Robin Bowers, Elizabeth Alkire and I drove from Point of Rocks station to Walkersville, Maryland, in about forty-five minutes, following the excellent directions they gave us. We pulled into the parking lot and started to explore.
Walkersville Southern Railroad HistoryThe Walkersville Southern Railroad runs on track and structures originally built by the Frederick and Pennsylvania Line railroad. This railroad ran from Frederick, Maryland to the Pennsylvania-Maryland State line, or Mason-Dixon line, near Kingsdale, Pensylvania. Chartered in 1867, the railroad started construction in 1869 and cost $868,687.50. It opened on October 8, 1872 and was subsequently leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad starting on January 1, 1875. In July of that year, PRR formed a new division, the Frederick Division, to operate the rail line. In the spring of 1896, it was liquidated in a judicial sale to the Pennsylvania Railroad for ten percent of its 1896 book value. Pennsylvania reorganized the railroad in December 1896 as the Frederick and Northern Railroad Company.
n March 1897, this new company was itself merged with other Pennsylvania-controlled railways (Littlestown Railroad and the Hanover and York Railroad Company) into the Hanover and York Railroad Company, chartered under the general laws of Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1914, this railroad and the newly-built Central Railroad of Maryland were then merged into the York, Hanover and Frederick Railway Company which remained a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of the PRR into the creation of the PennDel company in December 31, 1953, the Penn Central merger in 1968 and then bankruptcy in 1970. The Frederick and Pennsylvania Line segment was transferred to the State of Maryland in 1982 for unpaid taxes.
One of the industries that fed the railroad during its earliest time of operations was the Lime Kiln in Walkersville. This was among the industries that fuelled the need of the railroad, to ship fertilizer to farmers in and around the Walkersville region. The Frederick Secondary remained in the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad even into the creation of the Penn Central Railroad. The Walkersville Southern operates on part of the Penn Central's Frederick Secondary. Penn Central, then in bankruptcy, sold the line to the state of Maryland in 1972 after Hurricane Agnes washed out the bridge over the Monocacy River. The line remained dormant until 1980 when the Maryland Midland Railway began operations over the route between Walkersville north to Taneytown. South of Walkersville, the right-of-way, devoid of freight customers, was overtaken by brush and weeds.
Volunteers for the new Walkersville Southern began restoring the line in 1991. The State of Maryland awarded the company operation of the line south of Walkersville in 1993 and tourist trains began running to the Monocacy River in 1995. The bridge was rebuilt, completed in March 1996, and trains began crossing the river, 23 years after Agnes. In 1998, the line was rebuilt to its current terminus at Maryland Route 26 in Frederick. Although crossing Maryland Route 26 was in the original plan to reach potential freight customers in downtown Frederick, the rise in automobile traffic over Route 26 and the departure of potential customers from Frederick led to the eventual abandonment of any further restoration plans into the city. Current local government plans call for the old right-of-way south of Route 26 to be converted into a hiking-bicycle trail.
In November 2008, Maryland granted rights to operate three miles of right-of-way to the north, linking to the Maryland Midland Railway at North Glade Road. In 2013, the summer steam excursion was routed over a portion of the newly- restored track. As of the January 1st, 2014 the north division has been restored.
OperationsToday, the railroad runs two to three round trips daily on Saturdays and Sundays in May, June, September and October; and on Saturdays only in July and August. They also host some special events, including some on weekends and during the off-season. In some cases individuals with their own equipment can use the right of way with prior permission or during selected special events.
The railroad typically operates unique industrial diesel locomotives, all rarely seen in today's modern railroading. In 2012, the railroad operated steam excursions for the first time using the Gramling Locomotive Works Flagg Coal 75, an 0-4-0T tank engine. The 75's operation marked the first time a steam locomotive had operated on this railway since the Pennsylvania Railroad last ran steam over 60 years ago. In 2013, steam returned in the form of Lehigh Valley Coal 126, also owned by the Gramling family.
Our Visit
Walkersville's Pennsylvania Railroad station, built by one of its predecessors, York, Hanover & Frederick, circa 1900.
Station scene.
Walkersville Southern 18 ton switcher 1 built by Plymouth in 1942, called "Old Bangy". It also saw service on the Wilmington & Western Railroad in Delaware.
Walkersville Southern heavyweight eight section buffet-lounge-solarium-observation car, number and builder unknown. We then crossed the street to where all the other equipment was stored.
Nickel Plate Road caboose 446 built by the Nickel Plate Railroad in 1960.
Museum scene.
Walkersville Southern coach 7128, nee Long Island Railroad 128 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.
Walkersville Southern 40 ton switcher 51, ex. White Transfer, exx. Smoky Mountain Railroad 440, exxx. Great Northern 51, exxxx. Great Northern 5201, nee Great Northern 19211 built by General Electric in 1940. It is privately owned and stored at the Walkersville Southern.
Walkersville Southern P54D coach 99, ex. Ashtabula Carson and Jefferson 7099 2009, exx. Delta Railroad Construction 2008, exxx. Knox and Kane gift shop car 1987, exxxx. Steamtown Foundation café car "Williams River Inn" in 1983, exxxxx. Steamtown Foundation diner "The Cephas Kent Inn" for use on the Vermont Bicentennial Steam Expeditioon in 1976, nee Long Island Railroad 7099, built by American Car and Foundry in 1927 with steam heating, fans for cooling and a 2-2 seating arrangement. In 1956, it was upgraded to a 3-2 seating arrangement and other modernizations.
