Modern Western Maryland Railway

Sub forum for Paper Railroads
ES44AH
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 783
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: Hagerstown, Md (near CP Town)

Modern Western Maryland Railway

Unread post by ES44AH »

I know someone on here has or had WM's trackage, but this is in its own alternate reality so it wont clash with anyone else. The Western Maryland is my favorite railroad, and is local to me (Living in Hagerstown, MD. former home of WM's engine shops).

The modern Western Maryland, a "what if" of if the WM was never absorbed into Chessie System. The Railway follows the original WM (Port Covington, MD to Connellsville, PA and Elkins, WV) and is primarily coal traffic. The offices remain in Baltimore and Hagerstown remains the main shops.

Real History:
The Western Maryland was founded in 1852 as the Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Railroad, and a year later the name was changed to Western Maryland Railroad Company. Construction began in 1857 from Owings Mill, MD and using existing Northern Central Railway track connected to Baltimore. In 1886, the line was extended to Hanover, this became the Hanover Sub. The Railroad started building west to Hagerstown in 1892. The extension from Hagerstown to Cumberland was complete in 1903 and in 1909 the Hagerstown Shops were built. In 1908, the name was Changed to Western Maryland Railway after new ownership. In 1973, the WM was absorbed into the Chessie System and was abandoned because of the parallel B&O. This is where the real history ends.

New History:
Back tracking to 1964, when the merger was being filed for permission . The ICC denied merger of the WM to Chessie System, and the WM remains on its own. With the B&O and C&O merged, the WM falls into new ownership, with the intention to give the newly formed Chessie System competition. The WM experiments with intermodal revenue and increased coal traffic. Old worn out locomotives (the veteran F7s and GP9s) are retired for newer power. In 1968, the WM purchased ALCo Century, GE Universal, and EMD 2nd generation diesels. In the 1980s and 1990s, the ALCos and early GE's are replaced by GE Dash-7 and Dash-8, EMD SD40-2 and SD50 and later AC4400CW, SD60, and SD70. Today the WM operates the latest AC locomotives and still remains a primarily coal road. Coal and Intermodal make up the largest revenue, followed closely by merchandise and autorack. The route hasnt changed much except for being double track throughout. The WM interchanges with the Norfolk Southern in Hagerstown, MD and Connellsville, PA. Also interchanges with NS in Alexandria, VA and CSX in Baltimore, MD (Maryland and Northern does not exist in this alternate reality)

Roster:
234: F7A (OCS, Circus scheme)
236: F7A (OCS, Speed scheme)
238: F7A (OCS, Speed scheme)
240: F7A (OCS, Circus scheme)
402: F7B (OCS, Speed scheme)
403: F7B (OCS, Circus scheme)
7700-7740: AC4400CW
7750-7760: AC4400CH
7800-7830: SD70MAC
7840-7870: SD70ACe
7900-7910: ES44AH
8000-8012: ES40DC
8020-8030: ES44AC
8100-8104: SD40M (rebuilt SD40, ex-7445-7449)
8105-8115: SD40-2
8200-8260: CW44-9
8300-8304: GP40M (rebuilt GP40, ex-3795-3799)
8310-8314: SLG35 (slug,rebuilt GP35, ex-3576-3580)
8700-8710: GP9M (rebuild GP9, ex-25-34)
Western Maryland-The Fast Freight Line.

TheDukeofDank
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Re: Modern Western Maryland Railway

Unread post by TheDukeofDank »

This is definitely a good take on a modern WM. Personally though, I did have the WM merged into an alternate Erie Lackawanna in my own ideas.

Derektrainman03
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Posts: 31
Joined: Wed May 13, 2020 4:01 pm
Location: Dudley, MA
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Re: Modern Western Maryland Railway

Unread post by Derektrainman03 »

That’s a great history! Keep up the Awesome work!!!

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