Eastern Railroad Discussion > Western Maryland SD40s in the news

A genuine heritage unit is running on the Buckingham Branch for the next several months via lease.
WM #7471 has been used on a couple of Staunton-Clifton Forge trains so far, and looks good on the old C&O.
WMSR took in the #4621 (xWM 7496) from storage on CSX. Privately owned, this engine will be the focus of an all-day photo display at the WMSR. 
"The Fireball Photo Experience" will involve a staged coal train, with 4621 posing in its "rare" bedraggled YN1 paint scheme.
After this event, the non-operable 4621 will be repainted in what will likely be WM's red-white-black "circus" scheme, and then there will probably be another photo event...

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Yes, it is a Big Deal as the Western Maryland Railway was once a very well maintained and operated railroad here in the east.  It's just a shame that when the Chessie System took it over for good that they actually destroyed this line.  But for those of us who rode on it and knew the management of it, they were the best all the way around and customers came first.  If the Interstate Commerce Commission had done the right thing when the Chessie System gained control through the ownership belonging to the B&O, this line should have been merged into the Norfolk and Western whereby today, the WM would still be there giving real competition to today's CSX.  The WM was well engineered when it was built and as I stated, their management maintained the tracks and their equipment all the way till the end.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Would be better to paint 7496 in WM black, since it never wore circus colors. Would be nice to have a matched pair. Throw in Gerald Altizer's GP9 for good measure!

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Would be better to paint 7496 in WM black, since
> it never wore circus colors. Would be nice to have
> a matched pair. Throw in Gerald Altizer's GP9 for
> good measure!
It's a WMSR thing, collaborating with the current owner, so who knows what the final product will be.
Gerald sold his GP9s to the WMSR as part of the Georges Creek Division sale, but AFAIK, those engines have not moved from the former GCK property south of Barton, MD.

Weather problems for the Georges Greek. They are getting inches of rain with people being evacuated. Lets hope the railroad isn't too damaged, but lets hope for the best to those people that live in the area.
CR

I’m sure you’ve seen by now, but them GP9s ain’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Major washouts just west of Westernport among other places. Unfortunate to see, was quite excited to see something done with the GCK, but Mother Nature always wins.

Posted from iPhone

I don't think they're giving up on George's Creek completely if that is what is being implied.