[In this part of my West Virginia road trip five years in the making with my best friend, both of our fathers, and two RX-8s we complete our drive together.]
After lunch I’m compelled to revisit the crash site, dragging the others along. I take the car through the curve, keeping the speed under 40 to avoid any chance of a repeat. What would be more embarrassing than wrecking an already wrecked car? Doing so in the same exact place. At 38 the curve is easily navigated, leading me to wonder how fast my father entered it. In his defense, it’s now much warmer so the tires have more grip.
Thanks to my usual philosophy that we have “plenty of time, “ we’re once again running short of it. I call Cass Scenic Railroad State Park again, and learn that the train doesn’t actually pull out until half an hour after the scheduled time. So we could have easily made it earlier. Need to scoot now. Nevertheless, I decide to take a slightly longer route to check out additional roads. There aren’t many bad ones in the area, and US 250 is better than most, with plenty of tight turns and elevation changes despite its status as a federal highway that cuts a diagonal all the way from Sandusky, Ohio, on Lake Erie to Richmond, Virginia.
Driving through Durbin I spot…a narrow gauge locomotive preparing to run. While there’s just one locomotive, and there’ll be more of them in Cass, I quickly decide that one train at hand is better than two on the other side of the mountain. So we stop.
We decide there’s no point in actually riding the train. We want to see it run, and you don’t really see it run by riding in the cars it’s pushing. You see it run by standing by the side of the track while other people spend $22 a head to ride the train. So we hang around for half an hour as the Durbin Rocket, allegedly one of only three Climax engines still in operation, is prepped. Someone let the fire run low, so the process takes longer than expected. Wood thrown into the firebox to speed things up yields a large amount of very black smoke. The entire area becomes hazy. I pass the minutes studying the mechanicals. Even more than on a conventional steam locomotive, these are a gearhead’s wet dream. (Though I doubt this is the climax they had in mind.)
Where to next? Earlier the judge suggested Goshen Pass, in Virginia. He’s hiked there before. So Goshen it is.
On the way down WV 28 we come across a huge dish poking up above the trees. Turns out that Green Bank, West Virginia, is the location of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. We stop to check out the “telescope,” apparently the “world’s largest fully steerable single aperture antenna.” There’s only so much time you can spend gazing at a huge dish, so a few minutes later we move on. My father is driving again, and again enjoying every minute of it. Me, I take more photos in the occasional curves, a challenge in itself given the centrifugal forces in play. WV 28 runs through a valley full of farms, and the trees remain colorful, so the scenery is excellent. We fly past a few half-fallen-down barns I wish I could have had another shot at.
Back on 39, we cross into Virginia. Three changes happen. The recommended speeds in the turns get much more conservative—they’re easily 10 MPH below those in West Virginia. One hairpin just across the state line is marked 10. Second, the farms look nicer. Third, more cars are on the road and they are more likely to get in the way.
As 39 crosses small mountain ranges it forms series of switchbacks. Between the ranges it runs straight. So the fun comes in spurts. On one set of switchbacks our progress is severely impeded by a blast from the past: a Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder VR4—an early hardtop convertible that sold (in very small numbers) for a ridiculous $60,000. Rarely has a 320-horsepower turbocharged DOHC V6 paired with all-wheel-drive been so poorly applied—he’s barely maintaining the recommended speeds through the curves. Certain TTAC contributors would be disgusted.
The two cars swap places after a very brief stop in Goshen—the red RX-8 will now lead the way. Goshen Pass is a bit of a disappointment, at least for me. It’s pretty, but no prettier than many of the other areas we’ve been through. This time of year there’s not much water in the river. But the judge gets a hike, if a short one.
To connect with the Blue Ridge Parkway we head north on 252, then east on 606. VA 252 passes through a beautiful farm-filled valley. On 606 there are no road markings, not even a center line. This suggests that it will be a small, intimate road, but for the first few miles there are many other cars. After Steeles Tavern, though, the other cars fall away, and the road (now VA 56) convolutes as it climbs the Blue Ridge, and my old man has a blast.
The Blue Ridge Parkway travels far above the valleys on either side, affording amazing views. For driving entertainment, though, it’s not quite a match for the other roads we’ve traveled today. The federal government planned it too well. The curves, while plentiful, tend to be sweeping.
We exit the BRP onto I-64, and travel a few miles west to Staunton, where we stop for the night. It’s odd after traveling the back roads to have so many lanes and so many other cars around. We’ve moving a bit too fast, but luck is with us, so a trooper running radar lets us sweep by.
Staunton, though an old, small city, has a vibrant little downtown with a number of interesting restaurants. Of these, I pick the Byers Street Bistro. Once again the four of us get into the red car to drive to the restaurant and back. It turns out to be my favorite of the trip—highly recommended.
The next morning we have breakfast at the hotel. They all say they want to do the same trip next year, just without hitting a tree and with more hiking. Afterwards Trey and the judge head home and my father and I head back into West Virginia.
