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The
Making of a Cass Insider
Richard Sparks, one of the Association's founders, Editor of The Log Train from 1992 through
2013,
and an expert on the history of Cass and the Association, has written a
history of his involvement with the Association and Cass.
Complete with many color photos, The Making of a Cass Insider
gives Richard's view of
the evolution of the Association and its many accomplishments over the
years. Click here
to download the 12 Mbyte PDF file.
Note: This file has been printed as issue #132 of The Log Train.
The issue is 44 full color pages and includes additional material and
paintings done by Richard. The cost is $6.00 per copy. See
the Company Store page to order a copy.
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Oral
Interviews with Artie Barkley
Artie Barkley was a fixture in the railroad
operation in Cass from 1965
until his retirement in 2007. He was a locomotive engineer, rose
to be
the Shop Foreman, and often served as the public face of the
railroad.
In December 2016 MSR&LHA President Rob Hilburn and Log Train
Editor Matt Wilson sat down with Artie and recorded several hours of
reminiscences. A small portion of the interview was published in
issue
#126 of The Log Train, but
the actual interview tapes are being posted on Youtube. Click here
to see an index to the interview segments on YouTube.
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The
Climax Locomotive Restoration Project
The Association's involvement in the project to restore the Cass Scenic
Railroad State Park's Climax steam locomotive ended in December,
2015.
The new operator responsible for the Park's railroad operation and
maintenance, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad, informed the
Association that its assistance in the project was no longer
needed.
The Association began the massive restoration project in 2002 and it
was estimated to be approximately 80% complete. It is anticipated
that the remaining work on the locomotive will be completed by DGVR
personnel.
John Smith, DGVR President, made the following statement about the
transition: "The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad will be
finishing the remaining work on Climax No. 1551 in order to ensure a
safe and efficient restoration. The project, started by the Mountain
State Railroad & Logging Historical Association is nearly 80
percent complete. As the project moves forward [at DGVR], the
locomotive will be able to be built into the railroad's maintenance
schedule and will be assembled at the Cass Shops using overhead cranes
and qualified DGVR personnel. This process will allow the railroad to
finish the remaining tasks needed to bring the locomotive to operating
condition."
September 2019 Update:
The Climax had its inaugural run during a DGVR railfan event on
September 7, 2019. Some work remains to be done, but the locomotive
was able to pull two loaded log cars on the recently rebuilt line along
the Greenbrier River north of Cass. Chick here to see a YouTube video of the restored locomitive in action.
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There are two Facebook pages devoted to the
Association and the Cass Scenic Railroad:
The Association's Facebook page
contains more timely information than this Web page. Click here to go to the page.
The Casshews page is an informal
site that is devoted to the Cass Scenic Railroad. Click here to go to the page.
Click
the photos
for larger images & captions |
