Western Maryland

In early November 2022, Trains Magazine hosted a late autumn season photo charter on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, featuring the railroad's signature former Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 Mallet #1309. Billed as "Fall For 1309", the event served as a follow-up to the "Welcome Back 1309!" photo special that took place in February, and once again showcased #1309 pulling freight trains up the steep mountain grades of the old Western Maryland Railway's Connellsville Extension through the beautiful Allegheny Mountains between Cumberland and Frostburg, MD. For this occasion, #1309 pulled a train made up entirely of coal hoppers, paying homage to her in-service days as a heavy coal hauler on the C&O. Despite a 10mph speed restriction being placed on the freight cars, #1309 put on a fabulous show, working hard to keep her footing on the sharp curves and ruling grades that dominate the WMSR. This was highly evident on the last two miles of the line, as the articulated behemoth struggles up the precipitous 3% grades of the former Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad into Frostburg. Runbys were performed at a wide variety of locations along the line, including such famous spots as Helmstetter's Curve, Brush Tunnel, Sunnyside and several others. As was the case with February's charter, a great deal of brush cutting and tree clearing was done in order to open up the various photo locations for ideal photography, most of which had not been used in several years due to a lack of charters taking place with the abscence of steam. Thanks to the efforts of the Trains Magazine crew as well as assitance from railroad staff, the selected locations ended up looking better than they had in years, especially in comaprsion to their apperance from only months prior. A grand time was had by all who attended the charter, and the weather held out as well, with some incredible sunshine for a select few shots! Sit back and enjoy as #1309 works upgrade on "The Fall Frostburg Coal Drag"!
#1309 was built by Baldwin in 1949 for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, where she hauled heavy coal trains through the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia and was part of an order of 10 H-6 class Mallets. She would become the last steam locomotive built for domestic use by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, as it would merge into the short-lived Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation in 1951. #1309 and her sisters served the C&O proudly, until she was retired in 1956 and would spend the next two decades in storage at the C&O's roundhouse in Peach Creek, WV. In 1975, #1309 was moved to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD where she was cosmetically restored and placed on display, a state in which she would remain for nearly 40 years. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad purchased #1309 in 2014 and she was moved by rail via CSX to WMSR's yard in Ridgeley, WV in July of that year. Over the course of the next 7 years, it would take thousands of hours and nearly 3 million dollars to complete the restoration of #1309, along with suffering a great deal of economic losses. Despite all the turmoil, on New Years Eve 2020, #1309 moved under her own power for the first time in 64 years and testing would commence throughout 2021 before her public debut in December of that year.
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[@trainadventure7170]

Your train videos are amazing. I'm subbing.

[@kilroy_was_here1]

Banana ham sandwiches at coal tipple

[@TheBigBananaRailfan]

Just like I always say.....

[@wabashcannonballproduction8216]

Photo Charter K-36 Mikado Wegman’s Brand Firing Squad John Garner Banana Ham Sandwiches At Coal Tipple Johnathan Eau Claire’s House Berkshire Video Hardcore Narrow Gauge Enthusiast Sodus New York Productions.

[@TheBigBananaRailfan]

Couldn’t have said it better myself....