CUMBERLAND — Final numbers for 2011 showed a nice bump in ridership for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad at a time when other tourist railroads have struggled to maintain ridership, said Frank Fowler, the railroad’s general superintendent.
“It’s up 1,000 to about 39,000, that’s up from 38,000 in 2010 ... we have seen increases for the past few years,” Fowler said. “We’ll have over 40,000 (in 2012),” Fowler said, based on how advance ticket sales and other indicators are going. And about one-third of those passengers are staying at least one night in the area, Fowler said, basing his numbers on survey results. “It’s been a good year for us ... and the tourists are bringing money into the local economy,” Fowler said.
Right now, the railroad is preparing its steam engine, Mountain Thunder, for an annual inspection. And even more important inspections are coming down the pike. Mountain Thunder is the nickname given to Engine 734, a vintage 1916 Baldwin locomotive with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement.
The Federal Railroad Administration schedules an inspection of the steam engine each year before the tourist season starts, Fowler said. Inspectors from Philadelphia come in for two to three days each year. They’re especially careful with the older steam locomotives like Mountain Thunder. While Mountain Thunder is in good shape, not all steam locomotives are, Fowler said.
A major inspection, which basically requires taking the engine apart, is scheduled for 2015, and that may include a boiler replacement and other engine work. In preparation for 2015, the railroad plans to replace the driver bearings for the wheel axles this year and in 2013 replace the tires. That’s right, the railroad’s wheels have steel tires that go over the actual wheels, and that’s the proper name for them.
The wheel work will involve having the wheels machined, since each is currently a slightly different diameter, Fowler said.
Boiler replacement could cost $400,000, according to Fowler. If the work must be funded by grants, the costs could be higher, since grants often require work to be done by a third party rather than in-house. The railroad has an in-house staff that usually takes care of maintaining the train. Many of the parts must be forged since replacement parts for steam engines aren’t available.
A more regular expense is tie replacement. Each year the railroad tries to replace some of the 40,000 ties on the main line. Fowler said the railroad will try to raise its own funds and will present county commissioners with a flat funding request for the coming fiscal year. The railroad asked commissioners for $155,000 for the current fiscal year.
The tourist railroad brings train fans, and now trail fans, and their monies into Cumberland, Frostburg and Allegany County. More and more bicyclists looking to enjoy a ride on the Great Allegheny Passage trail are using the train, which runs between Cumberland and Frostburg, as a shuttle, Fowler has said.
Besides bringing in tourists, the railroad makes its own contribution to the economy, including more than $500,000 in salaries for 17 full-time and 16 part-time employees, most of whom live in Allegany County, Fowler has said.
The bulk of the railroad’s season is from May through October, with more limited trains in November and December.
Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com.
