Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

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Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad near Parkersburg Bridge
Overview
Headquarters	Cumberland, Maryland
Locale	Allegany County, Maryland
Dates of operation	1988–present
Predecessor	Western Maryland Railway, Allegany Central Railroad
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	16 mi (26 km)
Other
Website	wmsr.com

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland that operates passenger excursion trains and occasional freights using both steam and diesel locomotives over ex-Western Maryland Railway (WM) tracks between Cumberland and Frostburg. The railroad offers coach and first class service, as well as reserved caboose rides, murder mystery excursions, and special seasonal trips.

Rail line history and description[]

The Western Maryland was a railroad that served a small town called Cumberland, Maryland along with a branch line that ran between there and Frostburg, as well as stretching to other small towns, like Hancock and Connellsville. In 1973, though, that said branch line was abandoned and mostly ripped up, as one year prior, the WM joined the Baltimore and Ohio and Chesapeake and Ohio railroads to group into the Chessie System, which would eventually be completely merged into the new CSX transportation system. In the late 1980s, the City of Cumberland started seeing the old branch line as a possible tourist attraction, so a joint effort was formed; Allegheny County ponied up $585,000, the city $2,470,560, and the city of Frostburg $338,427 to purchase the corridor. As part of the deal, the newly-formed Scenic Railroad Development Corporation (SRDC) was given the old WM shops in Ridgeley, West Virginia, a 1913-built Station in Cumberland, and an 1891-built Cumberland & Pennsylvania wooden depot in Frostburg.^[1] From 1989 to 1991, the trackage was used by the Allegany Central Railroad before the SRDC began operations themselves as the WMSR.

WMSR's excursion trains start in Cumberland at the Western Maryland Railway Station. Built in 1913, the station also houses one of the six Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park visitor centers as well as other attractions and offices. From there, trains follow a former Western Maryland Railway line northwest through the Cumberland Narrows, a deep water gap formed by the passage of Wills Creek between Haystack Mountain and Wills Mountain, parts of the geological structure. They then proceed up the Allegheny Front through a water gap formed by Jennings Run, pass Mt. Savage, and terminate at the former Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Frostburg, where they lay over for about 90 minutes to allow passengers to visit the town while the locomotive is reversed on a turntable that originally served the Western Maryland in Elkins, West Virginia. The train then returns to Cumberland by the same route.

Intermediate sights on the line include:

• Helmstetter's Curve in Cash Valley   39°40′43″N 78°48′25″W / 39.678573°N 78.807077°W / 39.678573; -78.807077 (Helmstetter's Curve)Coordinates: 39°40′43″N 78°48′25″W / 39.678573°N 78.807077°W / 39.678573; -78.807077 (Helmstetter's Curve)
• Brush Tunnel   39°41′24″N 78°48′50″W / 39.69000°N 78.81389°W / 39.69000; -78.81389 (Brush Tunnel)
• Woodcock Hollow, site of a hairpin curve   39°41′00″N 78°51′26″W / 39.683395°N 78.857117°W / 39.683395; -78.857117 (Woodcock Hollow)

The Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland, part of the Great Allegheny Passage bicycle trail between Cumberland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, parallels the WMSR. Cyclists can make reservations with the railroad to put their bikes on board for the climb up the mountain to Frostburg, then cycle back down to Cumberland.

In 2021, the Federal Railroad Administration^[2] asked the WMSR to give their 14-mile trackage 16,000 new ties.^[3] The trackage itself not only needed the strength to support No. 1309's weight, but some of the ties are approaching 50 years old, meaning that they haven't been replaced since right before the WM abandoned the line in the early 1970s. The estimated cost to replace the 16,000 ties is $2 million.

Shops[]

The WMSR operates out of the former WM's Ridgeley, West Virginia, car shops located just across the Potomac River from Cumberland. The shops include offices, a Federal Railroad Administration building, and the former paint shop which is now used to house the steam engine and perform repairs on the railroad's equipment. The WMSR shops also serve as a business offering restoration services for locomotives and coaches from both commercial and private owners. South, past the Ridgely shops and yard, the WMSR maintains a wye that is used to turn the railroad's locomotives and coaches.

