Western Maryland 1309: The Return of the Fireball
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- Опубліковано 24 гру 2021
- Since 2014, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has tirelessly worked to restore former Chesapeake & Ohio Class H-6 2-6-6-2 Mallet number 1309 to operation. With a price tag of 3.5 Million dollars, the restoration of the mighty mallet was not an easy task. With multiple dates of operation being announced and falling through, some began losing faith that steam would be returning to the iconic Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
In 2020, Train Magazine was involved in multiple fundraisers to help push the project over the finish line. On December 31, 2020, Chesapeake & Ohio 1309 was steamed up and moved under its own power for the first time in 64 years. After a quiet 2021, the Railroad announced in late July that 1309 would be powering the final weekend of Polar Express Trips in Mid-December. Following the announcement, the locomotive began a series of test runs in Late-November and Early-December and emerged as Western Maryland 1309.
Following these test runs, on Friday, December 17, 2021 at 3:30 PM, Western Maryland 1309 pulled its first revenue train for the first time in 65 years.
Over the course of the weekend, the locomotive pulled 10 trains, 5 during the day and 5 during the night from the railroad's headquarters in Cumberland, Maryland to the famous Helmstetter's Curve. The trips were about 10 miles long and 1 hour in length. The locomotive and its crew put on a great show for hundreds of railfans who were trackside to witness this historic event. So sit back, relax, and enjoy mountain railroading at its finest with 1309 at the point of the railroad's first scheduled steam passenger trains in over 6 years.
A very special thank you goes out to Joseph Fusco, Trevor Laber, Jeff Rayner, Mike Roche, and the Allegany Preservation Society Limited for helping light the night scenes that would have been otherwise unattainable!
The whistle worn by 1309 in this video is a Norfolk & Western Hooter from Class A Number 1208.
This video was filmed on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, 2021.
Filmed & Edited by Mark Turkovich
This film may not be reproduced or redistributed in any manner.
©MPT Productions 2021 - Фільми й анімація
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone enjoys this video of such a historic event!
I wish I could hear that sound in person out in the country somewhere
we need a big boy and 1309 meet! two huge mallets side by side!
That won’t happen. There’s no direct connection to the WMSR via UP and 4014 is only going to run on UP track
I hope you had a Merry Christmas that whistle makes me think of Norfolk and Western 1218 it's the exact Norfolk and Western hooter chime whistle
Merry Christmas! Yep, 1309 also wears a Class A Hooter, but from 1208
@@MPT_Productions wow that's pretty cool one of 1218's older sisters it's interesting that the first order of class A locomotives were equipped with brass bearings later ones were equipped with roller bearings 1218 was one of the brass bearing equipped locomotives
She is back in black!
Yes indeed!
Great shots as usual!
Thanks, Casey!
Very nice video. I love that n&w hooter. Very similar to 1218s.
Thanks, Matt! That hooter sure sounds great! No idea how some people are complaining about it. Oddly enough it’s from 1208.
@@MPT_Productions that Western Maryland F40PHR 450 Should Be repainted in the same red and white paint scheme as 501
Haven’t seen 1309 approach frostburg that often. Might be too long for the turntable
It has been there once. It can fit on the turntable, but the track needs to be realigned for it to make it
What a 2-6-6-2 is it and i wish to see NYC 4-6-4 J3a Hudson 5406.
Sadly, all NYC Hudsons were scrapped.
@@MPT_Productions i know ask the construction to find all the parts for Hudson 5406 a streamliner.
@@MPT_Productions here's the video ua-cam.com/video/OVXgSn86Y1c/v-deo.html
@@MPT_Productions Love the Hudson and the NYC is running on Amtrak.
Nice work Mark! Great to see 1309 back!
Thank you, Vince! I’m with you all the way. It was awesome to witness
Merry Christmas, Mark! And we’ll done on another stunning video! I love that fireball paint scheme!
Thanks, Dan!! I love the paint scheme too
Stunning Video Mark! 1309 is just Fantastic, Great seeing you Last Weekend!
