Western Maryland Railway.. Yesterday and Today
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad rounds Helmstetters Curve October 1, 1999
Coal Hauler-Thomas, WV
With a Consolidation leading on the point, this coal drag (with a DL&W box car tacked on the front) has helpers in the middle and at the end. The year is 1952 and another load of coal has been brought up the daunting Blackwater Canyon, maximum grade over 3%. The Western Maryland traveled into the heart of the Alleghenies, at Spruce, WV the Western Maryland was at 4,066 feet above sea level, the highest main line elevation of any railroad east of the Mississippi.The above photo by Marvin H. Cohen came from Western Maryland in Color by James R. Sweetland.
Fast Freight Bridge Route-Connellsville Extension
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad daily rounds Helmstetter Curve between Cumberland and Frostburg, this photo was taken at the end of their season in 1993.
This section is all that remains of the Connellsville Subdivision that linked Baltimore, York and points as far as Boston with Midwest railroads at Connellsville, PA. This extention was the work of George Gould at the beginning of the century. Gould was stringing together railroads to form a transcontinental competitor to the giants like the Pennsylvania RR. Although never a giant, the Connellsville sub of WM handled midwest fast freight on the "Alphabet Route" and coal from company-owned mines near Fairmont,WV and Somerset, PA until it was absorbed by Chessie in the mid 70s.
The WM crossed the spine of the Alleghenies at Deal, PA after going through Savage Mountain in a 3,000 ft tunnel. The WM had probably the best crossing of the Alleghenies, but Chessie chose the B&O's Sand Patch Grade. Today, except for the scenic railroad section, the Connellsville sub is abandoned and is being converted into a bike trail which some think will eventually be the end of the scenic railroad.
Western Maryland Railway Index- Alphabetical Order- Use "Back" to Return to this PageNote-these pages have "evolved" since 1997 and interconnected with various directories and linked to other railroad pages. Sorry if you get lost!
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
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