Before checking out of the Hilton Harrisburg Hotel, Elizabeth and I loaded the car with the registration room stationery and other small items then drove to Front Street Diner for an excellent breakfast. Afterwards, we took Front Street to Interstate 81 to US Highway 11 south and turned onto the road to Walkersville. Having been here last in 2018, the area was familiar to us and afte parking, we started exploring before picking up our tickets.
Walkersville Southern Railroad HistoryThe Walkersville Southern Railroad runs track and structures originally built by the Frederick and Pennsylvania Line railroad. This railroad ran from Frederick to the Pennsylvania-Maryland State line, or Mason-Dixon line near Kingsdale. Chartered in 1867, the railroad started construction in 1869 and cost $868,687.50. It opened October 8, 1872 and was subsequently leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad from January 1, 1875, and in July, 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. In 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; then the Penn Central merger in 1968 and finally 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 hiker-biker 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 VisitWe started our explorration of this great shortline.
Walkersville Southern Plymouth 18 ton switcher 1, built in 1942, called "Old Bangy" and also saw service on the Wilmington & Western Railroad in Delaware.
Cheasapeake and Ohio horse-baggage car 207, built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1937. It was the meeting and presentation space of the Frederick County Society of Model Engineers, which has been around since 1966 and holds a large model train exhibit. It was acquired by Walkersville Southern in 2022.
Walkersville Southern 45 ton switcher 45, nee United States Transportation Corps 8406, built by General Electric in 1943.
Walkersville and Southern multiple unit parlour car 3453, nee Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 483 built by Barney and Smith in 1912. While in service in New Jersey, this was a subscription-only parlour car where commuters would pay each month for the option to ride in a quieter, more private ride to and from work each day.
It is one of only two Lackawanna MU parlour cars in existence 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.
Pennsylvania Railroad caboose 477532, built by the railroad in 1927.
Nickel Plate Road caboose 446, built by the railroad in 1960.
Pennsylvania Railroad 44 ton switcher 9339, built by General Electric in 1948.
Walkersville and Southern 20 ton switcher 3:3, nee United States Army 7707, built by Davenport Locomotive Works in 1942 and restoration cancelled, stored out of service.
Walkersville Southern 44 ton switcher 9331, ex. Strasburg Rail Road 31, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 9331 built by General Electric in 1948.
Jones and Laughlin CR4 60 ton switcher 7, ex. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 7, exx. East Broad Top 3, exxx. Mount Union Connecting Railroad 7, nee Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation (Aliquippa Works) 7, built by Plymouth Locomotive Works in 1960. It was exchanged between the Walkersville Southern Railroad and Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
Pennsylvania Railroad 2-bay hopper car painted as 257284, nee Western Maryland 52782, builder and year unknown, acquired in 2019.
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 Expedition 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.
DG&G boxcar 9501. Details unknown but perhaps a United States Navy ammunition box car now used for storage.
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 Entertainment 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. In 2022, it was repainted and re-numbered back to its original number.
We walked across the street and boarded the train, choosing seats in the covered open car.
Our tickets for this train ride.
Our engineer.
Work equipment along the railroad as we departed.
Two homes on the way out of town.
The Walkersville High School.
A farm silo out in the distance.
Crops planted and the line of trees.
A barn off to our west.
One of the farms we passed.
Down at the end of this road.
Two silos off to our west.
Concrete milepost 65.
Crossing the Monocacy River, which was designated by the State of Maryland as a State Scenic River in 1974 following the adoption of the Maryland Scenic and Wild Rivers Act of 1968. Originating near the Pennsylvania line, the Monocacy ​River forms at the confluence of Marsh Creek and Rock Creek and forms the boundary between Frederick and Carroll Counties. From this point, the Monocacy flows for 58 miles to the Potomac River. The Monocacy River watershed encompasses 974 square miles including portions of Frederick County, Carroll County and Adams County, Pennsylvania and is the largest Maryland tributary to the Potomac River. Varying in width from 40 feet to 375 feet, the Monocacy flows gently with an average gradient of three percent.
Another homestead along our route.
There is a second overflow crossing of the Monocacy River.
Running by the Park and Ride lot.
Mountains to the west.
Trees which had not turned into their autumn colors.
The hills.
Harmony Grove as we neared our reversing point.
A look through the open door of our locomotive.
We were at our turnback point to return to Walkersville.
The Yard Limit sign.
Former Western Maryland ballast hopper car 51876, builder and year unknown, waiting to be picked up.
That barn on the reverse trip.
We passed the lime kilnr then returned to Walkersville and detrained for some last pictures.
Walkersville Southern 20 ton switcher 7707, built by Davenport in 1942 was in a siding.
Walkersville Southern heavyweight eight section buffet-lounge-solarium-observation car, number and builder unknown.
Walkersville Southern 45 ton switcher 9, ex. American Car and Foundry plant, ex. steel mill in Camden, New Jersey, nee United States Navy 65-00439 built by General Electric in 1943.
I drove us to Wanamakers and there waiting for us was Greg and Marty Smith who had picked up their rental car much later then planned.
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