Eastern Railroad Discussion > Maryland Midland Dashing Through the Snow

Five inches of snow on Monday was enough to provide a wintery look without gumming up the highways. Here the Maryland Midland UBEG turn (Union Bridge to Emory Grove) splits a pair of rusting signal masts, remnants of the Western Maryland Railway, original operators of this line. The train has four SD50-3s hauling a long string of cement hoppers from the Midland's largest customer, Heidelburg Cement, in Union Bridge, MD. The Genesee Wyoming SDs previously worked for their Buffalo & Pittsburgh and the Indiana & Ohio affiliates. We're in New Windsor, MD at 9:27 AM on Tuesday, Jauary 7, 2025.

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Absolutely excellent. My only quibble would be not having a Maryland Midland locomotive on the point. Not your fault, obviously.

Thanks for the photo.  I think back to when I rode the Western Maryland Railway and those signals used to work, back in those good-ole-days when the WM operated many excursion trains with both steam and diesel.  I have to wonder why the Maryland Midland has not bothered to take down all of those old signals for either resale or to be scrapped, some extra money for them.  But then I guess the labor to do this would not be worth it, yet there are many rail fans who would pay a good price for them.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Superior scene.
Bob

ClubCar Wrote:
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> I have to wonder why the
> Maryland Midland has not bothered to take down all
> of those old signals for either resale or to be
> scrapped, some extra money for them.  But then I
> guess the labor to do this would not be worth it,
> yet there are many rail fans who would pay a good
> price for them.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland
OK Club, how come several of our WMRHS members have obtained and restored former WM signals from the MMID.?
The society itself has former WM signal equipment, and will be getting more from a member's estate.
The society's BMX Magazine even had an issue-long article on 2 member's efforts to restore x-WM signal equipment obtained throughthe MMID.
Here is the scene sans snow, back on 12/11/2020.

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bigsavage Wrote:
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> OK Club, how come several of our WMRHS members
> have obtained and restored former WM signals from
> the MMID.?
> The society itself has former WM signal equipment,
> and will be getting more from a member's estate.
> The society's BMX Magazine even had an issue-long
> article on 2 member's efforts to restore x-WM
> signal equipment obtained through the MMID.
> Here is the scene sans snow, back on 12/11/2020.
Okay, thanks for this information.  Glad to know that many of these signals have been saved for the WM Historical Society Members who want them.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Yep, some WM signals do end up in WMRHS members yards. Including mine!

J

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ClubCar Wrote:
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> I have to wonder why the Maryland Midland has not bothered to take down all
> of those old signals for either resale or to be scrapped, some extra money for them.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

Not that the Maryland Midland cares, but there are a couple of photographers (present company included), as well as photograph viewers on TO, who are perfectly happy with the old signals remaining in place.
/Ted

How often does MMID operate a UBEG?  Do they interchange anything else there?

They just reactivated the Emory Grove interchange with CSX. In the past they ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I suspect this will be their routine once again, but only time will tell. There are a few industries that get served east on Union Bridge but there is not a lot of traffic. Most of the activity is cement from Heidelberg to CSX at Emory Grove, and there was a lot of it until CSX switched it all to Highfield about two years ago.Stay tuned.

Jim Kleeman

Posted from Android

What day and time does UBHF turn typically run these days?  Are they still doing a coordinated interchange with CSX?  
Thank you...  Bob in York

Grover Wrote:
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> What day and time does UBHF turn typically run
> these days?  Are they still doing a coordinated
> interchange with CSX?  
> Thank you...  Bob in York

I don't know that they have regular schedule this time of year. If they run a UBST (stone) then the UBHF will typically run late afternoon. No UBST, then then the UBHF, if needed, will run in the morning. The day we chased the UBEG they ran a UBHF in the morning as well,  but only to Thurmont. The return was light power only. The reinstatement of the UBEG adds another wild card to the mix. Your best bet is to show up at Union Bridge at 8 AM on M-F and see what happens.

Very nice..!!

           I would have thought the inoperative signals would be some type FRA violation with being turned to the side. Am I incorrect?

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
> Am I incorrect?

Well, you're certainly incorrect about them being turned to the side.
Not sure what photograph you're looking at.
/Ted



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/25 20:40 by WM_1109.