Cass Shay 4: Titans of Logging Weekend Part 1 - November 8-9, 2025

My very first visit to the legendary Cass Scenic Railroad was for the "Titans of Logging" photography weekend, an in-house photo charter, organized by Cass' own Walter Scriptunas.

This weekend of operations featured two of Cass' operational logging locomotives: Heisler 6 and Shay 4. Heisler 6 was featured on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Line for the first day of run-bys with a mixed freight consist while Shay 4 was featured on the Cass Scenic Line for the second day with two different consists. The first shots from Day 2 feature a recreation of a 1950s consist with Shay 4 and two C&O boxcars, featuring the Cass company houses, a photo location that has never been featured on a Cass photo charter, until this one.

This video features extra shots of Shay 4. Heisler 6 will be featured in Part 2.

Shay 4 History (from Mountain Rail WV):
"Built in 1922 for the Birch Valley Lumber Co. in Nicholas County, the Shay was acquired by the Cass based Mower Lumber Co. in 1943 & pulled the final log train off of Cass hill in June 1960. The locomotive was the original road engine for the Cass Scenic Railroad during the inaugural 1963 season."

Timestamps:
0:00 Wanless
3:20 Cass
5:52 Cass Yard Limits
6:50 Leatherbark Creek
7:46 Gum Curve

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