Take the slow train in West Virginia
Creeping up steep grades, chugging along rushing rivers, squeezing between canyon rocks, curving around and riding atop mountains, vintage passenger trains offer spectacular mountain wilderness and West Virginia scenery from a range of rail tours throughout the state.The New Tygart Flyer is a climate controlled passenger train operating a four hour 46 mile round trip starting in Elkins (Central West Virginia) with two separate mountain grades, an S curve tunnel, passage into a 1,500 deep canyon with steep densely forested slopes and crossing a high bridge over the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River.
The 6-hour 78-mile ride from Belington also includes the scenic Nova Scotia Rocks area and many excellent views of the Tygart Valley River. Both trips culminate at the High Falls of Cheat, an 18’ high 150’ wide waterfall in one of the most remote and pristine settings in the eastern US
The Cheat Mountain Salamander covers nearly 80 miles travelling through areas of extreme isolation, passing rock walls, including “Coal Rock” and around the two tightest mainline rail curves in the US. The northerly ride stops at the scenic “High Falls of Cheat” at an elevation of 3,000’. The southerly upstream trip travels deep into the high elevation spruce forest atop the mountain, through the Historic District of the old town of Spruce and completes its journey in a hand-dug notch called the “Big Cut” which at 4,066 feet is the highest mainline railroad east of the Mississippi River. Both rides are three hours.
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
This is a three-hour narrated trip that winds through idyllic pastures with native flowers, a river gorge, and farms dating from the early 1700s with sightings of American Bald Eagles roaring above their natural habitat along the South Branch of the Potomac River. (Classic Club seating includes a meal).
New River Train Excursions
In co-operation with Amtrak, the Collis P Huntington Railroad Historical Society operates a series of special fall foliage tours through the scenic New River Gorge, “the Grand Canyon of the East”. Locomotives and a mixture of Amtrak and privately owned Amtrak-approved horizon coaches, lounges, parlour cars and open platform car make up the trains. The tour originates in Huntington with stops in St Albans and Montgomery to board passengers and passes through the 65 miles long New River Gorge National River and under the New River Gorge Bridge. Terminus for the trip is Historic Hinton for a “Railroad Days” street fair. Other excursions offered throughout the year include trips to The Greenbrier, Lewisburg and Pence Springs.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Trips to Cass are filled with rich histories of the past, unparalleled views of a vast wilderness area and close-up encounters with the sights and sounds of original steam-driven trains. Cass has the world’s largest roster of operating geared steam locomotives. The Cass Scenic Railroad still runs on the same line built back in 1901 to haul lumber to the mill in Cass. Many of the locomotives are the same Shays that have been used in Cass for more than half a century. The passenger cars are old logging flat-cars refurbished into passenger cars.
The Durbin Rocket Excursion Train is powered by Old #3, one of only three operating Climax geared logging locomotives. This 55-ton antique was built in 1910 for the Moore – Keppel Lumber Co. Today, visitors can ride in an authentic 1920s Caboose behind the #3 along the Greenbrier River in northern Pocahontas County. The ride covers 10.5 miles on a two hour round trip with views of rivers and mountains in the Monongahela National Forest.
Day trips and weeklong packages are offered on the Mountain State New River Gorge Mystery Train from Washington DC and Cincinnati The Fall Foliage season begins in September to October featuring daytrips. Other packages are available to include meals, round trip train and ground arrangements, as well as selected upscale lodging and knowledgeable guides as escorts.
For more information, visit wvtourism.com.
