Steam & Excursion > WM RY Down-grade into Connellsville, Pa.

What was the long, down-hill grade into Connelsville, Pa, on
the tracks that had been Western Maryland Ry?

I'm interested in the degree of steepness, and the distance from the top of 
the mountain down to Connellsville.  Plus, any other characteristics that 
made the descent tricky and treacherous.

​W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/24 18:14 by wcamp1472.

Wes,

Without looking at the Track Chart, I’m fairly certain the grade you ask of was 0.6%. As a general rule, WMRy did not use helpers eastbound from Connelsville east.

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from TRACK CHART, CONNELLSVILLE TO CUMBERLAND, JANUARY 1, 1955
/Ted

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You're asking about the maximum eastward grade, anywhere east of Connellsville to the summit? 0.8% compensated.

The WM's "New Line" between Cumberland and Connellsville was very well engineered.  Its late construction (1910-1912) might have had something to do with that.  As already noted by timz, the compensated grade on the west slope was 0.8%.  In contrast, the parallel B&O between Connellsville and Sand Patch had grades up to 1.5%, although the ruling grade was 1.2%.  The B&O more closely followed the rivers and streams, while the WM had a more steady and gradual grade, generally higher on the hillsides.  In some places there was quite a difference in elevation between the WM and B&O, such as around Meyersdale and Salisbury Viaduct.  

The summit of the WM was at Deal, PA, at 2,375 feet elevation.  The nearby B&O summit at Sand Patch was 2,257 feet.  It's interesting to note that despite having a summit that was 118 feet higher, the WM had less challenging grades than the B&O.  

Steve Salamon
Valley City, OH  

> WM had less challenging grades than the B&O.

On the west slope, which I guess was the important
one back then. Fans like to think WM had an easier
westward climb too, but it didn't. If we can believe
the B&O chart, it didn't average more than 1.6%
compensated on the steepest mile of the east slope.

Which makes one wonder:  "Why in the world did the Chessie abaondon the WM with its superior route?"

coach Wrote:
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> Which makes one wonder:  "Why in the world did
> the Chessie abaondon the WM with its superior
> route?"

The short answer - because the B&O upper management deeply hated the WMRy.

How did the B&O and WM lines compare for eastward coal originated on line? Coal paid a lot of bills in the 1970s and 1980s.

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