Whittaker Station

hittaker Station, the stopover for both long and short scenic railroad excursions, features an interpretive display of life in the woods camps. Besides brief guided tours featuring a functional representation of a camp train and reproduction camp shanties, Whittaker Camp No. 1 offers a look at West Virginia rail-logging equipment including a steam skidder (rail-mounted, high-lead cable device that brought in logs from more than 3,000 feet away) and loader. Camp No. 1 is an on-going project by the volunteers of Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association.

Philip V. Bagdon / Essential Cass: An Overview of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Another switchback, and then comes the famous 11 percent grade. There's a spot near Bald Knob that's steeper, but there is no instant more thrilling than the one which reveals the valley below. The deafening, frantic cacophony of smoke and steam subsides, for we have reached Whittaker Station. Some trips end here, others go on to the very top. This point is not historically important, but its view, the experience of getting here, and the suitability for picnicking have led to its present day development.

Frederick A. Kramer - Cass Scenic Railroad of West Virginia - 1977