Eastern Railroad Discussion > Private Photo Freight on the WMSR. Not really, but.. 04 Jan 2020

Listening in on the scanner traffic, we caught the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad crew switching cars around in the Ridgeley Yard. The boy and I rode over to find GP30 #501 rearranging some cars in the shop complex. During the last movement before they took lunch, the brakeman told us that after lunch they were taking the 2 ex. CSX hopper cars up to City Junction for storage and the rest of the freight cars were going to track #3 in front of the WM station.... 

1) After lunch the WMSR departs their shop complex in Ridgeley, WV. 

2) One of the recently painted Ballast Cars. I believe they are ex. PRR and not authentic Western Maryland. 

3) Passing thru the station area, westbound for City Junction.

.... More to Follow ....

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1) and 2) setting out two of the recently donated ex. CSX hoppers on the "transfer track" at City Junction in Cumberland, MD. The transfer track crosses Wills Creek on the bridge in the background behind #501 in the 1st photo and once connected with the B&O RR .

3) #501 and the rest of it's train shoving back to the station area to set the remaining cars off on track #3 at the station.

..... More to Follow ....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/20 05:07 by DTWilson.

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1) We knew Q135-03 was departing Cumberland from the "Safety Stop" and hoped for a photo opportunity with the WMSR.... but the timing didn't work out.

2) Back at the Station, #501 reaching into track #3 to pull the CRR caboose out before setting out the freight cars.

3) Spotting the freight cars on track #3.

.... More to follow ....

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1) Grabbing the cabeese to return the CRR caboose to it's display position.

2) Restoring the switches at the station and heading back to Ridgely, WV.

As my son said... "nobody else was around taking photos, so it was like we had a private train today".......... 

Thanks for stopping by!

Tim W.

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DTWilson Wrote:
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> Listening in on the scanner traffic, we caught the
> Western Maryland Scenic Railroad crew switching
> cars around in the Ridgeley Yard. The boy and I
> rode over to find GP30 #501 rearranging some cars
> in the shop complex. During the last movement
> before they took lunch, the brakeman told us that
> after lunch they were taking the 2 ex. CSX hopper
> cars up to City Junction for storage and the rest
> of the freight cars were going to track #3 in
> front of the WM station.... 
>

Those wheels on those ballast hopper. Yikes. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/20 07:32 by glendale.

My "photo freight" on the WM at Cumberland. Winter 1974-75.

Art House

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aehouse Wrote:
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> My "photo freight" on the WM at Cumberland. Winter
> 1974-75.
>
> Art House

Sorry, mine wasn't as impressive as the one you caught Art..... but the boy was happy all the same.

  Why did they paint those wheels on the ballast cars?  Isn't that an FRA violation? You never paint wheels, axles, knuckles or drawbars which need to be inspected for cracks and damage. Although perhaps it is contradictory to that policy that you can paint wheels and tires on steam locomotives? The ballast cars may be in captive service so they might not be subject to FRA rules but it is still not a good idea to paint wheels. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/20 09:09 by trainsfireengine.

Great catch. Thanks for sharing these images of the freight train.
Bob

trainsfireengine Wrote:
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>   Why did they paint those wheels on the ballast
> cars?  Isn't that an FRA violation? You never
> paint wheels, axles, knuckles or drawbars which
> need to be inspected for cracks and damage.
> Although perhaps it is contradictory to that
> policy that you can paint wheels and tires on
> steam locomotives? The ballast cars may be in
> captive service so they might not be subject to
> FRA rules but it is still not a good idea to paint
> wheels. 

A good number of years ago, a certain shortline had a number of hoppers
freshly painted along with the entire wheel assemblies. They hit the hump
at CSX Queensgate (Cinci), and promptly took a ride all the way through
the hump yard at 25-30mph until stopped by other cars. Quite a pileup.

Fun times....

 

I also thank you once again Tim for your photos and the story.  Glad to see that the railroad uses all the tracks in the area of the station as it was done in the olden days.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Thanks for the pics...

Nice photos. I have a question about that GP30 unit, #501 in your photos; does it really have the dynamic brake intake grills blanked off and painted black? Thus, the unit really does NOT have functional DB?

HotWater Wrote:
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> Nice photos. I have a question about that GP30
> unit, #501 in your photos; does it really have the
> dynamic brake intake grills blanked off and
> painted black? Thus, the unit really does NOT have
> functional DB?

You are correct ... no DB

Tim W.

Great photos!

I do think that when the two-bay covered hopper was repainted, the painters when overboard on the red. Personally, I think it would have looked better, with the trucks painted black.

Matthew