Nostalgia & History > Sandpatch in 1954

Looking at an old ETT from 1955 I noticed there was a train #31 leaving Cumberland at 425 am westbound and a similar train #32 eastbound arriving there at 545pm

I couldn't find these in the public timetable

were they unnamed mail and/or local passenger trains?

Also how long did main line steam last over the mountains west of Cumberland on the Sand Patch grades?

They were probably dedicated Mail & Express trains. If they handled even local passengers they would have been in the Official Guide. I have a Sept 1957 and they do not show. I have earlier ones but too late and hard to find at this hour. There was definitely a dedicated M&E train on the St Louis line west of Cumberland during WW2 and the steam era. Some books I have show it powered by an EM-1 2-8-8-4 loco. No steam lines required, caboose on the rear with a stove for rear end crew. This may have been the only route that B&O ran a M&E train, as PRR and NYC from the Eastern Cities had s much volume they ran several M&E trains each way per day to the west, and PRR to the south. The Post Office had their preferred routes.

There are many books on these lines; B&O Steam Finale Vol ! & 2 by Mellander and Kaplan with photos by Bill Price. By 1955 steam had probably ended but I did not look at the books tonight. In 1955, and 1957 my Guide, the trains 11 &12 roughly on the same schedules were still decent passenger trains, daylight over the mountains, with at least one sleeper , diner lounge and coaches. Not long after 1955 the M&E business went to 11 & 12, which by the mid-1960s were just M&E with an RPO and one coach, powered by E units altho some GP7s did creep into the engine consists. ( I saw one about 1964 in Keyser with a GP7 and an E unit but a B!

I realize you said Sand patch, so maybe I am wrong. B&O steam finale Vol II does indeed show M&E tran 31 west behind steam on p23 to Pgh. Before that there is WB TT's, But can find no EB TT's. Had these books for years have not had time to look at them much. But there was a Cumberland to Pittsburg (at least) M&e train Not long after that after diesels this traffic either taken by trucks on the PA Turnpike or absorbed into #9 & 10. Learn something every day...........

I have a guide from sept 1954 and they do not show in it however

If your '54 Guide does not show them and a later Employee TT does than they must have M&E trains only with no revenue passengers. But employees on passes could ride them hence at least one of the coaches in the photo I mention. So, next puzzle is where did 31 & 32 orig and term?