Here’s a portion of my big adventure last weekend. The highlight of Friday’s travels had to be Ohiopyle. Despite it’s peculiar name, which has its origins in the native Americans that once roamed these woods, this is an incredibly beautiful spot. Of course, the main attraction for me is the former WM right of way, now the Great Allegheny Passage, but there’s also the very active CSX (former B&O) line across the river, white water rafting, bed and breakfasts, miles of hiking trails (other than the WM) and tons of other recreational opportunities. Let’s begin at the depot. As is my new custom, the full size image is the clickable link below the picture… http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/Connellsville-Ohiopyle_040.jpg
Next we head across the first bridge, or the “Low Bridge”. Unfortunately, it’s not the original. http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/Connellsville-Ohiopyle_059.jpg
The original WM span over the highway was the first part of the Connellsville sub to be removed when the line was taken out of service. Actually it was before it was taken out of service… A farewell excursion had to be diverted to the B&O for most of the trip because the span was taken out. It’s a good study of concrete leaching, anyway.
Enjoyed your photos of the WM ROW and suroundings. It’s in my general home territory…{Western Pennsylvania}. I see your headed for Meyersdale soon.
And of course there you can enjoy the Salisbury Viaduct. Have visited it not too long ago and it was a nice Summer day…Beautiful from up on it’s top…and did get to see CSX action go under it.
They did a great job on rehabing the viaduct to the use of the Trail. And yes in years past I did see railroad action thru the WM area. You get to see many of the power wind mills now as a bonus.
Edit: Some years ago, we stopped in Connellsville {on the way home from Indiana}, and eyeballed the downtown ex railroad passenger station…The red brick one that had several floors of steps to get up to the track level that passed thru there 30 - 40’ in the air. Some of the concrete pilasters are still in evidence. {Of course the track structure is gone}. The ex station now is a business selling colored glass and items of colored glass, etc…{At least it was back 6 - 7 or so years ago.
Got a few questions for you. Around 1980-81 my 5-year old son, a railfan friend and I went to Cumberland MD for a weekend’s two Chessie Steam Specials. The Saturday trip was on ex-B&O over Sandpatch up to the steam machine meet outside Somerset. The Sunday trip was up B&O’s 17-Mile grade to Oakland or Altavista. Both behind (I think) 614. I seem to recall a WM deck truss bridge spanning the valley somewhere west of Meyersdale. It was painted a turquoise or light blue or faded municipal green and was stunning. Is it still there? Did WM use extra wide piers in the west like they used in the Potomac Valley, anticipating the double track that never came? Is the bike/hike/horse riding trail complete through the tunnel?
That was a great weekend out of Cumberland. We looked like safety goggle racoon negatives at the end of both days. Had dinner Saturday night in our motel east of town and lent my 5-year old a buck to put in the bellydancer’s strap.
Sandpatch grade westbound was rough but 17-Mile put the engine on her knees right after Luke: a real crawl!
If you go to Ohiopyle late Spring to early Fall, I very much recommend the white water rafting. You can go on your own or take a guided group tour from one of the several companies. (If you are not experienced, definitely take the guided group tour). Also, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Falling Water, is only a short distance away and open to the public.
Rix…In my above post, the Salisbury viaduct that I mention is the one you are talking about. Yes, it’s made for double track. Never was though. It is just a few miles west of Meyersdale.
About 2000’ long…roughly 100’ high and the view is beautiful from up on top. Has a concrete floor for the trail and great railings for protection. I actually have several photos of it I took several years ago. By the way, Somerset is where we stay when we’re in the area.
This is the beginning of the maple festival season. Was in the past anyway. Meyersdale was the center for it, but encompassed the surrounding area. Somerset-Berlin area is where you can wander the back roads and see the maple being collected. While in the area, Hyndeman can be pretty photogenic, although it is better in the late spring (in my opinion.) BTW nice pics of the LH area. Thanks, I enjoyed viewing them
I went to your link last night and my questions were answered and THEN some!!! Two hours later I’d toured the ROW east as far as Hancock. I’ll keep going east tonight or tomorrow. I grew up in Reading watching the Alphajets, CSD’s and countless WM coal and cement hoppers in long blocks. I used to wish the WM “fireballs” on run-throughs were turned at Reading rather than Rutherford.
This topic brings back so many memories! I’ve been all over the Keystone sub area (mainly from Cumberland to Myersdale) since I was very young. Thanks for the cool topic, and photographs!
I’m back from my adventure in the high country… Here’s the shots I took in Meyersdale and environs. I took these the following day from the shots above, the weather was decidedly better, although still pretty chilly.
This arrived in Meyersdale shortly after I did. An Eastbound mixed freight growling upgrade toward Sand Patch.
Same train. The “Going Away” shot is getting to be one of my specialties… :-[
Here’s the old B&O station in Meyersdale. This was a great place to watch trains.
Then up the hill to the former WM station, which is a great stack of bricks, built around 1912. While the building itself is a different style, it shares many details with the WMRHS Museum building in Union Bridge, Maryland.
After hiking around here a bit, and enjoying the irony of the C&O Caboose displayed there, I headed back up to Salisbury Viaduct. I had been here the day before, but the overcast sky, waning daylight and a user error on the camera prevented me from getting a decent shot. I had more luck on this day.
I hiked out onto the bridge, and marveled at the surroundings. It was an absolutely flawless winter day. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to hang around very long, so I only saw the CSX tracks, but I think you’ll agree, even without a train, it’s an incredible vista…
…Very beautiful shots Lee. You lucked out finally with some very pretty blue sky.
I have some shots around the Salisbury Viaduct but I have them in Photobucket but can’t figure how to send them over here to a post.
Have been to both depot’s in Meyersdale.
Like your shot from up on the viaduct of “new” 219 and the double track CSX…Have a shot taken {in the summertime}, with a train on the tracks from up on there.
Do you have any plans to head down the S&C {CSX}, towards Somerset and on to Johnstown…? Oh, I forgot, your looking at WM. On the other hand WM used to send some traffic down to and beyond Somerset on CSX…{B&O then}, to reach a mine at Gray, Pa. Must of simply had trackage rights down to service the cars in and out of the Gray mine.
Cumberland is one of my favorites as well. We’ve stayed in the hotel twice, and have been there to railfan numerous times. If I had my liscense I’d be out as much as possible, but I have to wait untill at least May.
Some of my favorite railfan moments have come in Myersdale. I remember seeing my first Amtrak there about 10 years ago, and my family going out to see the windmills down that way, and seeing CSX trains over by the bridge. Also I remember CSX used to park two old cabeese there, a Seaboard System along with a Chessie. We’d see them everytime we went to our grandparents home in Finzel, MD.
Rockwood Jct. was the one place I couldn’t get to this trip. 10 miles in the wrong direction, and I had to get back to Morgantown for my daughter’s concert.
I definitely want to get up there to photograph the old junction. I’ve followed the Johnstown Branch via Google Maps. Looks like there’s some good locations and landmarks there, too.
…Following the Johnstown branch, {S&C}, north from Somerset and on down about 10 miles to what we called “218 Bridge”, as kids, we used to bike there to swim in Stoneycreek right at that bridge.
And at that time…We’d witness heavy coal trains blasting and dragging up {south}, at that point with a steam engine on the point and most of the time at least one pushing, and sometimes two. They would make the ground shake as they’d pass…and lots of cinders raining down on the water too.
Item: Lee, there is a really neat brick and stone tunnel that passes under the grade fill of the unfinished SouthPenn RR just a few miles north of Somerset on the S&C. Can be photographed rather easy.
