I have read an article on Yahoo news based on the Baltimore Sun’s website where they are saying the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland Maryland may have to cease operations after this year.
The problem is that there is a Hiking/bike trail system that apparently will be run thru a railroad tunnel where the Steam 2-8-0 usually uses while hauling 10-13 passenger cars to Frostburg 16 miles away. This tunnel is a rather big one and they are very very concerned with people safety. Having bikers and hikers inside a tube with a living and breathing steam engine working at the head of a heavy passenger train.
The operation is debt free and apparently are exploring options such as laying a totally new route (rails, roadbed etc) to Frostburg and give the tunnel over to the Trail system or lay a new rail connection to the state fair grounds 6 miles away. This option apparently costs more money than availible.
Part of the attraction of the Wild Mary as the Western Maryland is known as it runs over virtually the orginal tracks as they always have used. They could go to mighty CSX with hat in hand and politely ask for trackage rights but that is not likely.
I dont know all the details but after reading this article I feel that if I am going to visit Cumberland and take a trip on that railroad I better do it betwen May to October of this year because after 2005 is done they may be unable to run again and closed down.
I’ll hunt for the link to the article and put it here if I can find it.
Why can’t the State run the trail around or over the tunnel.It seems absurd to run the trail through the tunnel,and force the railroad,which was already there, to shut down[:(!].
Unfortunatly, there is no room for the trail to go around the tunnel, and if the trail goes over the mountain, it would not be handicapped accessible. Also, the sate of Maryland is greedy, and sees more money to be made in the trail. I for one intend to ride behind 734 as much as I possibly can this year, and hopefully get in another cab ride, too. Maybe we should all sign a petition…
Does the state own the land that the train uses? This just seems absurd. If the railroad can even contemplate building a bypass, there is no reason that the state could not build a handicap accessible bike trail. Grading a trail (even handicap accessible) is an awful lot easier than grading a rail line.
I suspect this will come down to be a nasty fought issue. But if it seems the railroad is falling into a period of loosing a bunch of subsidies from towns and Counties, etc…so if that is going to be the case it may have to stop that run and do one that is less costly or whatever can be worked out.
As I understand it that trail is being built on the ex. WM ROW and that tunnel is part of that…The Trail extends in from the Pittsburgh area and will continue to the Balt. / Wash. area when completed.
I read somewhere that this is the last year the WMSRR will be running to Frostburg. The article said the railroad still planned to operate but didn’t mention what the route would be like. I have to agree with an earlier post, if you want to ride from Cumberland to Frostburg you need to plan to do so sometime between May & Oct of this year.
I bought a Cabride in the Fall of 2003 on the 734, round trip to Frostburg…videotaped it…I am definitely going to try for that again this year before things get curtailed…Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown
I don’t think the state is being greedy, so much as they are caving in to political pressure from hiker, biker, and outdoor groups, who want the trail built, but don’t much care about the WMSRR one way or another. The estimated cost for putting safety equipment (fencing, automatic gates and warning signals) at Bru***unnel is about $3 million. Not a great amount, but enough to be a consideration. The hikers and bikers want the trail completed ASAP. They don’t want to share funds with the WMSRR, and if the WMSRR goes away, they get $3 million more towards their ribbon of asphalt.
I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, but any effort to save the WMSRR is worthwhile, as it is one of the top scenic RRs in the country. Of course, with the trail next to the tracks the entire way (asphalt and fencing), it won’t be nearly as scenic, so that may mean a drop in ridership, even if it does survive. Furthemore, I believe that the WMSRR track is in need of major maintenance, funding for which is not available right now. So lots of things are converging to make the future of the WMSRR in doubt.
I signed the petition, though, and encourage others to do so. If it gathers 10,000 signatures, someone in MD government might take notice…
Some of the lobbyist groups (such as the hike/bike crowd in this scenario) can be pretty powerful, and persuasive. Some of the stories I heard about the reasoning behind the change in operators on the GLRR are downright scary![:O][%-)] Here’s hoping that everything work out well. By th by, my name is on the petition now. If you haven’t done so yet, please take the two minutes or so that it takes, and sign it!