Thanks to the article, "Fast Freight Line" by author E.L. Thompson from the May, 1941 issue of Trains Magazine, for assistance with this steam roster. The roundtrip experience begins in Cumberland, MD and features a layover in Frostburg, MD where you will watch our locomotive change direction on a turntable. While all of these disjointed lines may have added only a few miles to the WM's network they proved very important to its bottom line. It is somewhat ironic how swiftly the railroad was abandoned under Chessie considering it remained profitable right up until the takeover thanks to its many years of exemplary management. Climb aboard your very own private caboose on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. What many may not realize is that today's popular Cass Scenic Railroad, running from Cass, West Virginia to Spruce and Bald Knob, was once a much larger operation. Guests can also book packages that include a stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams. Details: PLEDGE PARTNER:Barkin' Basement Thrift Shop is filled with great gently used items from clothing to kitchenware to home decor and more! Round-trip ticket prices include lunch. Its original promoter was the Holly River Boom & Lumber company, which opened a standard-gauge private line from Holly, where its mill was located, to a connection with the B&O at Palmer Junction. You will be hard pressed at finding a better online resource regarding diesel locomotives than Craig Rutherford's TheDieselShop.us. The Western Maryland's operations in the Mountain State truly exemplified railroading in this region carrying tight curves and stiff grades while passing through rural small towns within the heart of Appalachia. First established in 1893, according to George Hilton's book, "American Narrow Gauge Railroads," the railroad opened for service on November 1, 1894. Really was a scenic ride and the meal was very good. The adjacent Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is planning to reopen to visitors in the coming weeks. Next, there was the Chaffee Railroad also added in 1929, which became WM's Chaffee Branch. We are a 501 (c) 3 not for profit organization that has a focus on heritage railroading through restoration, education, and experience. The big Shay remains in operation today as a fan favorite. A typical Western Maryland passenger train, led by 4-6-2 #209 (Class K-2) rolls through Ridgeley, West Virginia on October 3, 1952. The WM's entire 835-mile network could be broken down into two primary segments; its Connellsville - Shippensburg route which carried expedited, time freights and the Elkins-Baltimore segment moving primarily coal and related natural resources (coke and lumber) to tidewater. On March 21, 1853 it became the Western Maryland Rail Road Company with construction officially launched from Baltimore on July 11, 1857. If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the, You will be hard pressed at finding a better online resource regarding diesel locomotives than Craig Rutherford's, Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit every out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. The link allowed freight to flow from Midwestern points along the B&O to the Northeast via P&R rails. The Cheat and Shavers Mountains had to be crossed and doing so meant tunnels beneath each; Tunnel #1 was bored under Cheat Mountain south of Canfield while Tunnel #2 was located near Glady under Shavers Mountain. Won't see roads or houses until last section of ride. While some segments of the WM abandoned under the Chessie System could arguably still be viable, profitable lines (such as the Connellsville Extension and its easier grade over Sand Patch) the entire network almost certainly would not have survived into the modern era. ), so there's a bit more time to view the passing scenery. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland, is close to completing the restoration of a steam locomotive built in 1949 to haul coal. The line summited at Deal and gradually followed a 0.80% to 0.60% descent into Connellsville. My wife booked ride on the Train for my birthday. The season each year generally runs from April - December. This was WM's very last addition, acquired from Consolidated Coal in May of 1944. He again changed the name as the Holly River & Addison Railway on September 10, 1898, which acquired the standard-gauged property and began constructing narrow-gauge lines to Diana (18 miles) and Jumbo (22 miles), opening in 1899. Visitors may have their temperature taken and be required to wear face coverings. The route was once part of the Denver, Rio Grande and Western line from Pueblo, Colorado, to Salt Lake City. We are a 501 (c) 3 not for profit organization that has a focus on heritage railroading through restoration, education, and experience. The powerful Challengers were designed for expedited service between Hagerstown and Connellsville but proved very hard on the track with a tendency to slip. Located about seven railroad miles west of Cumberland, just outside of the small town of Corriganville, Maryland, engineers had to figure out how to span the Cash Valley. From there, rails wound their way first north, then westward along the Elk River and terminated at Bergoo. There was also the Somerset Coal Railway in Pennsylvania, formed in 1915 and operated by