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(12.31.08) A couple of Al Moran photos added on the George's Creek Sub and the Thomas Sub. The Georges Creek Sub will soon be operated by the George's Creek Raiway which owns and operates former WM GP9 #25.
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West Sub Intro
The WESTERN MARYLAND RAILWAY's West Subdivision or sometimes referred to as the "Cumberland Extension", ran West from the Hagerstown Yard limits at the B-89.8 to the division marker at the B-162.8 in South Cumberland making the Sub 73 miles long. The majority of the West Sub west of Big Pool was constructed between 1903 and 1906 to reach Cumberland, Md. With the formation of the Chessie System the WM was slowly merged into the B&O's system and the WM rails pulled up.
The Cumberland Extension was constructed west from Hagerstown in three sections. The first segment was built and completed by the WM on December 18, 1873. The purpose for this extension was to reach the C&O Canal and its resources at Williamsport. Later on January 14, 1890, the Potomac Valley RR was incorporated. The PVRR's purpose was to construct a line from PV Jct. at Williamsport to Big Pool and Cherry Run. On August 1, 1892 the line had been completed the line was open to traffic. Later in 1902, the WM was purchased by George Gould and the final segment west to Cumberland was started on August 1, 1903. Gould had plans for the WM to be used as his eastern link in a transcontinental railroad system he was putting together. The Cumberland Extension (West Sub) reached Cumberland and officially opened on March 15, 1906. By now, Gould was bankrupt due to the high construction costs of the Cumberland Extension. The route had ended up with a cost of a little less than $12,000 per mile at 1906 prices and a grand total of $7,000,000. The high construction cost of the Cumberland Extension was the main reason and the principal cause of the Gould Empire collapse. So as a result of Gould's bankruptcy, the WM entered into receivership on March 6, 1908. The principle reason for the 1908 bankruptcy was the simple fact that the majority of the line was composed of either tunnels or bridges. In fact over 6% of the route was either in tunnels or atop steel bridges. Particularly west of Big Pool, the WM ran parallel to the C&O Canal. At some points the WM was forced to cut deep into the hill sides and build numerous retaining walls to keeps the tracks out of the B&O RR controlled C&O Canal. It was rumored that the B&O had control over the canal solely to keep it operating in hope to postpone a forced sale of the canal. The B&O RR feared that its rival the Western Maryland Railroad would purchase the canal for use of its right-of-way and the B&O had to keep this from happening. The B&O later recuperated some of its loss's on the canal when the WM was forced to cross the canal several times west of Little Orleans. On December 1, 1909 the WM was purchased and became known as the Western Maryland Railway. On January 1, 1910 the WMRY emerged from bankruptcy and the "New" line to Connellsville, PA.(originally part of Gould's plans) was finally built in 1912. The Connellsville Line helped establish WM's most famous high priority-"Alpha Jet" freight trains. Now coal trains off the Thomas Sub which ran deep into West Virginia and thru freight trains off the Connellsville line would now travel the West Sub.
Ever since the WM began its life, the B&O always had a good amount of stock in the WM and it pretty much limited what the WM could do. Later, after the C&O and B&O RR's merged to form the Chessie System, the WM's operations were slowly merged into the Chessie System too. The B&O was granted permission from the ICC to control the WM on March 29, 1968. The decision was made to file for abandonment of the Western Maryland's West Sub with the ICC on June 11, 1973 and was later approved in early 1975. The first step under abandonment was to shift traffic over to B&O rails on May 12, when WM train BT-1 left WM rails at Big Pool Jct. The last WM train ran west from Hancock to Cumberland on May 21, 1975. After the 21st. the track was pulled from Tonoloway west to North Branch. For a short time BT-1 and WM empty hopper trains still were routed over the WM to Ridgely Yard and Knobmount Yard for classification by means of a backup move at North Branch at the B&O connection. Later effective January 5, 1976 all WM traffic was rerouted to the B&O's Cumberland Yard, when this same WM trackage between South Cumberland and the Pittsburg Plate Glass (PPG) Plant at North Branch was finally taken out of through freight service to permit construction of a new airport runway at the Cumberland Municipal Airport. Having done this, it created three separate sections that were left after abandonment was completed. One was a stretch of track west of Big Pool Jct. to Tonoloway, Md. was kept to store trailer train flats and serve a pulpwood loading facility in Hancock, Md., it was later removed in 1987. Another short "industrial spur" was kept intact at North Branch to serve local industries and is now the only part of the West Sub still in service west of Big Pool. The third was a stretch of track that ran from Ridgely Yard down through Maryland Jct. through Knobley Tunnel and over the Potomac River to Brock's Salvage Yard in South Cumberland. The end of the track ran right up to the River Ave. road crossing. I believe it survived up until 1996 about 100 years after it was constructed.
