I have no association with the The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, just an interest in tourist shortline railroads. I have built and I maintain this page as a service to other railfans. For more information about the The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, visit the official page at http://www.wmsr.com.
From the Brochure:
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The 32-mile round trip begins at the Western Maryland Station Center in Cumberland, Maryland. During the three hour excursion to Frostburg, travel a mile-long gorge through the Allegheny Mountains known as the "The Narrows", pass over an iron truss bridge, wind around Helmstetter's Curve and through the 914 foot Brush Tunnel. Climb grades of up to 2.8% and nearly 1300 feet in elevatation...
Pictures:
- A trackside view of the Western Maryland Station Center in Cumberland on August 20, 1999.
- A second view of the Western Maryland Station Center in Cumberland on August 20, 1999.
- The station in Frostburg, formerly the Cumberland & Pennsylvania depot, on August 20, 1999.
- Entering Brush Tunnel on August 20, 1999.
- The turntable in Frostburg on August 20, 1999.
- A conductor waiting to help passengers back on the train at Frostburg station on August 22, 1999.
- #734 and train waiting at Frostburg station on August 22, 1999.
- #734 and train waiting at Frostburg station on August 20, 1999.
- Detail of #734 drive gear on August 20, 1999.
- #734 and train leaving Frostburg station on August 22, 1999.
- Mike, fireman on #734 on August 22, 1999.
My family and I visited the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad on Friday, August 20th, 1999, and again on the 22nd. We rode along the former Cumberland & Pennsylvania right-of-way from Cumberland to Frostburg on the 20th. The fare was higher than we've seen at other tourist shortline railroads, but we discovered that the experience was well worth the higher cost.
The showpiece of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is the beautiful 1916 Baldwin 2-8-0 locomotive #734. The railroad calls this locomotive "Mountain Thunder" and after riding behind it I can understand why.
The passenger cars, like the locomotive, were beautifully maintained. All were painted in The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad colors, although I understand some are owned by Norfolk Southern. All were cleaner and in better repaired inside than those of any other tourist shortline railroad I've visited. All but one of the cars featured working--and very effective--air conditioning. Several cars had working bathrooms, something I've not seen elsewhere on a tourist shortline railroad.
For the run up to Frostburg, the car directly behind the tender was a combination car with the baggage portion up front--with the doors open. I stood in this section for the entire climb; the sounds and smells of the locomotive working up the grade as it passed through "The Narrows" and Brush Tunnel and the sound of the whistle at the grade-crossing are difficult to describe and well worth experiencing. I've ridden behind other steam locomotives, and treasure every opportunity I have to ride behind a steam locomotive, but the steep grade, the gorge, the tunnel, and #734 made this ride truly memorable.
I really like old railroad depots. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad can boast that it has two old depots. The Western Maryland Station Center in Cumberland is beautifully restored and maintained and features two loading platforms and three cabooses on display. The station in Frostburg was rescued from near-collapse and is now also beautifully restored--and the working turntable is a real treat. Both these stations have small railroad-oriented gift shops.
The train stops for ninety minutes in Frostburg. During this time, the locomotive is turned on the turntable and coupled onto what had been the end of the train. (The vestibule at this end is available for the die-hard steam fan during the descent to Cumberland.) The restored depot in Frostburg has a nice, although somewhat expensive, restaurant which features a dining car as a dining room. For some reason on the day of our visit--possibly the tour bus that was there upon our arrival--this restaurant was unavailable to the train passengers except those with prior arrangements. My family didn't have these prior arrangements, so we ate lunch at "The Whistle Stop" deli nearby. On display in at the station in Frostburg are two cabooses and nearby is the Thrasher Carriage Museum which we didn't choose to visit.
In the days of the Cumberland & Pennsylvania, the turntable didn't exist--I understand it was added by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad fairly recently--and the line extended into a tunnel just to the right of where the turntable is now. This tunnel still exists and can be seen, although it is fenced off.
I didn't have the opportunity to speak much with the train crew--I was too busy breathing the cinders and listening to the locomotive sounds! Those crew members and depot staff members I spoke to were friendly and seemed knowledgeable. The engineer even allowed me to take my five-year-old son into the locomotive cab while in Frostburg.
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Map of Western Maryland Ohio |
For more information about the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad visit the official Western Maryland Scenic Railroad site.
Maps courtesy of MapQuest Interactive Atlas.