Does anyone know right off hand the color of the Western Maryland’s bridges? I am modeling the 1960’s.
Thanks in Avance.
Usually they were silver with black lettering on them. See Western Maryland Diesels by Jahn & Johnson, pages 48 & 106. However, black with white lettering was used, too. See Western Maryland Diesels, page 96, and the cover of the September 2008 issue of “Railpace” magazine.
Thanks.
It really depends on what part of the WM Rwy you’re talking about and even specifically what bridge is being considered. I wouldn’t say the WMry had a ‘stock’ or even a typical bridge design.
Some steel plate girder bridges were painted black with white lettering (like above Thurmont MD or along the Potomac).
Some steel truss bridges were painted black like above Cumberland.
The Keystone viaduct was a combination. The plate deck of the Salisbury viaduct was sliver with black lettering that was later painted some other color.
The original bridge over the Tygart at Elkins WVa was painted black in the 1950s but by 1974 was gray-silver (pgs 124-126 of Sweetland’s ‘Western Maryland in Color.’). Then there were the concrete bridge structures like the one at Spring Gap MD or Burhans Blvd in Hagerstonw MD that resemble highway overpasses.
I’d encourage you to do some further research. Perhaps a good start would be to do a search on Lee Weldon’s photos of his n scale layout at http://www.wmrywesternlines.net/. He is a regular to these pages and he has certainly captured the ‘feel’ of the bridges (as well as trains) on his layout. He knows the WM Rwy very well.
Hope this helps & Happy Railroading,
Mark Wallace