March 2021 John King shares slides and stories of the Western Maryland Railroad prior to its' acquisition by the Chessie System in 1973. For further information on the Potomac Chapter NRHS go to: www.potomacnrhs.org
This was a very well put together video but I’ve got to say that the Western Maryland in my opinion was an extremely handsome railroad with it’s speed lettering and circus colors and the scene at the 8:19 mark was especially outstanding in the snow. Excellent work. Thank you for sharing. 👍👍👍
An interesting look at the WM. A few years back, I did a Cass Rail Event in May and most of that area is still "rural". It was a significant drive to find coffee at a Sheetz, which is nothing to write home about!
I remember NKP 759 being used on trips back around 1970. I have a photo of it at the Washington Blvd. crossing in Baltimore. I was also at Port Covington one day when it pulled in to tie down. Miss the WM's presence in Baltimore. The only WM steam powered fan trip I rode was with Reading 2102 back in February 1972, running from Baltimore to Hagerstown. Lots of memories for me in your slides and narration.
Great look at the Wild Mary especially in West Virginia! Always has been my favorite RR,and I live right beside the Ohio River Sub which is the old B&O.
The man on the left in the picture at 35:10 of the ribbon cutting in Westminster is G. Herbert Rice, who was a Carroll County Commissioner at that time. The man in the black hat is LeRoy Conaway, Mayor of Westminster. I believe the other gentleman holding the ribbon was a railroad official. I remember being in Union Bridge that day for the ceremony there and chasing the train to Westminster for the ceremony pictured here. Santa Clause was also on board for at least the part of the run from Union Bridge to Westminster. Unfortunately, hurricane Eloise washed out the track again in September of 1975 cutting the Western Maryland's main line forever.
@@BAS19.6 Yes that is correct - however, it is no longer the Western Maryland and the MMID only occupies a small part of what used to be a through main line from Baltimore to Connellsville.
Late August 1979. We are in Baltimore, just so happens the NRHS convention is about to kick off. We shoot the museum and continue south. We make DC and promptly get kicked out of DC station(they had RS1s working the yard, had to photo them!). While getting the boot(unfriendly cops)there is a northbound coal train visible. Blue/Chessie and 2 WM F7s! 7163,7173. These locos were heading to Baltimore to power the farewell to WM F UNITS special in Baltimore. We chased them for a couple photos. Could this have been the last time more than 2 WM Fs operated in freight service?