Thanks, Tristan! It definitely is a great locomotive!
Not even 30 seconds in, and already it’s looking incredible. Merry Christmas
Thank you, Jackson! I’m really glad you like it. Merry Christmas!
I love it 💙❤️💙
Glad you enjoyed!
Merry Christmas, Mark! It’s great to finally see 1309 In service, however, it’s a bit sad that 734 might not run again. Even with that bad news, I’m still happy to see another Mallet in service. Definitely gotta head over there someday!
Thanks, Ben! Merry Christmas! I agree with all of your points, however, I think 734’s time will come someday. If 1309 continues to be very popular, I think there will be enough of an incentive to bring back the face of the railroad and a second steamer.
@@MPT_Productions fingers crossed. It'd be nice to have a balance between giant steam and smaller steam
@@RedRiverRailfan and 734 is by no means a small engine either. Both are quite impressive locomotives
What if they restored the 2 Canadian locomotives the WM had before 734? Plus bring back the 734 herself. 4 operating locomotives at once. That be a sight to see!
@@daskriegsman7013 They do not own the CP engines, so that can't happen
Very nice, Mark!
Thank you, Tom!!
I'm impressed with that stack talk, reminds of 734 a bit. Well put together video Mark.
Thanks, Jack! I think everyone was surprised. It’ll be great to hear it when it’s on a heavier train. And I agree, it does sound a lot like 734.
Check out 3:08 onward for one of the coolest views at the curve! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Thank you! I liked it as well! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video Mark! Looking forward to the future of 1309!
Thanks, Ashton! I feel the same way!
@@MPT_Productions I wonder when 734 will run again, I love to see 734 doubleheading with 1309
@@sebastianfloyd372 they’re trying to raise funds to restore it currently
@@MPT_Productions show me prove
@@sebastianfloyd372 their Facebook page has their fundraising events and a link to donate
It's great to have steam back in the mountains, I wonder how long it's been since the last articulated steamer rode those rails. I'm guessing it would've been a challenger, anyone know what kind of whistles the old WM challengers had?
It sure is! Hoping 734 will be returning someday too! I attended the February photo charter with 1309 and the people running the event said our first runby at Helmstetter’s Curve was the first articulated steam freight around Helmstetter’s Curve since 1953, so 69 years. As for the whistle, I’m pretty sure the challengers just wore WM 3 Chime Longbells
@@MPT_Productions I think the hooter they have on 1309 fits her well but it would be really cool if they could get a true WM whistle since she's dressed up in WM colors. I guess I'm a sucker for those nice deep sounding 3 chimes, since that's what 734 had most of the time.
@@calvinwalters1556 I personally love the hooter and wouldn’t like to see that change. It sounds just as it would have in the steam era. Personally, I never cared for those longbell 3 chimes, but to each their own.
The WMSR has atleast one real WM whistle, it happens to be off a Potomac. 1309 wore it for the first test firing of the boiler, but it has since been taken off waiting to be repaired when time allows. 1309, much 734, will likely cycle through many whistles while in operation.
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the video is 13:09 long.
🤔 😉 🙃
Szép videó!😀👍
Thanks for watching!
Do they just roll her backwards from frostburg? There's no way she can use that turn table
Once they correct the approach to the turntable it will be turned, but for now it’ll be towed down the mountain by the diesel(s).
@@MPT_Productions thanks for the info
@@RedRiverRailfan you're welcome!
@@MPT_Productions what is wrong with the approach to the turntable? I cant believe that the curve is too sharp for the engine. Wasnt the 1309 used in branchline coal service on the C&O?
@@pdumpsterful the grade on the approach is too steep of an increase in the grade which would either stall the engine or damage the engine because of the articulation point.
Are the two diesel engines in the rear pushing it, ot being towed?
They’re being towed by 1309 on the way to Helmstetter’s Curve and then they’re pulling the train back to Cumberland with 1309 being towed on the return trip. 1309 has plenty of strength to pull the train without diesel assistance