Steam & Excursion > Walkersville Southern RR with Jeddo #85

Memorial Day turned out to be a fine day along the local Tourist RR, enlivened by live steam provided by the Gramlings Jeddo #85, an 0-4-0T that seems at home on a line that's just over 7 miles long.  The regular excursions run about 4.5 miles of this, from Pennsylvania Ave. in Walkersville, MD., to just short of MD 26 north of Frederick (aka CP Wegmans).
WSRR has seen considerable encroachment along the southern part of the line due to overdevelopment, highway construction, and the petty crime that has resulted.
The former feed mill at Walkersville is suitably decorated for the holiday.
#85 ready to load the 1p.m. train
A short vid of the train approaching Monocacy Blvd., a local speedway that as yet does not have gates.

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In the woods approaching Fountain Rock Rd.
Fountain Rock Rd crossing
Southbound train at industrial park entrance off of Retreat Rd.

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Crossing Tuscarora Creek and approaching Monocacy Blvd.
Approaching Worman's Mill Rd. and passing Harmony Grove shelter.

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Builder's plate on #85
In Walkersville yard, a W&OD hand car goes for a ride.
#85 and WSRR #9, a GE 45 TON , former AC&F, Milton, PA.; #9 will be handling the evening dinner train.

1 more weekend on the WSRR for #85, then 3 weekends on the Stewartstown RR in York County, PA.

Photos and video by Warren W. Jenkins

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Nice mellow whistle.

Great set of photos of all the activity.  The 85 looks right at home on that train.

Rich

I rode many a mile in those ex-LIRR "ping pong" coaches!  Glad to see they are well cared for.

That is great looking ROW. Now that I've seen this is will try to get there next weekend.

Posted from Android

Thanks Bigsavage for the photos and updates.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Great photos, bigsavage.  The Gramlings are having too much fun with their collection of thos small locos.

Jeddo 85 is almost the perfect tourist line locomotive. Big enough to get the job done but small enough to be maintainable by volunteers.

PHall Wrote:
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> Jeddo 85 is almost the perfect tourist line
> locomotive. Big enough to get the job done but
> small enough to be maintainable by volunteers.

And yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SP 4449, MIL 261, NKP 765, Santa Fe 3751, and SP&S 700, (as just some examples) have all been "maintained by volunteers". So,,,,,,,what is your point?

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jeddo 85 is almost the perfect tourist line
> > locomotive. Big enough to get the job done but
> > small enough to be maintainable by volunteers.
>
> And yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SP 4449, MIL 261, NKP 765,
> Santa Fe 3751, and SP&S 700, (as just some
> examples) have all been "maintained by
> volunteers". So,,,,,,,what is your point?

Do they run multiple times a year? No, they need a mainline to run on.
The little 0-4-0T is perfectly happy on a 2 or 3 mile stretch of track hauling paying passengers all summer long.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PHall Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Jeddo 85 is almost the perfect tourist line
> > > locomotive. Big enough to get the job done
> but
> > > small enough to be maintainable by
> volunteers.
> >
> > And yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SP 4449, MIL 261, NKP 765,
> > Santa Fe 3751, and SP&S 700, (as just some
> > examples) have all been "maintained by
> > volunteers". So,,,,,,,what is your point?
>
> Do they run multiple times a year? No, they need a
> mainline to run on.
> The little 0-4-0T is perfectly happy on a 2 or 3
> mile stretch of track hauling paying passengers
> all summer long.

Are you not aware of the operating schedule of SP 4449? How about MIL 261? How about NKP 765? None of which operate on "main lines" on an annual basis, and make multiple trips on the short lines they do operate on. On the other hand, I'll agree that neither of the three I mentioned can be hauled around on a flatbed truck.

The whole concept of the Gramling family's traveling collection is to provide a small steam engine to those tourist lines that do not have resources or facilities for them.
Barney Gramling and an entourage travel with the engine, do all the maintenance, and provide a crew. 
The small tank engines work out on the WSRR since grades are negligible.
WSRR volunteers are useful, however, since this engine has to be coaled up by hand and watered after every 8 mile round trip.
My idea of an "ideal tourist engine" is a 2-6-0 like Everett's. or the Strasburg's fleet.
 

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Ok, I'll jump in. I've enjoyed every steam locomotive I've ever had the good fortune to see operate, admittedly some more than others. It matters not if they were maintained by a "for-profit" operation or a volunteer group, though the hard work and sacrifice of the latter is not lost on me. While I like them all, large engines (like those mentioned by Hotwater...) on all day excursions with high speed running have usually been at the top of my list. In my experience this has always required access to a mainline railroad which for a number of years has been all too rare an occurrence, a situation which appears unlikely to improve anytime soon. I'm glad that some of them operate from time to time on secondary or regional lines but for me it seems a bit like walking a racehorse so I usually choose not to participate. I do hope these outings help to sustain them for a better future. That said, I wonder how long we will see the "1472 inspection" with necessary repairs be continued on these large locomotives if their operations remain so limited?

To me the point PHall was making is that regardless of who maintains them and whether they call a regional or tourist line home or are hauled "for hire" to a railroad to operate, these smaller locomotives are well matched to the job they are assigned as well as the railroad they are operating on and are regularly able to expose paying customers to a living steam locomotive. In some cases these smaller locomotives are restored by (or at least funded....) and maintained by private individuals. This combined with a far greater number of operating venues and dates would seem to make them the future of steam railroading on this continent. Much as I have enjoyed the big stuff, I prefer experiencing a small loco "working" at typical speeds and load rather than watch something I've previously ridden behind at speed on a mainline excursion be confined to something like 15-25 mph on a regional or tourist line.       

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/21 20:09 by grizzledgary.

Very nice..!!  Thanks for posting.

Because of your video and pictures, I went to ride yesterday. It was hot. But a great time. I was impressed with the crowd.

Posted from Android

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeddo 85 is almost the perfect tourist line
> locomotive. Big enough to get the job done but
> small enough to be maintainable by volunteers.

From the standpoint of being easy on the ROW, easy on fuel, easy on maintenance time and dollars, and doesn't suck up lots of man hours just getting up to steam, I agree.