Page 14 - NMRA Roundhouse March-April 2020

The view from Bald Knob is spectacular. Just behind the ridge in the foreground is the giant Green Bank radio telescope.
In 2015 at the insistence of our two boys we decided to return to Cass. Just as we did in 2014, we rented one of the restored company houses from the state park.This time we rode the train during the day all the way up to Bald Knob.
While we were up there the engineer let the boys and I step up into the cab. Trains that run to Bald Knob stay a little while at the top so that passengers can take in the breathtaking views.There is
a viewing platform, and also a caboose that can be rented for a night or two at the top. Another unique part of the ride is that on most of the trip to the top the locomotive is pushing the train so that it is downhill from the passenger cars.This is intended to prevent cars from break- ing away and taking off down the hill.
For our family, Cass was, and will always be, a very special place. It is a place where history comes alive with the incredible geared steam locomotives, and one can easily imagine what it would have been like to ride the line 100 years ago. It is a place too that you can discon- nect from the world, and slow down to a top speed of about 12 mph!
Jason Stamper
The daily train up the mountain is loading up at the rebuilt station in Cass
ROUNDHOUSE - March/April 2020
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