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F7A #235 led a freight all the way from Baltimore into Connellsville on a clear fall day in October 1968.

Here is the Narrows, just outside of Cumberland. The B&O main and the WM main shared this skinny valley as they snaked their way into the Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Noticeable on the right of the narrows is a CSX auto rack train, a very common feature anywhere on that particular stretch of line to Pittsburgh and beyond.

FROSTBURG, MD

The 16 mile line from Frostburg MD to Cumberland MD is still preserved today as the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, that runs excursion trips almost year round. The trains are pulled by this fabulous 2-8-0 consolidation #734 (and a corny "Washington Redskins" 1960s EMD GP-30 road diesel). The scenery along this run is spectacular and features some impressive grade changes like the one at Helmstetter's Curve, Brush Tunnel, that was used in the commercial for Pontiac's new Montana minivan, and the two cool original stations at both ends of the line. This picture was taken on the overpass that runs over one of the branch lines that fan out into the valleys from Frostburg.

Here is the map of the interchanges at Frostburg. When riding the scenic train into the town, it was mighty confusing trying to make out what was going on with all the overpasses, cuts, ravines and switchblocks that were running all over the place on either side of the tracks. It turns out that all these were necessary to get the both the WM's "New Line" built 1912 to Connellsville PA and the much older Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad down into the valleys in and around the town of Mount Savage MD. That tunnel on the map which runs under route 40 can be found behind a pile of dirt in a cut in the hillside past the end of the turntable for the WM Scenic Railroad. I wasnt able to get close to it, because I was on a layover and plus big #734 was on the table ready to return to Cumberland. I was however able to go all the way to the other side of town where the tunnel exits in a rocky cut, which is now essentially a creek. So I can presume that the tunnel has lots of water inside. This chunk of line is no longer on most maps because it was abandoned long ago, severing WM's direct connection from Connellsville to the Thomas Subdivision and south. All rail traffic had to be sent through Ridgely Yard and Maryland Junction south of Cumberland to get to to destinations on the Thomas.

BORDEN

After you reach the endpoint at Frostburg you have the option of continuing north into Pennsylvania to Connelsville or turning south through an abandoned tunnel to the sub that connects with the Thomas Sub at Luke MD. Let's go to Connellsville. Borden Tunnel is the First Feature you will encounter when hiking north out of Frostburg, MD on the old WM Connellsville Sub. The railroad bed is still heavy ballast on this stretch and some of it has been contorted somewhat by the numerous quad trails that seem to run all over the place in this area near the Pennsylvania border. I have been through the tunnel myself and it is well drained and in excellent condition, ready for the Allegheny Highlands Trail to come through.

The most prominent bore on the entire WM is Big Savage Tunnel, at Deal, PA. It is the longest and wildest looking on the line. This shot was taken recently and is at the east end. This part is in good shape and ready for the Allegheny Highlands Trail, but the west opening is partially caved in and is a mess drainagewise. Other than that the tunnel is cool, and the word is from people who have walked through it is that the inside is in good condition too. Believe it or not, but I was able to locate the original camp site where the tunnel builders lived as I hiked up to the top of the mountain for a view of the countryside. The remains of pottery and almost whole bottles were evident everywhere.

Cleary you can see by the small white dot at the other end how long this tunnel is in comparison to Borden Tunnel, a few miles south.

At Sandpatch Junction PA, where the WM bed briefly parallels the B&O CSX track, lies the Keystone Viaduct, a curved bridge that spans the creek, road, and B&O tracks in one deck-truss sweep. This will be the next big project in the completion of the Allegheny Highlands trail, preceeding repairs of the Big Savage Tunnel and will follow the work on Salisbury Viaduct.

This shot is from the end of the newly renovated Salisbury Viaduct, just outside of Meyersdale PA. This was one of the most spectacular of the bridges on the WM system and now the Allegheny Highlands Trail. Finally, the needy bridge has been decked with concrete and has sturdy railings for all to safely cross and enjoy a spectacular view on a nice day. The ride from the town of Garret across this bridge to Meyersdale on a bike is one not to be missed! Since the WM and B&O couldn't fit in the same stretch of valley the WM had to ascend a rather steep grade here from the Casselman River bed up onto some farmland in order to cross over the valley as well as the B&O tracks to the other side and run through the rear of Meyersdale. This ride is very enjoyable and the steep grade really doesn't seem like much here when climbing it. The trail has been properly drained since I was here the last time, and I can tell you that before they renovated the rail bed, parts of it were basically a miniature swamp. Also featured is a cool underpass for a lightly used country road and a miniature valley beside that.

