what's the status on the rehab of the Cass to Durbin line?

In reply to an inquiry on the progress of the line, the D&GVRR posted the following on their Facebook page on Apr 22, 2017

"5.8 miles have been rebuilt entirely - which includes track north from Cass and the route south from Durbin. Rock, and other bulk materials are being used to not only raise the elevation of the track, but also stabilize it to prevent slips, or other weather challenges. At the end of the project, the new line will be several feet higher than the original line. Crews are also making the curves wider to expand the distance between the right-of-way and adjacent river."


In a June 28th blog on TRAINS magazine's website, the following was a paragraph from an employee of the D&GVRR defending their decision to remove an iconic sign on the Cass hill line.

"We’re celebrating the fact that our offices overlook four Shay locomotives under steam each day, we’re celebrating motorcar trips down the old C&O Greenbrier line where more than 6 miles of right-of-way has been restored for your future enjoyment. We celebrate the privilege to watch children see steam for the first time in their lives, and we celebrate with people who share the same vision of optimism and dedication amid difficult and challenging setbacks that are associated with this unique industry."

So.....looks like about 6 miles of the roughly 14 miles were restored at the end of this June. My understanding is that one of the washouts is enormous (no land left under track) and that a bridge is one option being considered.

Probably hoping the state will rescue the project.

The line is owned by the State of WV who is supplying the ties and the operator (Durbin & Greenbrier River Railroad) is supplying the labor. Not sure but I think they're taking needed fill from the hillsides next to the line.

I walked the line from Cass to Durbin with a friend in October of 1986, a little less than a year after the flood. I can testify that there were more than a few stretches of the line where track was hanging in mid-air, or lying sideways on the bank of the river, and it was a struggle to hike through it. I've gone through some of my slides from the only trip I ever rode up the line, in the Spring of '85, with the images of the washed out line, and it's really hard to tell what it looked like before the flood. I never thought that anyone would rebuild the line, so more power to them.

Having just seen it for myself last week, there's a lot of work going on headed north, mostly shelving out a new roadbed out of the hillside where the washouts were severe.

Probably about five miles north of Cass is already back up on roadbed, some reballasted, almost entirely new ties.

Oh, and Shay 11 is running again, and the Whittaker pavilion is being expanded.

Any idea how long it took to get the permits for all of this? Here on the West Coast, it would cost millions and take 20 years, IF they let you do it at all. Then you would only be able to work when the fish weren't spawning.

Wondered the same thing, but from what I saw, no or minimal material was actually going in the river, the roadbed was being dug out on the hillside and re-shelved where necessary. In some cases is looked like brand-new construction rather than a repair of an existing alignment. No real attempt to re-fill under where the track originally was unless there was already a shelf under it - move toward the hill instead.

I'd also seen it after the heavy floods and didn't think I ever see this happening.

Oh, and saw the BL2 in WM paint at Elkins coming in on the Sunday afternoon train, actually heard it first. Nothing like the sound of an original EMD 'blaaaaat' horn.

Permits? In West Virginia we don't need no steenkin' permits.

It's been 31 years already.

I was told while working on Climax 1551 at Cass that there is apparently some exception to rebuilding/re-establishing railroad right of ways which shortcuts much of the permitting process with the Corps of Engineers, etc.

While under the control of the WV State Parks System for most of those 31 years, NOTHING was done by the state to reopen this line. It was only after the controversial decision to outsource the operation of Cass to the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad that work commenced on rebuilding this stretch of railroad. The D&GVRR has come under a lot of criticism from Cass fans (some deservedly so) but should be commended for all the hard work of bringing this scenic line back to life. Very few individuals ever expected to see this line rehabilitated. Now, all they need to do is rebuild ex-Buffalo Creek & Gauley #4 to once again run on a West Virginia line.