Michael Karesh operates TrueDelta, an online source of automotive pricing and reliability data
Michael,
1. Some day when your dad is gone, you will be so happy you did this (but here’s hoping for many more happy years). And that the RX-8 functionally survived its mishap. I’m a tad envious. Although my father could not have made that trip. If he wasn’t driving, he got car sick very easily.
2. Not a word about the ’64(?) Rambler American? And no close-up? An amazing classic that was probably a daily driver. (love the microbus)
3. What will become of the silver RX-8?
Unfortunately I was channeling neither PN nor MM at the time. In the photo it looks like the RR tire is low, but possibly still drivable. A few folks there could have owned it since new. Perhaps the guy driving the train?
Some of those photos are really nice. And you get many points for turning lemons (the crash) into bourbon instead of merely into lemonade (continuing the trip).
Thanks. I used the photo software’s quick fix on a few, which oversaturated them. If the asphalt looks a little purplish, this is the reason. But I still have the originals, so hopefully at some point I’ll have enough time to do them justice.
Well, this is a nice story in many respects. As someone who has driven this area for decades, let me make a few suggestions.
1. The Cass scenic railway is worth it for the trip, and if you choose to ride at the rear of the train, the curves are sharp enough that you will see the Shay engines pulling at the front. The Shay engines themselves are a gear-head’s fantasy because the pistons are mounted vertically on the sides of the engine, driving a shaft oriented parallel to the direction of travel, using some sort of worm gear to drive the axles.
2. Other great rides: From Cumberland, Md. (i-68) take US 220 south the Keyser, WVa. then head on south, keeping on state 972 at New Creek (US 220 will peel off to your left) go briefly on US 50 west and get off at state 93 (a left turn) towards Scherr. This is where the fun begins. And it really begins at Scherr where you turn right at the T intersection to stay on 93, with a bunch of nifty hairpins and a steep climb about about 2000 feet. If you’ve got the stones and the car to match, get your grins passing the laboring coal trucks headed uphill. Once you’ve topped out (you’ll see the big windmills) turn left to stay on 93 to Mt. Storm lake. Follow 93 across the dam and past the big powerplant for a good ride through some absolutely deserted high country: no houses, no cops, just a lot of coal trucks until you get to a T intersection with state route 32. Turn right for Davis, the highest town with a post office in West Virginia. There’s spectacular scenery at Blackwater Falls state park. Or you can turn the other way to Thomas, a town where half of the buildings have been condemned because they’re sitting on top of an abandoned coal mine. Pick up US 219 at Thomas and either go north to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland and back to i-68, or go west to Elkins and you can pick up US 33 west to I-79 north.
Davis and Canaan Valley, just 20 miles down the road have their own microclimate, which is in synch with New England. When it’s 100 degrees in Washington, DC, it’s 85 in Davis. Fall foliage peaks at the end of September; spring comes on Memorial Day and there’s something like 140 inches of natural snow that falls per year. (So plan your hoonery between April and October, just to be safe.)
Enjoy!
(something ate my comment; I’ll try again).
Nice photos and nice story.
A couple of comments/suggestions.
1. The Cass Scenic Railway is worth it for the trip up the mountain. And, if you read in one of the rear cars, the curves are sharp enough that you can see the engines that are pulling you up the mountains.
2. The unique Shay engines on the Cass railroad have an unusual drive system. The cylinders are on the sides of the engine, driving a shaft that is aligned parallel to the direction of travel. I think a worm gear arrangement connects the crankshaft to the drive axles.
3. A great drive is to connect up with US 220 at Keyser, WVa, going south. Keep straight at the fork to take state 972 at New Creek. That will put you on US 50 west, briefly. Turn left off of US 50 to state 93 to Scherr. Now the fun starts. At Scherr go right at the T intersection to stay on 93 and you’ll be doing a maximum fun 2000 foot climb of switchbacks on a two-lane. If you have the car and the nerve, pass the laboring semis when you can. When you top out (you’ll be at the windmills) turn left at the gas station and head for Mt. Storm (you’ll still be on 93). Cross the dam and pass the powerplant for a 20 mile ride in a totally desolate area without a house or anything until you get to the T intersection with state Rd. 32. Turn left to get to Davis, the highest town in the state with a post office. Visit Blackwater Falls state park for some spectacular scenery, or keeping going to Canaan Valley, the highest valley in the state. The area has its own microclimate, which is like northern New England.
My father and I buy lunch and a few other things in Davis in the next segment. But we exit via 219. I’ll have to keep 93 in mind for next time.
I definitely still want to visit Cass. If memory serve–I used to be into these things:
–the Shay has vertical pistons only on one side (the right side?) driving driveshafts located on only that side of the wheels
–the Heisler has pistons that angle inward to form a V, and drive a driveshaft that runs down the center of the train
–the Climax (in the photos) has pistons that slant rearward and drive a driveshaft that runs down the center of the train
The state park has at least the first two types, though I think most are Shays.
Yep, that’s right about the Shay.
