Greenbrier Express “Geared Titans” Special

Join Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad for a first of it’s kind train ride along the Cass to Durbin Line! This historic passenger excursion will feature all three major geared locomotive types, the Shay, Heisler and Climax as they work in tandem pulling the train to Durbin. That’s right, not one, but THREE steam locomotives.

During the journey, a special photography runby will allow passengers to detrain and capture photos and video as the locomotives thunder past the photo line. Upon arrival in Durbin, guests will enjoy lunch before boarding for the afternoon return trip to Cass.

The train will depart the Cass Depot at 9:00am.

PLEASE NOTE: While we make every effort to feature specific locomotives, substitutions may occur and all equipment is subject to change.

This excursion departs the restored, historically important town of Cass and closely follows the clear, free-flowing Greenbrier River to the small mountain village of Durbin. On arrival in Durbin, all ticket holders will be served lunch at a pre-determined location either on your train car, in the depot, or at one of the restaurants on Main Street adjacent to the depot. The ride upriver to Durbin passes through a secluded wilderness portion of the 950,000-acre Monongahela National Forest featuring beautiful scenes of forested mountains at each turn of the river. Sightings of Deer, River Otters, and Black Bear along with a wide variety of Eagles, Hawks, Ospreys, and other different species of aquatic birds are common.

The original 95-mile section of this railroad was first constructed in 1902 by the old Chesapeake and Ohio Railway with an eye toward timber resource development. It continued serving that purpose until rail traffic declined and most of the line was abandoned in 1978. Today’s trip takes you on the northern 15-mile portion that was purchased by the West Virginia State Rail Authority. Unfortunately, a catastrophic flood in 1985 washed out major portions of this line. Thanks to a private/public initiative between the WV State Rail Authority and Durbin & Greenbrier Valley RR, the track has been reconstructed and now offers a new and different option to visitors at the iconic Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

During the layover in Durbin don’t forget to stop by the Rail & Trail store for a hand scooped ice cream and explore the large variety of railroad souvenirs! Looking for something sweet? Simply Sweet Cafe offers a variety of coffees, frappes and smoothies. Wanting to return or extend your stay, the Station 2 Restaurant & Motel offers home cooked meals and lodging options.