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Nostalgia & History > 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grade)Date: 06/25/20 21:21 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grade) Author: perklocal At the end of June 1981 my buddy Tom Luckey and I spent 3 days on B&O's Mountain Sub between Cumberland,MD. and Grafton,WV. Here are just a few trains that we photographed from 6/25/81 on Cranberry Grade which begins at M&K Jct. in Rowlesburg,WV. and rises about 1200 feet in 11 miles to the summit at Terra Alta,WV. M&K Jct. was the helper base and all eastbound coal trains known as "Drags" needed extra muscle to do battle with the 2.4% ruling grade of Cranberry. In steam days it was usually a pair of mallets being replaced by sets of F3s and later F7s. From the mid 60s up until the arrival of the SD50s the M&K Helpers usually consisted of sets of 4 SD35s. A typical 80 car Drag took an hour to ascend Cranberry. Top shot of B&O 3841,3689,4187,3765 on an eastbound Drag nearing the top of the hill at Salt Lick Curve in Terra Alta,WV. Middle shot of the M&K Helper on this Drag consisting of B&O 7417,B&O 7415,C&O 7426,WM 7436. Bottom shot of B&O 4059,WM 4360,B&O 6442,B&O 5983 on #88 at Bishops Farm east of Rodemer,WV. (MP 245 Mtn Sub)
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/20 21:38 by perklocal. Date: 06/25/20 21:31 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: dwatry Great shots - my favorite stretch of railroad!
Date: 06/25/20 21:33 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: perklocal Top shot of #88's Helper which was another set of SD35s B&O 7400,B&O 7402,B&O 7407,WM 7432 at Terra Alta. Next down the hill was C&O 4283,B&O 6675,B&O 3805 on Grafton Empty Hoppers at Salt Lick Curve in Terra Alta. Last shot of WM 4259,B&O 3714,WM 4317 on the westbound St. Louis Trailer Jet at Rodemer,WV.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/20 21:36 by perklocal. Date: 06/25/20 22:58 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: Ritzville Very NICE series!
Larry Date: 06/26/20 01:17 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: ClubCar Thanks for the great memories along the old B&O line.
John in White Marsh, Maryland Date: 06/26/20 03:15 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: Roadjob All A PLUS! Makes me harkin back to happier days on that great piece of railroading. I got there only a couple of times in the 80s, when the SD50s were the helper power. Never saw the Fs in service, but I overdosed on those 35s!
Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD Date: 06/26/20 05:10 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: refarkas Well done.
Bob Date: 06/26/20 05:48 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: jmhemmer Spent a number of hours (randomly) at Oakland and Terra Alta last weekend. Only one train the whole time, possibly a local with about 19 cars and, oh, maybe, !3,000 hp. So diffferent from the coal parades of the last century.
Date: 06/26/20 09:46 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: thebluecomet Nice set of images! The sounds must have been just as great as the sights. Always thought the GP40's would have been very slippery on those grades.
Date: 06/26/20 16:05 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: billmeeker Nice pics. If you are going to go railfanning, it may as well be with someone named Luckey!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/20 16:05 by billmeeker. Date: 06/26/20 16:14 Re: 39 yrs ago OTD B&O action on the Mountain Sub (Cranberry Grad Author: globalethanol We were "Luckey" that those eastbounds came up #1 track.
Tom Luckey billmeeker Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nice pics. If you are going to go railfanning, > it may as well be with someone named Luckey! |