SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT!

On this day before Thanksgiving 2023, we would like to say a heartfelt Thanks to all of those who have volunteered, donated, and served as directors and officers of the Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association over more than four decades. If it wasn’t for so many of you literally greasing the gears of the organization, there is no way so many projects would have been completed to the extent that they were, or that railfan and interpretive events would have been enjoyed by so many.

With that said, today, we are mailing out Issue 137 to our members. Two things will be different this time: 1) we will be mailing it First Class--hopefully ensuring everyone gets their copy during this time of postal uncertainty, and, more importantly, 2) it will have a heading scrolled across the top that many of us have dreaded for quite some time: Issue 137 will be THE LAST-EVER ISSUE of “The Log Train” after 41 years.

More than that, pending a final mail-in vote from our membership, MSR&LHA as a whole will be winding down operations in early 2024, but in this case, there IS a silver lining to it all: Friends of Cass, which has operated as a committee of MSR&LHA since 2018, will officially be spinning off into a new 501(c)(3), becoming Cass Scenic Railroad State Park’s new non-profit of record, and continuing the MSR&LHA mission and legacy for many years to come, while also opening the door for new opportunities not under the purview of the original organization. What will be noticeably different is the new organization’s business model: there will be no members, and thusly there will be no ‘Log Train’—‘Friends’ will have a much simpler 21st Century approach to reaching out and communicating with its supporters and volunteers. Friends of Cass will also be bringing its focus back home to the local community, with a strong group of local volunteers already growing rapidly, and new grants already being sought for planned projects within the historic town of Cass. Those who would like to volunteer or contribute to the new organization can find more information on their website, friendsofcass.org .

MSR&LHA members who paid ahead for additional issues of “The Log Train” that will not be delivered, will receive a postcard with their final issue with more information on how to claim a refund, or to elect to donate their refund to Friends of Cass. While the mailing cards, which also include the dissolution poll, have a return date of December 15th, any refund request received by December 31st will be honored.

While it is sad to see the end of MSR&LHA, those of us sitting on the final Board of Directors consider ourselves fortunate and grateful to be able to plant the seed for the next generation of volunteerism at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, and we hope that our membership will feel the same way, welcoming new opportunities for interpreting and preserving not only West Virginia Railroad and Logging History, but also the Town of Cass itself.

As the Association is no longer accepting new members or renewals, a very limited number of copies of the final issue of "The Log Train" will be made available for purchase to the public soon. Please keep an eye on this page for more information.

We wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving and Holiday Season!