Railroading aside, the loss of the mill was devastating to the area's economy. There are sure some interesting crossing protection devices and signs on that line! Before the 1983 full absorption by the B&O, this trackage was all Western Maryland.
Great video of the Winchester and Western! That GATX has an awesome horn and definitely kept clean. Sad to hear about the Sand Mine that I thought would stay in business. Times really change anymore with everything. Thanks again for sharing this video with us along with your PRICELESS time and effort! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.
My Father worked at blacksville,#1 for 35 years, I do remember that train track and the big Conrail trains ,that would come in and out,and the big pond and the road to the mine
It is one thing to see an old branch with light rail and cinder ballast out of service. It is quite another to see a heavy-duty railroad that will most likely never see another train except the rail remover.
Federal #2 mine had been active for over 60 years! It was originally an Eastern Coal Corp mine in the 60s. IIRC, it had 5 ft seams, longwall and obviously steam coal.
Exactly. Watching our once strong Country fall into the A$$ of the animal pit is beyond disturbing.. Revolution in closer then we think. While watching dated rail video of beauty and progress, it’s hard to not look outside at the ‘pajama problem society’ we’ve become and ask yourself, the change back to the people’s power isn’t going to be pretty. 🇺🇸💪 Time to take back our Country. We saved the Animals in WW2.., (lord only knows why) NOW it’s time we save ourselves.
I was just in thar area last month and for the most part NS could reactivate the line tomorrow if they had review traffic to run on it. What the video doesn't show much of is the towns in the area that have been impacted by the closure of these mines and the war on coal.
For an inactive branch, that's actually not too bad, considering most railroads that haven't had trains in a while just let Mother Nature take over the railroad tracks.
Great video showing the previous history of the track usage. Sad to see former Coal Mines as a distant memory today. Im surprised the Railroad Crossbuck signs still remain and haven't been relocated to a man cave. Thanks again for sharing this video with us along with your time and effort! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.
Little information on the NCR trains, once their busy season starts they'll have the train north to south the GP the twin sisters the four yellow coaches with the steam engine for show. after checking the #17 over last winter and reviewing the data on it they realize the four coaches are just a little too heavy for the steam engine on the 1.5% climb out of glen rock back to New Freedom, so for now on most trains the engine doing most of the work will be the Geep. straight from a train crew member. The Stewartstown RR I can't believe they still run the train rocks and bumps, jumps and kicks as you roll over poorly jointed track, yet every year they somehow pay the bills.
It’ll be interesting to see how the WMSR will actually operate this when they get there. I don’t believe their line will be contiguous to their native trackage without making moves over CSX. Explaining this further… This George’s Creek branch actually used to connect to Frostburg and the WM Connellsville Sub north of Borden Shaft, by way of a short tunnel under town. Though that tunnel is extant (if you’re at Frostburg Depot and walk west past the turntable), to the immediate south of the portal are townhomes and then a giant fill over which I-68 passes. A possibly more feasible plan would be to re-lay the Thomas Subdivision east of Westernport (thru the Dawson, MD / Gerstell, WV area) and thru Rocket Center / Allegheny Ballistics back to Ridgeley at the south end of that yard. Regards!
Nice catch of the BB and those beautiful locomotives with their nice consist of mixed freight cars! Then to see that High Hood from SVRR running lite! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.
The Alco S6 at 5:26 in was fully serviced in Geneva, NY by the Finger Lakes Railway it was in top running condition when they finished working on it. The locomotive along with a sister unit that still sits abandoned in Solvay, NY at an abandond coal powered steam plant has also not rolled a mile since the plant shut down in 2019. The unit and it's sister were built new for Southern Pacific and are MU capabilities and were equipped with helper link uncoupleing systems. Both were used in helper service in California.
Thanks for this video, it really shows the condition of the line and what will need to be done to restore service. 9 years of squatters probably doesn't help either.
The railroad will come back to life by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. My guess is that the trains will start in Westernport, right over by McDonald's where the station is, and will head north to Locaconing and then back south to Westernport. Also, considering the fact that there have been talks about a rail trail along the route, and considering the success the WMSR has had with bikers on the Great Allegheny Passage riding the train from Cumberland to Frostburg, where the bikers would get off the train, get on their bikes and continue west on the bike trail to Meyersdale, Connellsville and Pittsburgh, I wonder if there would be room for a railroad track and a rail trail along the Georges Creek Railway right of way.
I was just going to say before I read the previous comment; go to you local train clubs, history clubs ext. Then make a proposal to the town/county that the rail line can still serve the community… RESTORE and REPURPOSE AMERICA! Do not tear down. This is all we have to preserve memories!
Registro muito interessante, e eu achando que só em meu país acontecesse abandonos e descaso com o patrimônio ferroviário, parabéns pela excelente abordagem com imagens fantásticas, saudações do Brazil 🇧🇷
So sad that such a nice line has to be abandoned. Perhaps an excursion train during the Summer and Fall could bring in some income to these communities.