Sorry about the double-posting. The first post didn’t appear for a while.
The Davis-Mt. Storm-Scherr run is much more fun going up than going down . . . or at least it was when I was driving it regularly . . . probably because the 5 liter V-8 in my ’87 Mustang GT was much more capable than the brakes . . . and the brakes in the 92 SHO that replaced the Mustang weren’t all that much better. Going down is all about how much you trust your brakes to scrub off speed gained on the straight sections; going up is about how much you can rocket from curve to curve and, of course, about how much faith you have that the bits of loose dirt and gravel on the curves won’t upset you too much.
DC Bruce: you’re not trying to tell me there are places in the Appalachians that are as cold as Maine, are you? That northern part of Maine is so cold that the only people living there are a few National Science Foundation trainees who are going to be doing research at Antarctica.
Well, not that bad. But this part of the state sees spring on Memorial Day, has peak fall foliage the last weekend in September and regularly sees daytime highs in the single digits above zero (F) in the winter. I had a house up there for 10 years.
This has been a great story, thank you for sharing it!
I love traveling through the Appalachians. I’m seriously thinking about taking my old Mystique on a serious road trip later this summer, starting here in Michigan and heading deep in the mountains of upper East Tennessee, then through the Virginias and into Pennsylvania.
I just hope the old girl won’t let me down…
Which engine and transmission do you have in the Mystique? I still miss my ’96 Contour SE.
It has the V6 with the auto. The car is an early build 1995, bought new by my aunt and passed around the family. It has 122k, motor has close to 90k, trans has 15k. Motor is strong but trans is wonky. I just had the suspension re-done. It drives like a dream! I’m hoping for the best as I’m trying to sell my HHR and only have one car.
Sajeev featured it in a Piston Slap several months ago “Mercury’s Last Mistake?”
Have very much enjoyed the story! I echo the sentiments above about the plain and simple fact that, despite the totalled RX-8 and the other anxieties and aggravations you endured, you will always be glad you have the memories of this trip with your dad. I distinctly recall being rather frustrated (and scared) when my dad started to drive on the wrong side of the road during a trip tagging along with him a business trip to England some twenty years ago . . . but, man, what a memory. At the time, I had no idea I’d only be able to enjoy his company and his wisdom for another seven years. Reminds me of that killer line from a Baruth article a few months back — no matter how good or bad, nothing lasts (he stated it more elegantly and without the cliche, of course).
Nice sweatshirt, btw — Penn alum? Go Quakers!
Minutiae:
Many years ago I worked for the US Forest Service in northwestern Pennsylvania, the birthplace of both Heisler and Climax locomotives and an area that was extensively logged via temporary railroads. I made the acquaintance of an elderly gentleman who was Climax’s last setup specialist. He traveled via rail along with the new locomotives, supervised their final setup at their destination, and trained crews in their use. He was certainly a little biased, but there is some documentation that supported his claim that the Climax locomotives were the best of the breed. They were smooth riding due to some amazingly complex helical gears that aren’t visible from the outside of the locomotive (nothing between the crankshaft and the wheels really is, unfortunately) and did not wear out the rails like the Shays did, because of the pounding inherent to the triple vertical cylinders on the right side of that locomotive. Ton for ton they were the most efficient logging locomotives, but they aren’t as charismatic as the Shays, where everything hangs out where you can see it. But it’s great that all three of the major types of logging locomotives are preserved or being restored in the West Virginia mountains. The CSRSP does have a Heisler that isn’t currently in operable condition.
Re: Blue Ridge Parkway and the Corps of Engineers: you may want to check your sources on origin, design, and construction. This was a Department of the Interior/NPS project, with early construction assistance from New Deal-era WPA and CCC. But nearly all work was carried out under the auspices of the NPS. The Corps of Engineers got involved when the Parkway crossed major waterways, like the James or the French Broad. For its time, the BRP was an amazingly modern road, which in the 1930s meant the mitigation of curves rather than the enhancement of them. Still, there are some really wonderful sections that can (almost) be enjoyed at 45mph. The climb southward from the James River is a good example, but it’s not still going to rise to the level of a good WV mountain road. If you want to find the best roads, ask the motorcyclists!
Thanks for the tips. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I simply wrote “Corps of Engineers.” Probably something I heard long ago, but should have verified. Further research suggests that so many parties were involved that it’s probably best to just say “federal government.”
Enjoyed these but.. what a long wait between installments! Is there a part 9 coming in June or is that the end? This gives me hope that we’ll see How GM Tried to Win Me Over Part 3 some Monday morning.
You should probably go back and link part 7 to this one, so someone starting at part 1 can get all the way through.
Sorry, I have trouble finding the time to get these out. There is a part nine, but that will probably be the last one.
Nice story, makes me want to go drive and enjoy some twists
Enjoying the series Michael. Reminds me of doing a BMW CCA driving school with my father several years ago. Track novices but we enjoyed living out a fantasy and spending time with each other. This is reminding me to do it again before the opportunity passes us by.