Sunday, November 20, 2016

Join us for a private, behind-the-scenes yard and shop tour at Western Maryland Scenic Railway (WMSR) featuring the ongoing restoration of steam locomotive #1309. This special tour will be led by John Hankey, noted railroad historian and co-architect of the #1309 restoration project. It will be a very special experience.

Steam locomotive #1309 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949 to haul C&O coal through the mountainous grades and tight curves of West Virginia and Kentucky coal fields.  This 2-6-6-2 mallet type locomotive is the last steam locomotive Baldwin built for use by a railroad in the USA.  Following service with C&O, #1309 was transferred to the B&O Railroad Museum in 1972, where it was preserved and displayed until its acquisition by the WMSR in 2014. When restoration is complete in 2017, #1309 will once again travel rugged Appalachian mountain grades.

We’ll meet at 11 a.m. Sunday November 20^th, at the WMSR’s Ridgely shops in Ridgely, West Virginia, on the outskirts of Cumberland MD (from downtown Washington, it’s about a 2 ½ hour drive). The tour will begin with an account of the ongoing #1309 rebuild, focusing on the technologies and challenges of bringing a big locomotive back to life. This is a rare chance to witness the process of traditional steam locomotive work.

We will tour and photograph additional WMSR equipment and facilities, and take a short railfan train trip to Maryland Junction and back. A boxed lunch is included. The trip will conclude at about 4 p.m. Please be flexible—there may be other surprises in store.   

Don’t miss out on this incredible historic opportunity!

PER PERSON FARES:

DCNRHS Member: $30     Nonmember: $40

For those interested in extending their mountain rail experience, WMSR will be operating a full holiday schedule, running the Mountain Limited, Santa Express, and North Pole Experience on both Saturday and Sunday. Hotel reservations are available in downtown Cumberland, MD, with hotels and restaurants in walking distance from the station.  For more information visit www.wmsr.com.

CONDTIONS:

1. No refund or credit after July 1, 2016, other than by operator's cancellation of the trip or reselling of the space. Reservations are not transferable and may not be resold without the consent of the operator.

2. This trip includes strenuous walking over uneven gravel, hard surfaces and rails. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad includes facilities and equipment that are not accessible to visitors with mobility issues.

3. Those with special dietary needs must notify the reservations agent in writing at least two weeks prior to the trip; include request in the comments when ordering.

4. All participants must be dressed appropriately, wearing closed, hard soled shoes (no flip flops, sandals, open or athletic shoes or high heels permitted). Participants not properly dressed will be denied entrance, and no refund will be provided. Please dress for the weather. We will be outside much of the day.

5. No transportation or overnight accommodations are included; tour participants must make their own arrangements.

6. The General Conditions for tours, trips, excursions and events as published on the DCNRHS web site (www.dcnrhs.org) apply. By making a reservation, participants agree to be bound by both the General and these specific Conditions.

RESERVE/BUY ONLINE NOW: HANDLING FEE APPLIES.

For information, call 703-273-8440 or e-mail to reservations@dcnrhs.org.