Williamsport/B93

a made up copy of the WM sign that one stood 1 mile in either direction from the passenger stop at Williamsport.

Williamsport was a busy place in WM days with a train-order office, a helper station, passing Alpha-Jets and B&O coal drags. It even had its own branch line that ran to a powerplant and the C&O Canal. Today Williamsport may see at the most two or as little as one train a day. It was reduced to single track and any pushers that might be used are now called from Brunswick,Md. But even pushers are rareley used. Most westbounds have the extra power for Williamsport Hill added at Cumberland on the B&O. Today the train-order office is not used by CSX anymore and is currently falling apart, if it hasn'y already been torn down.

WM pushers westbound retyurning to wait for an assignment. The helpers will either wait at Pinesburg or Big Pool for the next eastbound train. The second phot was taken along the same straight stretch of track west of Williamsport as the first photo. Now the WM is operated by CSX Transportation and today I've caught CSX train D721 westbound. (1-8-72 by unkown person and 2-13-97)

On May 28, 1978, a eastbound train rounds the curve heading towards Williamsprt. This was taken at the "S" curve just west of the B93 milepost. By now 3 years have passed since the abandoment of the WM west of Hancock and Chessie hasn't taken to good of care of the Wm as the trees are beginning to grow up and consume the power poles. The second photo was taken at the same S-curve in Feb. 13, 1997. The ridge where the photographer took the first photo is deep in the trees behind me. (first photo by unknown person)

CSX train D720 is eastbound rounding the curve into Williamsport passing the abandoned shed and B93 milepost in June 1998.

A westbound Western Maryland train rolls down Williamsport Hill and passes helpers units waiting on a side track on January 8, 1972. Much later in May 1998, CSX westbound hopper train E120 rounds the same curve as it passes through Williamsport and by the B93 milepost. (first photo by unknown person)

On a spring day in 1998, D721 rounds the curve passing the B93.

A set of light units head through Williamsport as train G416. These locomotives are owned by the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad. The units had just finished pulling an eastbound grain train into Hagerstown from the W&LE RR at Connellsvill, PA. The units are mow returning passing the milepost and an old telephone booth. Telephone booths like this one dotted the Western Maryland as the was a telephone box or booth at every end of sidings, bridges, tunnels, and at every signal should a train need to call the dispatcher. Todays railroads now used handheld radios to contact the dispatcher. CSX's dispatcher is in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jan. 1999)

Train D721 is downgrade crossing the road and passing the abandoned train order office. (May 1998)

Mason Cooper stopped to photograph the train order office at Williamsport. By now the office was closed and looks abandoned, but the two main tracks are still in when the photo was taken.

In Feburary 2002 the office is in very bad shape and is accessible by anybody that may pass. The office detoriated fast after CSX removed the asbestos roof shingles. The roof fell in and the walls collapsed. The building has since caught fire as has been torn down by May 2006.

Inside the train order office in Feburary 2002. This was the operators desk and only his chair and a few papers remain.

WM helper units drift downgrade crossing the road in 1971. On Feburary 13, 1997 CSX train Z278 pass the train order office on it wasy to the Norfolk Southern tracks at Hagerstown. This train along with Z279 only ran for about a month over CSX between Connellsvill, PA. and Hagerstown, MD. The NS train now runs over NS trackage as trains 227 and 228.

D721 passes beheath the Cushwa Brick conveyor as it comes into WIlliamsport in April 1997.

Another day D721 is at the bridge croosing the creek east of the train order office. This creek marks the bottom of Williamsport Hill and the start of the climb up the 1.08% grade. (Jan. 1999)

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