the Western Maryland. Finally, a northeasterly extension here was opened as far as Weaver in 1899 through the subsidiary Belington & Beaver Creek to tap additional coal mines. If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. The Western Maryland Railway, affectionately known as the Wild Mary, was a truly fascinating carrier; condensed within a network of just 800+ miles one could witness time freights, slow coal drags, backwoods locals, and even Shay geared locomotives! To put it bluntly, what a magnificent scenic railroad the entire WM would have offered (particularly through the Mountain State's Blackwater Canyon) if still intact today. He had originally acquired the line in January of 1902 and then transferred it over to the WM on November 1, 1905. Join WMSR for a scenic train ride through Maryland and experience a timeless piece of American history. The 55-minute ride passes through the nearly 1,000-foot-long Missionary Ridge Tunnel, which was built before the Civil War. Visitors are asked to book their tickets online in advance,  wear face masks on the train and respect social-distancing markers. Its toughest territory was the 23 miles heading west from Cumberland where the route tackled Sand Patch via a 1.75% grade. Take your bike to the end of the platform for them to load it in caboose, take your gear with you on... Love taking my grandkids on the east train. According to Trains Magazine, the Western Maryland was the first Chessie road to disappear, merged into the B&O on May 1, 1983. Under the WM the route was known as the Durbin Subdivision or Durbin Branch. Aubrey Bodine photo. By the end of the decade Chessie had closed or significantly reduced operations on most WM lines east and west of Cumberland. Its cold on the way back because its mostly downhill, and you don't pedal all the time. Originally built as a narrow-gauge (3-foot) it was standard-gauged in 1892. 301/898-0899. There were also exclusive coal branches dotting the main line northeast of Elkins. Surprisingly, this operation survived the longest and was not retired until April 10, 1959 signalling the end of all passenger service on the WM. Train ride up, bicycle (rails to trail) back; Easy 16 miles downhill. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland, is close to completing the restoration of a steam locomotive built in 1949 to haul coal. Alas, in 2013 the site closed by thankfully Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, The Connellsville Extension, Offering A Western Outlet, Chessie System: Comprising The B&O, C&O, And WM, 53B-59B, 61B-65B (Odds): 231B-237B, 239B-243B (Odds). Author's collection. … Wade Massie collection. In addition, all visitors will have their temperature taken, and anyone with a temperature above 100.4 F will be denied entry. The Connellsville Extension, Offering A Western Outlet The Sweeping Helmstetter's Curve, Baltimore & Ohio, "Linking 13 Great States With The Nation" Chesapeake & Ohio, "George Washington's Railroad" Chessie System: Comprising The B&O, C&O, And WM. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has been providing excursions of all kinds for over 30 years in the heart of Mountain Maryland. It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. During the 1890s WM completed the second important link in its "Alphabet Route." By late 1902 service was opened to Bemis and finally completed to Durbin on July 27, 1903 according to William McNeel’s book, “The Durbin Route.”   From the station in Elkins the route’s entire length spanned 46.9 miles. The narrower width helped the railroad navigate canyons with steep sides where there was little room to build. Way off the beaten path in the hollers of West Virginia, Western Maryland RS3 #187 and a trio of F7A's run the GC&E Subdivision (built as the Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad) near Laurel Bank along the Elk River (and the location of a small yard) during the 1970's. The WM consolidated them into the Baltimore & Harrisburg Railway that same year and completed extensions to the west at Highfield, Maryland in June of 1889 as well as northeasterly to York, Pennsylvania in 1893 (the latter offered interchanges with the Pennsylvania Railroad and short line Maryland & Pennsylvania). Ride was way too short and the kids searched for eggs in tall grass next to the track so the younger kids really lost out. While aspects of the system posed operational difficulties (notably Black Fork Grade), the WM offered some of the most fantastic photographic opportunities one could ever hope for as it navigated through the Appalachians of central/eastern West Virginia, parts of Maryland, and southwestern Pennsylvania. Here are some of the places you can go to ride the train. This narrow-gauge steam railroad in Colorado has reopened. Walkersville Southern Railroad. The railroad was built through rough, but gorgeous, topography operating a main line featuring numerous tunnels and bridges. Unfortunately, she spent only five years in service before the Chaffee Branch played out in 1950. Despite the WM's 1959 cessation of services it continued running or hosting excursions through the Chessie System era of the 1970s; big steam like Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 #759 and Reading #2102 regularly plied its rails in addition to WM's own power such as F7's, FA-2's and even Geeps.