CASS, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Hundreds flocked to Cass Scenic Railroad on Saturday to witness the parading of five historic steam locomotives which gave everyone in attendance a show to remember.
The Parade of Steam was part of the annual Cass Days festival which ran from Friday to Sunday. The festival featured multiple food and craft vendors, live music, and a chance to get up close and personal with the locomotives featured in the parade.
The parade began at 10 AM and lasted for about an hour, the locomotives went down and back multiple times allowing attendees to get the best photos and videos possible.
Austin West, from Poca, says he, his family, and his friend Thomas began the journey to Pocahontas County at 5 AM Saturday morning in hopes to grab a good viewing spot.
“When we made it to Cass I met a lot of friends that I knew over Facebook and a lot I knew in person. It was cool to hang out with a lot of people that you know and also being able to travel in the mountains of West Virginia,” West said. “My favorite part was the grand finale when they all blew their whistles and did shave and haircuts. It’s a trip that I absolutely love taking.”
Officials with Cass Scenic Railroad State Park say that it was a record turnout for this year’s Parade of Steam as they recorded over 4,000 attendees.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a state park and heritage railroad located in Cass. It consists of the Cass Scenic Railroad, an 11-mile-long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad.
Cass Scenic Railroad operates several historic locomotives, including the Shay locomotives, which were originally manufactured between the 1900s and the 1940s.
