The proposed Highland Adventure of Mountain & Rail would make use of the existing track of the state-owned West Virginia Central Railroad, on which the Durbin Rocket, Cheat Mountain Salamander and Tygart Flyer excursion trains now operate, and the Cass Scenic Railroad.

Track from a stretch of West Virginia Central rail bed between Spruce in Pocahontas County and Bergoo in Webster County that was rendered unusable following the 1985 flood would be recycled and used to connect Durbin in Pocahontas County to Glady, Bemis and Elkins in Randolph County to the north and Cass to the south.

With the additional track in place, it would be possible to travel by excursion train southeast from Elkins to Bemis, Glady, Durbin and Cass, and then travel west to the town site of Spruce, loop north to Cheat Bridge, High Falls and Bemis and return to Elkins. Much of the route travels through the Monongahela National Forest along Shavers Fork and the West Fork of the Greenbrier River.

The rail bed from which the track would be removed and recycled would become a rail trail under the plan, giving hikers and bikers a 30-mile pathway along the headwaters of the Elk River. Using rail connections, hikers and bikers would have easy access to the Greenbrier River Trail at Cass, the West Fork Rail Trail at Durbin, and the Allegheny Highlands Trail at Elkins.

The 90-mile circular route would make it possible for eight trains to make daily departures from eight cities and towns. In addition to opening up new vistas to rail tourists, the loop route allows passengers to avoid the scenery replays that occur on the out-and-back routes nearly all other tourist trains follow, said John Smith, president of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, which operates the Durbin Rocket, Cheat Mountain Salamander and Tygart Flyer excursion trains.

Most of the new section of the loop would follow the West Fork of the Greenbrier River through the Monongahela National Forest between Durbin and Bemis, along a path parallel to the West Fork Rail Trail.

"It will be the most exciting rail tourism attraction in the east," Del. William G. Hartman, D-Randolph, told Tourism Commission members, predicting that the new route would draw 150,000 tourists in its first year.

 By increasing demand for lodging, dining and other services, the new route would pump an additional $50 million a year into the area economy, said Lars Byrne of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad.

"There will be all kinds of options for multi-night stays," with lodging available along the route at Snowshoe, Cass, Elkins and other communities, Smith said.

Rail cars would be equipped to carry kayaks, mountain bikes, backpacking and fishing gear, making it possible for backcountry recreation seekers to be dropped off and picked up at various locations along rail loop.

"Being able to combine recreation with transportation will give us one of the most unique situations in the world," Smith said.

Smith said officials at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park approve of the plan, and would likely receive an additional 25,000 riders annually by making use of the route.

When asked by Tourism Commission Chairman Oshel Craigo how much it would cost to implement the plan, Hartman said the estimated cost was about $20 million. Once funding was approved, it would take 18 to 24 months to fully implement, he said.

The plan needs approval from the State Rail Authority, the Monongahela National Forest and other agencies before it can move forward.