Passenger and Freight Equipment[]

Since its creation, the WMSR has gained an extensive collection of light weight style passenger coaches, many of which it either has restored to service in its tuscan and gold livery, or has used for parts to restore other coaches. Many of the restored coaches are painted with the names of local area towns, as well as benefactors of the scenic railroad. The WMSR also has a collection of freight equipment it has collected from CSX and other sources that it uses for storage at the shops, rail line maintenance, and photo freight excursions. The WMSR currently also has three cabooses. They are two ex-C&O cabooses and one ex-WM caboose. Other un-restored equipment includes an ex-Chessie System crane, ex-Amtrak material handling cars, heavyweight coaches and pieces for a turntable.

Locomotive roster[]

Main units[]

Number	Images	Builder	Type	Build date	Status	Notes
734		Baldwin Locomotive Works	Steam SC-1 2-8-0	1916	Stored, awaiting for cosmetic restoration[4]	Normal power for the train is ex-Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad #34, now known as Western Maryland #734, a 1916 Baldwin-built 2-8-0 steam locomotive painted in WM "fireball" livery with a different tender from its original. It was originally built for the LS&I as #18, but renumbered 34 in 1924. The locomotive was sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain Railroad for a restoration that never came to fruition, and then it came to the Illinois Railway Museum in 1971, and then the WMSR in 1991. After an extensive rebuild, it entered service in 1993; it has received several modifications over the years to give it more of a WM appearance. The 734 was taken out of service after the 2015 season as well as some special excursion trips in February and April 2016 to undergo the 1,472 service-day Federal Railroad Administration inspection. It currently sits in a derelict condition on one of the yard's sidings. It will likely take several years for the locomotive to ever operate again.[5]
1309		Baldwin Locomotive Works	Steam H-6 2-6-6-2	1949	Operational	Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949, the engine worked hauling freight trains for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway until its retirement from service in 1956. The railroad obtained the engine from the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Ohio in 2014, for restoration to operating condition. On November 17, 2017, after failing to meet their projected summertime completion date for the C&O 1309 the railroad announced that the project had been put on hiatus.[6] However, in June 2018, it was announced that 1309 had passed its FRA hydro test and that restoration work was resumed.[7] In early October 2018, 1309 had its first successful fire up.[8] As of June 2019, 1309 is being prepared for reinstallation of the drive wheels and other parts. No date is currently set for the first excursion run.[9] On December 31, 2020, the engine was fired up and moved under its own power again for the first time in sixty-four years.[10]
501		EMD	Diesel GP30	1963	Operational	Formerly used on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Used as a helper engine for the steam locomotives and as power for short excursions that are run for special events.
502		EMD	Diesel GP30	1962	Out of service	Formerly used by the Reading Company. Used as a helper engine for the steam locomotives and as power for short excursions that are run for special events. Awaiting work to main engine.
450		EMD	Diesel F40M-2F	1981	Operational	In September 2018, the WMSR acquired LTEX F40M-2F #450 to run excursions for the railroad. It was once Amtrak #308 and Canadian American Railroad #450.[11]

Former units[]

