WMSR Head Expresses Regret about Taking on 1309 Restoration

The head of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad said steam may return to that line by the end of September, provided that a number of things fall into place.

Speaking during a radio program, John Garner said the cost of restoring ex-Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 has skyrocketed to $1.8 million and if he had been head of the WMSR in 2014 when the the locomotive was acquired he would never have agreed to acquire the engine from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.

Instead, Garner said he would have favored putting money and effort into rebuilding former Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2-8-0 No. 734, which ran on the WMSR until April 2016 when it was removed from service for its federally required 1,472-day inspection. Restoration of the 734 will cost $1.2 million.

“1309 is a magnificent locomotive; however, I think it is way too much of a locomotive for us. I think I would have restored 734. It’s much more appropriate for us,” Garner said.

“The 1309 project has been a huge project that’s eating us out of house and home,” Garner told Trains magazine. “However unfortunate it may be, that’s the gospel truth.”

Nonetheless, Garner said the WMSR is going to see the 1309 project through.

During his radio interview, Garner said that boiler work has been completed and a hydrostatic test will be performed in the next two or three weeks.

Garner said restoration work was delayed after contractors found corrosion pits on the locomotive’s axles, meaning they will need to be turned on a lathe. Wheel boxes and crank pins will have to be rebuilt as well.

The WMSR is also rebuilding its passenger car fleet to make it compliant with Federal Railroad Administration regulations.

A $250,000 grant from the State of Maryland is helping pay for that work. Thus far six cars have been rebuilt.

“WMSR does not have the funds to do heavy rebuilds on passenger cars,” Garner said during the radio interview. “The days of 14-car trains, 1,000 passengers a train, those days are over for now. We know we can do better, and as time and money permit, we’ll acquire additional equipment and bring more riders to Allegany County.”

Ridership on the WMSR this year has been up by 42 percent from 2016, but is below the 2015 ridership numbers.

“We’re hanging in there, but with the additional costs of restoring the locomotive, insurance costs, and maintenance on equipment we have done a boatload of right-of-way maintenance,” he said.

C&O 1309 Tickets Sales Have Been Strong

Tickets sales for excursions behind the restored Chesapeake & Ohio No. 1309 have been good enough to prompt the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to add trips to accommodate more passengers.

The additional trips behind the 2-6-6-2 Mallet will be run in the latter half of 2017.

“At the moment, we’re selling about $2,000 worth of tickets per day. Once word more generally gets out, it will rise steadily,” project manager John Hankey told Trains magazine.

The 1309 has been in restoration since the WMSR purchased it in June 2014 from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.

The WMRS is aiming at a July 1 inaugural run for the locomotive. Hankey said the Federal Railroad Administration is expected to complete a boiler inspection soon and a hydrostatic test could be undertaken by the end of February.

Flues, tubes and applicances must still be attached and Hankey expects trial runs under steam to be conducted in May.

C&O 1309 Readied for Move to Cumberland, Md.

A former Chesapeake & Ohio steam locomotive was loaded onto a flatcar on Thursday in preparation for its move to Cumberland, Md., to join the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

The 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 will be moved next week from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum via a special move on CSX.

Railroad and museum officials prepared the locomotive for the move by removing smaller parts for truck transport.
The Hulcher company used four “sidewinder” machines that are commonly used in railcar repair and maintenance to help load the 1309 onto the heavy-duty flatcars.

The first segment of the loading involved the separation of No. 1309’s front articulated section from its main boiler and cab area.

The workers then disconnected the front drivers from the boiler, using the museum’s B&O-painted GP7. The articulated front end was positioned on an adjacent track, while workers loaded the locomotive’s main boiler and cab area.
A flat car was positioned beneath No. 1309’s boiler, which was suspended by the sidewinders about 7 feet in mid-air. Once spotted, workers lowered the locomotive onto the flat car, resting it on temporary steel bar stock that was installed for transport.

Museum officials estimate that workers will need another two days to secure equipment and make inspections before the 1309 can depart for Cumberland.

CSX donated a general-purpose flat car for the move and has agreed to move the locomotive to Cumberland at no charge. TTX donated a depressed center flat for the move at no cost.