It is one of only two Lackawanna MU parlour cars in existance and was acquired in 2014 from the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey. These Lackawanna club cars were converted to MU trailers in the 1930's for operation on the DL&W's electrified Morristown Line.
DG&G boxcar 9501. Details unknown but perhaps a United States Navy ammunition box car now used for storage.
Walkersville Southern 44 ton switcher 9331, ex. Strasburg Rail Road 31, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 9331 built by General Electric in 1948.
Walkersville and Southern dining car "Southampton", nee Long Island Railroad coach 436 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
Walkersville Southern kitchen car 12, nee United States Army troop-sleeper 7478 built by Pullman-Standard between October 1943 and March 1944 and was part of the first order of 1,200 troop sleepers ordered by the United States Government. At some point after the war, it and others were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and was renumbered 3004. It spent its time as a camp car for the wrecking crews out on the mainline and was usually paired up with a Troop Kitchen Car and two boxcars that were made into tool cars.
In 1972, when the Western Maryland was absorbed into the Chessie System Company, it found its life all around the Chessie line and was re-numbered Western Maryland 940952. Then in the mid 1980's, when Maryland Midland took over the Western Maryland mainline in Union Bridge, its fate was uncertain. At some point it was suggested to be used on the Entertainmnent consist, but that never came to fruition. In the mid-1990's, it was purchased by the Walkersville Southern and was turned into our first passenger car. With new paint it was renumbered to WS 12 and lives on as a kitchen car in the dinner train.
Wabash caboose 2827 built by the railroad in 1949.
The Walkersville and Southern dinner train trainset which travels the full length of the railroad.
Walkersville and Southern caboose 923, nee Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 923, built by International Car Company in 1971.
Walkersville and Southern coach 7091, ex. Long Island Railroad 7091, nee Long Island Railroad 91 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.
Walkersville and Southern coach 7045 "Ligonier Valley", ex. Long Island Railroad 7045, nee Long Island Railroad 45 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.
Walkersville and Southern open air excursion car 10, nee West Virginia Northern flatcar built in 1934.
Walkersville and Southern open air excursion car 11, nee Baltimore and Ohio flatcar built in 1934.
Walkersville and Southern Model 40 101, ex. Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum 101, ex. Sanderson and Porter Construction Company 1947, nee United States Army 7954, built by Electro-Motive Corporation in 1942. It was sent to the Maynard Ammunition Back-Up Storage Plant then assisted in the construction of West Penn Power Company Mitchell Generating Station in Courtney, Pennsylvania. In 1956, it was transferred to the company's Springdale station and was last used regularly in 1974. It was loaned to the museum in 2001 then purchased by them in 2008.
It is one of only 11 built by EMC as a means of trying to enter the "vest pocket" industrial switcher market.
The above six pictures capture our trainset.
Walkersville and Southern 20 ton switcher 3:3, nee United States Army 7707, built by Davenport Locomotive Works in 1942, under restoration.
Walkersville Southern 45 ton switcher 45, nee United States Transportation Corps 8406, built by General Electric in 1943.
Pennsylvania Railroad 44 ton switcher 9339 built by General Electric in 1948.
Our train pulled into the station for its 11:00 am departure. The station was then opened so we picked up our tickets and since the museum was also open, went over to explore it.
Just some of the Walkersville and Southern Railroad museum housed in the former Walkersville Ice and Power Company, associated with the Glade Valley Milling Company. In addition to producing and delivering ice to local customers, the building was outfitted with frozen food lockers that were rented to the general public. The company was later sold to Cargill, a national grain and feed supplier. When freight operations on the Frederick and Pennsylvania Railroad decreased in the late 1900's, it brought about the demise of this busy industrial center.
We returned to the shade of the depot and I had a hot dog for lunch. About 10:30, we boarded the train and walked through the coach and an open car to the front open car. As time passed, the cars filled up and we had a good amount of passengers aboard the train at departure time.
Robin Bowers, Elizabeth Alkire and I were all riding this railway for the first time. We left promptly at 11:00 AM.
This grain elevator is how you find the train in town.
Track equipment on the siding as we proceeded south.
The engine crew of our train.
Our route passed through some miles of forest on our way to the southern end of the line.
Crossing the bicycle path.
Mountain Rock Park.
View looking down the side of the train and ahead.
The locomotive guiding our train's way south.
Rounding a curve.
A whistle post.
A dam holding back water.
Approaching a grade crossing.
The corn was almost ready to be harvested.
Milepost 64.
Beautiful Maryland countryside.
A whistle post.
We crossed those mountains this morning from Hagerstown.
Down at the end of the road.
The view ahead.
The crops were doing very well this year.
A group of trees at the property line.
Milepost 65.
An old spur that led to an industry.
Crossing the Monocacy River.
There is a second overflow crossing of the Monocacy River.
A future park and ride lot.
Coming to the grade crossing that leads to the park and ride.
This is how we knew they were building a park and ride.
The corn was looking very good.
Some interesting trees.
Harmony Grove shelter.
The Spring Bank Manor.
Nearing the end of track.
This was our turnback point, as there was no possible way to go any further south on this railroad. Now I would relax and enjoy the return trip.
The yard limit sign.
In the rear coach was a 1915 article from the Electric Railway Journal on the type of Long Island Railroad coaches that the railway uses.
The lime kiln at Fountain Rock Park. We returned to Walkersville, ending another excellent rail adventure. I thanked the conductor as I detrained and we returned to the car and drove to the National Capitol Trolley Museum in northern Washington, DC.
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