Typical traffic over the West Sub before abandonment was PAJ-1, WAJ-1, BT-1,and AJ-3 with occasional hopper and empty grain trains Westbound. Eastbound there were trains AJ-2, AJ-12, WM-6, and 1-2 coal trains per day with grain extras in the later years. There was 1-2 daily B&O trains each way that used the connection at Cherry Run and ran to the Reading and Lurgan via WM's Lurgan Sub north out of Hagerstown. There were also B&O coal and empty hopper extras each day too. All this traffic made the double track section between Big Pool Jct. and Hagerstown the busiest on the railroad. However, after the WM "Alpha Jets" were transferred from WM crews and track to B&O, the "Alpha Jets" were lost over time to Penn Central/Conrail due to B&O's longer and slower routes and extended time the trains spent sitting in the yard. Today under CSX ownership, operations are much better but there is usually only one turn-around train from Cumberland to Hagerstown, train D720. There is also an occasional coal or hopper train along with much more rare grain extras from the W&LE RR/Norfolk Southern (NS) at Connellsville to NS at Hagerstown. Back in the mid-1990's it seemed as if the WM operations were back when NS began operating two trains a day Z278 and Z279. They were reminding of the N&W run-through trains that frequented the WM during the 1970's. Now there gone too, back to one train a day.
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Phase 1
PAW PAW BENDS OF THE POTOMAC
A study is currently being conducted by the National Park Service to determine the future of the abandoned Western Maryland Railway through the Paw Paw Bends of the Potomac. This section of the abandoned right-of-way, which is owned by the C & O Canal National Park, goes through parts of Morgan County, W. Va., Washington County, Md. and Allegheny County, Md., just west of Hancock Md. to Paw Paw, W. Va.
In a distance of 10 miles the right-of-way crosses the Potomac River six times, into and out of West Virginia three times, on high, trestle bridges, currently blocked off from use. For almost all of the distance in West Virginia, the old railway follows the relatively flat land along the bends of the river. There are very few structures there today. At four of the river crossings, the right-of-way intersects the C & O Canal towpath, and the easiest accesses to it would be from that towpath.
The views from the elevation of the bridges, down to the river bank, to the mountains surrounding and to the distant bends of the Potomac in both directions are awe-inspiring. Where else can you stand on a bridge over the Potomac River and not have cars, trucks, asphalt, cement, buildings and crowds encroaching on your commune with nature? Converting this abandoned railway into a hiking/biking trail is a unique opportunity to save this pristine wilderness for the enrichment and renewal of the souls of generations to come.
Now, the National Park Service is asking for citizen input as to the use that should be made of the right-of-way. If you support the idea of a long range plan to save and convert this abandoned Western Maryland Railway right-of-way into a loop hiking/biking trail to connect with the C & O Canal towpath, please write to the Superintendent, C & O Canal National Historical Park, 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, Md. 21740, or sign this petition.
Slide Show on Proposed Rail Trail
Please read and sign petition
I support the idea of converting the abandoned Western Maryland Railway through Paw Paw Bends of the Potomac into a hiking/biking trail. The right-of-way, which is owned by the National Park Service, crosses the Potomac river six times within 10 miles, into and through West Virginia three times intersecting the C&O Canal towpath in several places making possible loop trails of various lengths.
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
The above page will only hold 50 names so I've have been moving the names to a seperate page and compiling them. I did someting that I feared might happen! I lost the names when an error occured on my computer. So those of you who have signed the petition since it was put on this site, If you would resign the petition and I will save the names on a backup disk. Sorry that this has happened, there was over 510 names.
The pages below contain more names of people who have signed the petition. I will create new pages as needed., Jeremy
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We'd love you to sign the petition, but a letter written to the following addresses will be the biggest help as they are looking for direct citizen input to decide the fate of the abandoned WM railroad bed.
Addresses
Sept. of the C&O Canal NHP
1850 Dual Highway Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD. 21740
Morgan County Commission
P.O. Box 28
Berkeley Springs, WV. 25411
Morgan County Tourism and Development
P.O. Box 86
Berkeley Springs, WV. 25411
Allegany County Commission
County Office Bldg. Suite 405 701 Kelly Road
Cumberland, MD. 21502-3401
Allegany County Dept. of Tourism
Attn: David Eberly
701 Kelly Road
Cumberland, MD. 21502
Washington County commission
100 W. Washington Street
Hagerstown, MD. 21740
Washington County Dept. of Tourism
6 N. Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD. 21740
Thank You
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Phase 1 Findings
Local residents and propery owners along the WM right of way would like to keep things the way they are and have the bridges over the Potomac River taken down. Some of their major concerns regarding existing conditions are:
- Crime, safety, and litter
- Drainage problems
- Access and land use
- Safety of bridges and tunnels
Community concerns related to potential future development of the right-of-way are as follows:
- Protection of natural resources and scenic values
- Heritage conservation and interpretation
- Continuation of traditional land uses
- Crime, vandalism, trespassing, illegal ORV use, illegal hunting
- Long term development and management costs
- Cost-benefit of the bridge and tunnels alternatives
- Future of CSX "Low Line" Road
- Demonstrated need for a second trail along Potomac
If you have any questions about the detail of any of the concerns listed above email me and I will in turn send you any findings by the NPS.
Phase 2
Goal: Develop recommendations for the future use and management of the Western Maryland Railway property.
Beginning in November 2002, a planning study will be initiated by the C&O Canal park staff to identify alternatives for the use of the right-of-way. Identified alternatives will be evaluated based on cost, technical feasibility, safety, environmental impacts, community support, and opportunities for resource protection and interpretation. A preferred alternative will be selected and a Management Plan will be developed. The public will be involved throughout the planning process. The plan will be compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act regulations.
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