Number	Images	Builder	Type	Build date	Notes
		Canadian Locomotive Company	Steam G-5 4-6-2	1946	Formerly used for passenger service by the Canadian Pacific Railway, until December 1963. The following year, it was purchased by George M. Hart for use in excursion service for Rail Tours Inc.. However, the plans to restore the locomotive under Mart's ownership never came to fruition, and it was sold in August 1968 to Historic Rail Valley Equipment and Leasing Corp. In the early 1970s, the locomotive was sold to Jack Showalter for use in excursion service on the Alleghany Central Railroad in Covington, Virginia. After the line had been ripped up, the Showalter relocated his railroad and locomotives in 1989 to Cumberland, which sprung the beginning of excursion service over this line. After the WMSR was officially founded in 1991, the Alleghany Central was relocated again to the Virginia Central in Staunton. After more than fifteen years of storage, No. 1238 was sold in September 2015 to Vintage Locomotive Society, better known as the Prairie Dog Central Railway, in Winnipeg, were it is now owned by the Prairie Dog Central Railway.[12][13]
		Canadian Locomotive Company	Steam G-5d 4-6-2	1948	Formerly used for passenger service by the Canadian Pacific Railway, until December 1963. The following year, it was purchased by George M. Hart for use in excursion service for Rail Tours Inc.. In the early 1970s, the locomotive was sold to the Alleghany Central for use in excursion service. After the Covington line had been ripped up, No. 1286 was relocated to Cumberland to become one of the first steam excursion locomotives to regularly run there. The locomotive was moved again to Staunton in 1991. After more than fifteen years of storage, No. 1286 was purchased alongside No. 1238 by the Prairie Dog Central and moved home to Canada and now owned by the Prairie Dog Central Railway.
40		EMD	Diesel GP9	1955	Formerly used by the Chesapeake and Ohio as No. 5940, and later transferred to the Chessie System. It was donated to the Alleghany Central for use as a helper in excursion service, and it was renumbered to 40. While it was stored in Staunton, Virginia, it was sold to the Shenandoah Valley Railroad for use as a short-line locomotive. In 2007, it was sold again to the another short line company, the D&GV, who repainted the locomotive to its original C&O identity in 2018 and it is now in service at the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad.[14]
81		EMD	Diesel BL2	1948	Formerly used by the Western Maryland, and later the Chessie System as 7181. It was renumbered back to 81 donated to the B&O Railroad Museum in 1983. It was restored to operating condition when it was loaned to the WMSR in the early 1990s. It currently remains at the B&O Railroad Museum on static display.[15]
236		EMD	Diesel F7a	1952	Formerly used by the Western Maryland, and layer the Chessie System as 7170. It was renumbered back to 236 and donated to the B&O Railroad Museum in 1981. It was then loaned along with No. 81 to the WMSR for excursion service in the early 1990s. It currently remains on static display back in Baltimore at the B&O Railroad Museum.[16]
199		Alco	Diesel RS3	1954	Initially built for the Boston and Maine, No. 1508 was eventually transferred to the Delaware and Hudson. It was used by the Allegany Central Railroad and the WMSR from 1990 to 1995, while in WM 199 disguise. It was subsequently renumbered back to 1508 while being repainted in New York Central colors, and it was sold to the Great Lakes Central Railroad in Michigan. It currently resides at the Naugatuck Railroad in Thomaston, Connecticut with the same NYC livery at the Naugatuck Railroad.[17]
1689		Alco	Diesel RSD5	1954	Initially built for the Chicago and North Western Railroad, before it was later transferred to the . It was used by the Allegany Central Railroad and the WMSR, retaining the same road number, from 1990 to 1995. It was also sold to the CVSR, who only used the locomotive for the 2005 season. It was sold again in 2014 to the Illinois Railway Museum, who still uses it for occasional excursion trips on their own trackage.[18]
305		Alco	Diesel FPA-4	1959	Initially built as Canadian National No. 6771, and then it was transferred to Via Rail. It was only used by the WMSR while being disguised as a WM locomotive from 1991 to 1993. It was subsequently purchased by the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and repainted as Delaware and Hudson No. 15. It currently operates at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in Akron, Ohio with its original road number.[19]
306/800		Alco	Diesel FPA-4	1959	Initially built as Canadian National No. 6780, and then it was transferred to Via Rail. Only used by the WMSR between 1991 and 1993. It was first repainted as WM No. 306, and then it was repainted as Baltimore and Ohio No. 800. It currently operates for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with the same B&O paint scheme.[20]
7		Plymouth	Diesel CR4 60-ton switcher	1960	Said to be originally from the Mount Union Connecting Railroad. Until November 2019, the locomotive served the Walkersville Southern Railroad as a shop switcher.[21]

Gallery[]

• 

  The first WMSR Station is located at 13 Canal Street in Cumberland, Maryland.

• 

  WMSR Nos 501 and 734 crossing the Potomac River from Cumberland to Ridgeley.

• 

  No. 501 Rolling into the Narrows

• Play media

  501 going through Brush Tunnel

• 

  2-8-0 No. 734 coming across Helmerstetter's Curve, 2010

• 

  The second WMSR Station is at 89 Depot Road in Frostburg, Maryland.

See also[]

• Canal Place (park complex which includes the railway station)
• List of heritage railroads in the United States

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

• Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
• Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Foundation
• HawkinsRails' Western Maryland Scenic scrapbook
• The Western Maryland Railway Station in Cumberland is at 39°38′58″N 78°45′50″W / 39.64944°N 78.76389°W / 39.64944; -78.76389 (Western Maryland Railway Station)