Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

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 freight trains 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, murder mystery excursions, and special seasonal trips.

Rail line history and description

The Western Maryland (WM) was a railroad that served 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.^[1] In 1973, 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.^[1] The Cumberland-Frostburg branch was subsequently abandoned. 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; Allegany County contributed $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 station in Cumberland, and an 1891 Cumberland & Pennsylvania wooden depot in Frostburg.^[2] 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.^[2] 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.^[2] From there, the trains follow the 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 Wills Mountain Anticline geological structure.^[2] 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)
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.

On August 24, 2021, the railroad appointed a new executive director, Wesley Heinz. Heinz came into the position with a mission to rebuild and reimagine the entire organization. The new administration implemented a plan that resulted in the completion of locomotive No. 1309's restoration, and experienced an increase of ridership and revenue.^[3]

In January 2024, the WMSR announced their long-term lease of the Georges Creek Railway—a 14-mile (23 km) short line that lies between Carlos and Westernport, Maryland—from the Eighteen Thirty Group.^[4]^[5] The WMSR’s initial goal for the railway is to thoroughly revitalize the trackage and to eventually operate the short line as a separate business entity called the Georges Creek Division, and the line would provide tourist excursions matching the WMSR’s main operations while providing occasional revenue freight trains that would interchange with CSX.^[4]^[5] The railroad also acquired former WM EMD GP9 locomotives Nos. 25 and 39 for the eventual operation.^[4]^[5]

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 green 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.

Equipment

Locomotives

WMSR locomotive details^[6]^[7]^[5]
Number	Builder	Type	Build date	Status
734	Baldwin Locomotive Works	Steam SC-1 2-8-0	1916	Stored, awaiting restoration
1309	Baldwin Locomotive Works	Steam H-6 2-6-6-2	1949	Undergoing repairs
25	EMD	GP9	1954	Stored, awaiting restoration
39	EMD	GP9	1957	Stored, awaiting restoration
450	EMD	F40M-2F	1981	Stored, out of service
501	EMD	GP30	1963	Operational
502	EMD	GP30	1962	Stored, out of service
558	GE	GE B32-8	1989	Operational
561	GE	GE B32-8	1989	Operational, awaiting repaint
539	GE	GE B32-8	1989	Operational, now in same fireball livery as 558
1957	GE	GE 80-Tonner	1952-1953	Stored, awaiting restoration

Former units


Number	Builder	Type	Build date	Current owner
1238	Montreal Locomotive Works	4-6-2	1946	Waterloo Central Railway
1286	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-2	1948	Private owner in Manitoba
40	EMD	GP9	1955	Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad
199	Alco	RS3	1954	Railroad Museum of New England
1689	Alco	RSD5	1954	Illinois Railway Museum
305	Montreal Locomotive Works	FPA-4	1959	Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
306/800	Montreal Locomotive Works	FPA-4	1959	Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
7471	EMD	EMD SD40	1966	Steam Railroading Institute (leased from PNLX)
7436	EMD	EMD SD35	1964	Precision Locomotive Leasing
7	Plymouth	CR4 60-ton switcher	1960	Walkersville Southern Railroad

Rolling stock

Rolling stock details^[8]
Number	Builder	Type	Build date
456	New York Central	Dining Car	1948
851	Pullman Company	Lounge Car	1949
501	Pullman Company	Dome Car	1951
Good Vibrations	Pullman Company	Passenger car	1955

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
WMSR No. 450 at the WMSR station in Cumberland
No. 501 Rolling into the Narrows
2-8-0 No. 734 crossing Helmerstetter's Curve
No. 501 going through Brush Tunnel
2-6-6-2 No. 1309 pulling an excursion into Frostburg
The second WMSR Station is at 18 Depot Road in Frostburg, Maryland

References

^ ^a ^b Wrinn, Jim (2000). Steam's Camelot: Southern and Norfolk Southern Excursions in Color (1st ed.). TLC Publishing. pp. 6–7. ISBN 1-883089-56-5..
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Wrinn (2000), pp. 8–10.
^ "The Impact of the Scenic Railroad". The Cumberland Times-News. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Western Maryland Scenic to expand through lease of short line". Trains. Kalmbach Media. January 15, 2024. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "WMSR Leases Georges Creek Line With Hopes to Run Passenger, Freight Trains". Railfan & Railroad. Carstens Media. January 15, 2024. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
^ "Our Locomotives". Retrieved August 22, 2023.
^ Wrinn, Jim, Western Maryland Scenic acquires F40 to bolster diesel fleet NEWSWIRE, retrieved October 22, 2023
^ "Our Passenger Cars". Retrieved August 22, 2023.