Cass Scenic Railroad Shay 5 travels past Leatherbark Creek near the Back Mountain Road Crossing.

The 11 crosses over Leatherbark Creek... there's just something magical about a Shay and a babbling creek deep in the woods.

Rockin and a Rollin Western Maryland Shay 6 leads the three train race from this dramatic head on view. Shot during the 2009 Cass Railfan Weekend.

Shay 5 leads a log train during MSR&LHA's Cass Railfan Weekend, as seen here from the 'wrong' side of a Shay.

Shays 5, 6, and 11 blast off for the popular Shay race during the MSR&LHA's Cass Railfan Weekend.

Shay 5 performs a run-by for the railfans on the S-curve below Whitaker Station. It is impressive to see these engines climbing grades exceeding 5% and in some places 9%.

Carl Franz Photo Special

My favorite shot from Cass this year is this simple wedge of Western Maryland Big 6 pushing a log train up the 6% grade at Gum Field. The weather on Cheat Mountain in the spring is often cloudy a... (more)

Long before Top Fuel and Pro-Stock were ever thought of, manly gear-heads were settling scores with more primitive muscle machines. Pictured here is a drag race between Shay Locomotives some place... (more)

Shay Power! Cass Engine Crews unleash 135,000 lbs of tractive effort in an impressive demonstration of mountain muscle. With the 104 year-old Shay #5 on point, this triple-header also in... (more)

Shay Power! Cass Shays 5, 11 and Big 6 team up to haul a log train toward the Cass Water Tank on a misty spring morning. This impressive demonstration of geared steam power was orchestrat... (more)

Almost there... Western Maryland Shay #6 storms past a little-used emergency water stop as she hauls her log train up the last half mile to the summit of Bald Knob. This is probably Carl... (more)

Cass Shay #11 rounds the hairpin at Sugar Grove and begins to tackle the 8.7% grade to Whittaker Station. Shay 11 is the former Feather River #3 and is the 2nd largest Shay at Cass, weighing in ... (more)

A Shay in its element. Deep woods, steep grades and sharp curves are the hallmarks of the kingdom of the Shay locomotive. With freight car-like articulating trucks and gearing for maximu... (more)

Big Six pulls the log train toward the Back Mountain Road grade crossing on a Carl Franz Photo Charter.