Nostalgia & History > "WM" GP30s in Passenger Service

Not yet "Nostalgia," but here's my contribution for "Thirties" Thursday.

Western Maryland never owned any GP30s. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad acquired a pair and painted them in WM's scheme. They are shown heading the WMSR's return trip from Frostburg, MD to Cumberland, MD in November 2013.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 03:58 by RuleG.

---

---

---

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not yet "Nostalgia," but here's my contribution
> for "Thirties" Thursday.
>
> Western Maryland never owned any GP30s. The
> Western Maryland Scenic Railroad acquired a pair
> and painted them in WM's scheme. They are shown
> heading the WMSR's return trip from Frostburg, MD
> to Cumberland, MD in November 2013.

Very nice photos, thanks for posting and sharing them with all of us.
The main reason as to why the Western Maryland Railway Company did not buy any GP-30's was because of their tremendous maintenance that they performed on their locomotives in general. The railroad owned lots of F units and all kinds of Geeps, etc. and they really maintained them. That is the reason why the Western Maryland F units lasted into the 1980's and were operated all over the Chessie System once they consolidated the WM into the B&O & C&O operations.

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not yet "Nostalgia," but here's my contribution
> > for "Thirties" Thursday.
> >
> > Western Maryland never owned any GP30s. The
> > Western Maryland Scenic Railroad acquired a
> pair
> > and painted them in WM's scheme. They are
> shown
> > heading the WMSR's return trip from Frostburg,
> MD
> > to Cumberland, MD in November 2013.
>
> Very nice photos, thanks for posting and sharing
> them with all of us.
> The main reason as to why the Western Maryland
> Railway Company did not buy any GP-30's was
> because of their tremendous maintenance that they
> performed on their locomotives in general. The
> railroad owned lots of F units and all kinds of
> Geeps, etc. and they really maintained them. That
> is the reason why the Western Maryland F units
> lasted into the 1980's and were operated all over
> the Chessie System once they consolidated the WM
> into the B&O & C&O operations.

I don't think F units made it to 1980 I'm thinking late 79 was it for them, remember once WM maintenance was replaced by Chessie System maintenance they went downhill quickly.

> I don't think F units made it to 1980 I'm thinking
> late 79 was it for them, remember once WM
> maintenance was replaced by Chessie System
> maintenance they went downhill quickly.


The last run of the last pair of WM F units was on a Hagerstown-Union Bridge local turn on a Saturday in December 1978, and a Hagerstown-Baltimore run on a through train the following day. The last run was specially scheduled through the intercession of Chessie VP Bill Howes, himself a fan, so that the regional railfans could get one more opportunity to photograph Fs in action on the WM.

The photo shows the Saturday run of the Union Bridge turn at Thurmont, Md.

Art House

---

WM only bought second generation power after getting rid of their few Baldwins and switchers. That resulted in GP7's and RS's cascading down into yard and local service and required new road power. I'm glad that WM acquired a couple of GP30s after all these years. Very nice job of "proto freelancing" on the part of WMSR.

Interesting "backshop story" to WMSR's GP30s: It is believed that in 1961 or early '62 the WM had placed an order with EMD for five GP30s, but WM's small order was low on EMD's priority list with a backlog of larger roads ahead. By the time the order was actually getting close to being filled in 1963, EMD was beginning to produce the GP35 model. WM's order was then upgraded, and they took delivery of five GP35s numbered 501-505 (later 3576-3580). The WM Scenic RR numbered their GP30s 501 and 502 as a closest historic "what if" based on WM's original order for '30s. Neat, huh?

-Manny

My wife and I rode a trip from Pittsburgh,Pa to New Martinsville,WV with 2 WM F7's.There was a Black and gold F7 and a red,white and black F7 for power.They dropped all of the people off at the park in New Martinsville and took the train on down to Brooklyn Jct and spun the whole train on the wye.I think that was back in the late 1970's..

Randy

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The last run of the last pair of WM F units was on
> a Hagerstown-Union Bridge local turn on a Saturday
> in December 1978, and a Hagerstown-Baltimore run
> on a through train the following day.

Maybe that was the last run in revenue freight service. WM F7s were used on the "West Virginia Limited" excursion operated out of Washington, DC for the 1979 NRHS Convention.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/15 20:04 by RuleG.

No such thing.
TAH