As of now, the newly reborn Salisbury Viaduct spans a large farm, old route 219, the new 4 lane route 219 bypass, and the double-track mainline of CSX (B&O). Judging from the weirdness of the geography in this valley, I had a hard time telling whether or not this really belonged to the WM. That was... until I noticed the faded all caps simple version of "WESTERN MARYLAND RAILWAY" painted over route 219 on the far end of the bridge. Someday, I hope that eventually bridges along the line will be restored to their former glory by being painted their original color and having their now faded names restenciled as well.

This is the cool and unique looking WM station in Meyersdale PA. Never touched, the station stood the test of time and has now been renovated and will most likely serve as a tourism hub of some sort. Visible at the right in this shot is a C&O Railroad Chessie System caboose that will be on display. I have never visited the station myself, but there is also a similar B&O station next to the CSX tracks in town that is also in good shape and is still used today as a railroad maintenance office.

The Western Maryland was known for its quaint little curved or slanted wooden road overpasses that would periodically cross over the line. There are a bunch of them like this one, photographed in Meyersdale PA. Even though this part of the line runs right through the town, is is still a nice place to walk by farms and through a few wooded areas. The crushed limestone surfaced Allegheny Highlands Trail is on the verge of finally running on this part of the right of way, since the Salisbury Viaduct was decked and railed in 1999.

The same shot from the 1970s, showing a couple of near new WM General Motors Electro Motive Division GP-40s, led by #3798 hauling a train north toward Connellsville. By this time, some of the WM locos were painted in the red/white/black "circus" scheme while some were also painted the traditional black/gold "speed" scheme.

A very cool combo of wild rapids and a bridge-tunnel-bridge engineering feat can be found at Pinkerton Horn. The bridge seen here is the first and lowest of the two that span the Casselman River on either side of the horn. The waters here by the rocks are serene and ideal for a nice swim which people do do on hot summer days. This is a far cry from the bridge at the other end, which is much higher up and over roaring rapids. One can see how much elevation the river loses in just a few miles here. Next is Pinkerton Tunnel which is relatively short and in need of repairs. If you want a nice ride through the woods for a few miles, make a left at the "closed off" sign at the at the entrance of the tunnel. If you are smart, and want to save the 3 miles around the horn, go around the fencing and proceed through the tunnel. It WONT bite!

At Confluence PA, the WM Left the Casselman River and joined the Youghiogheny River as it ran north toward the Monongahela at McKeesport. This shot here is of the WM bridge that spans the Yough beside the small town, which mainly has just a small community and a snack bar/bike rental. I wouldn't advise walking across this bridge since the small section that runs over the road at one end has been chopped off. One can still see the faded speedlettering on the side of the bridge that was originally painted gray.

Ohiopyle PA always was and is one of the most popular and scenic day vacation spots in Western PA. And who visits it? None other than the WM, about 9 miles north of Confluence. This was the original stretch of trail completed on the Allegheny Highlands Trail, done in the early 80s, not long after the tracks were abandoned. Featured here are the original WM station, which serves as a meuseum, and two bridges that span the Ferncliff Peninsula. The one in this photo which starts right next to the station, has a chunk missing over the main road, and is a pain in the ass since you have to go all the way down to road level and take the road and its bridge to the other side. To compensate for the congestion that this creates because of all the people that come here, the trail commisson plans to reextend the missing chunk as a foot/bike bridge that will allow much more clearance for tall vehicles than the original tressle did.

This is a 13 year old photo I dug out from when the trail was first completed on the other side of Ferncliff. I really cant believe that I have been to Ohiopyle since I was five years old! As you might notice when you go there today, you will see tons of name carvings on the once clean railing that stood behind my dad and I that day in 1987. Also, this bridge is the most trafficked pedestrian bridge on the whole system today. When you ride across it, people almost knock you off your pike when you're trying to get through. I dont blame folks though, since this is probably the nicest of the completed bridges on the trail so far. Some people even come to eat lunch on the bridge or watch kayakers and rafting parties negotiate the rapids far below. The WM single track main is bustling once again!

Okay, now for the uninterrupted view of the scenery and the bend in the river. This was a very nice day for a picture. Ahhh, soaking it in. On either side of the bridge are hiking trails that meander through the woods uo the hillsides and down to the water's edge. And if you can pick it out, you can see the cut on the opposite hillside between the trees that parallel's the river. That's the cut for the B&O/CSX tracks. The road crossing at the entrance to the town is problably one of the best CSX railfanning spots I can think of. In the 5 minutes I spend futsing around in the trailhead parking lot, I have always seen some very interesting engines and freights go past. Only thing is I am a dummy and have never taken a picture of anything I've seen there.

