend, which was a photo charter at Durbin and Cass, West Virginia.

I participated in the Rail Heritage Weekend, with about 50 other railfans, including friends Bryan Burton and Dave Higdon, Jr. This video covers the the steam operations during the weekend.

I just received my new iPhone 14 Pro before this trip and used it for all my video work you see here. The image stabilization is so awesome on this thing, not to mention the image quality from the camera, from a phone! #jimpearsonphotography Thanks for watching!

Don’t forget to Subscribe and Ring the Notification Bell so you won’t miss any of my future videos! Have a blessed day everyone!!

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, backs down to the wye at Durban, West Virginia, to pick up a set of freight cars, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 270mm, f/5.6, 1/800, ISO 2800.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #cassscenicrailway #durbinandgreenbriervalleyrr #trainsfromtheair #steamtrains

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 at Durbin, WV

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, backs down to the wye at Durbin, West Virginia, to pick up a set of freight cars, during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Heisler No. 6 was built in 1929 and is a Class C-90 locomotive with 3 trucks.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 270mm, f/5.6, 1/800, ISO 2800.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 at Hosterman, West Virginia

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leads a freight train past an old barn at Hosterman, West Virginia during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend on November 4th, 2022. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 200.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 night shot at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend night photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 3sec exposure, +0.3 stops, ISO 200.

CSXT 813 pulls past the old C&O Depot at Thurmond, West Virginia

CSXT 813 pulls past the old C&O Depot at Thurmond, West Virginia as it heads east with loaded coal train C206 on the New River Subdivision on November 3rd, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River. The population was five at the 2020 census. During the heyday of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a prosperous town with several businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.

The C&O passenger railway depot in town was renovated in 1995 and Amtrak stops there 3 times a week. The entire town is a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Most of Thurmond is owned by the National Park Service for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Thurmond is the least-populous municipality in West Virginia. During the June 14, 2005, city elections six of the city’s seven residents sought elected office.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 130.

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6 at Hosterman, West Virginia

For this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we find Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leading a freight train at Hosterman, West Virginia during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend on November 4th, 2022.

The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022. Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24 @ 10mm, f/4.5, 1/250, ISO 400.

Nov. 3 & 7, 2022, CSX action on the Kanawha & New River subdivisions from Huntington & Thurmond, WV.

November 12th, 2022 – This week in this edited video we catch November 3rd and 7th, 2022, in this edited video we catch CSX action on the Kanawha and New River subdivisions between Huntington & Thurmond, WV as I made my way to and from Cass, West Virginia.

I was headed out to participate in their Rail Heritage Weekend, with about 50 other railfans, including friends Bryan Burton and Dave Higdon, Jr. We all had a great time, and you’ll see a video of the steam operations during the weekend in my edited video on November 19th, 2022, so stay tuned and be sure to like and subscribe so you don’t miss it! #jimpearsonphotography

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leads a freight train at Hosterman, WV

Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leads a freight train past a wetlands area at Hosterman, West Virginia during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.

Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.