Connellsville was the westernmost endpoint for the WM. Here begins the Allegheny Highlands Trail. The actual abandoned rail line starts out elevated over the town (over a highway bridge that was taken out) and slowly descends into the Youghiogheny River valley across from the B&O. On this stretch from the town to the day-vacation spot of Ohiopyle, there are some very impressive bridges over the terrain and the Yough River has some of the most impressive rapids in this part of the state along this stretch. A very enjoyable trip for a day by bike. A little suggestion though, unless you're in awesome shape, dont try the 70 mile round trip from Connelsville to Confluence.

Here is Youghiogheny Station in Connellsville. It stands as the only building on its block today as a stained glass maker's supply shop. It has been well maintained and everything except the elevated tracks and the lot around it are intact. This station was important to both the WM an the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, and was the most strategic endpoint for the WM because it allowed direct connections to the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway, Norfolk and Western Railway, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and P&LE. However, from the 1970s into the 80s, CSX, which was then the Chessie System basically took over all operations in and around Connellsville, making the WM trackage obsolete. The line here was taken out around the early 80s and the P&LE line that ran north to McKeesport saw light usage till around 1990 when P&LE was fully absorbed by CSX and was promptly abandoned. As a final result, people have begun to see the almost certain possibility of a hike/bike trail that would run from Pittsburgh to our naiton's capital nonstop.

The WM at connellsville was very unique because it ran through South Connellsville on an elevated platform. This photo from 1960 shows just what I mean. The station, which is right in the middle of town, has a tower that met the platform at rail level. In my short lifetime, I haven't heard of any other railroads that ran completely through a town while ramaining elevated. Today, the station is fixed up nicely and serves as an upscale glass and craft shop. All of the interior including furniture is absolutely original. The WM from Frostburg to Connellsville was known as the "New Line", because it was finished in 1912, at least 6 years after everything else had been completed.

This is the only chunk of the highway bridge remaining that elevated the WM over Connellsville. Of to the right was the engine terminal, which is now a gravel lot except for a building made out of New York Central/P&LE boxcars, the old P&LE station, and a Chessie B&O bay window caboose, which is currently being turned into a small business along with another one that is painted red and sits across route 711. Notice dead center between the fence gates the WM station tower, that the elevated tracks ran alongside. And at further beyond that, the final abutment that returned the line to solid ground. About 5 miles north, behind this shot was the P&LE yard at Dickerson Run, which is now the Yough River Trail. The WM had a connection there, but the yard is a hideous looking wasteland today. All remaining traces of the yard and tower are gone there and there is junk everywhere. The only good traces are off in the brush and weeds where ties are still in place.

A nice feature at the north end of the town past the abandoned elevated section of the WM to the right at the top of the embankment is this Norfolk and Western Railway bridge. It is very long, built in a deck-truss-deck-truss-deck configuration as it spans a wide section of the Youghiogheny River as well as a four-track section of CSX (B&O). It is still tracked but naturally is abandoned because it runs right into the abandoned WM and P&LE which are now the beginning of the Allegheny Highlands Trail and the end of the Yough River Trail (that runs out of McKeesport, a suburb of Pittsburgh) respectively. The bridge is really nice to walk across on a summer day. No one knows for sure, but it is in the rumor mill that the section from this bridge all the way to Pittsburgh is going to eventually be another rail trail, since it essentially runs straight to nowhere now. I have driven past parts of that stretch of the N&W and it is in great shape for no train traffic at all. I dont know if juggernaut Norfolk Southern owns the line at this time. Further north, a spectacular high tressle crosses over the Yough and the YR Trail. It has got to be a couple hundred feet high. I'm not sure if I have a picture of it or not but if I did I would post it.

Bowest Junction was a key point for the Western Maryland's revenue service. It was from here that the WM had trackage rights on the B&O Railroad to the mines of Western West Virginia. This photo was taken on the second day of 2000, and shows where the WM engine house once stood. Those tracks appear to be shiny, but that was just the sun reflecting off the rusty old tracks. I am pretty sure that the engine house stood down here until the 1980s.

Here is the same shot I took, only it was the year 1958. By the looks of the orange and black Fairbanks-Morse Trainmasters in the background, one can see that the Pittsburgh and West Virginia had trackage rights here. A WM General Motors EMD GP-9 waited in front of the shop for service. Far off to the right is the B&O tracks that shared this valley from the banks of the Youghiogheny River through the town of Dunbar PA which is right around the bend from this shot. The B&O tracks are still active today used by CSX, but once CSX took over WM, it was only a matter of time before the WM bowest yard was abandoned.