Carl Franz (and company) organized a series of 3 charters to help raise funds towards the goal of rebuilding John Helmstetter classic barn that was destroyed in a fire recently. The barn was located near the Western Maryland line that once hosted Challengers. It is now the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad just outside of Cumberland, MD. About $30,000 was raised for this endeavor.

Please enjoy the following set of photos from the first of the three charters!

Monday, October 19th, 2009.

Helmstetter's Curve (Inside early AM)


Engineer's Side Pan at Helmstetters

WM #734 thundering through peak foliage by the bridge
(Any one have the "official" name of this bridge?)

A zoom pan - hold on to something

Fireman's side pad w/glint

Near the ground - Sunnyside

Into the clearing
(Can someone verify this location)

Frostburg Station

Hope you enjoyed!

For further information, last minute tickets for the November 9th trip or if you'd like to help support the John Helmstetter's Farm Support Fund, visit:

John Helmstetter Farm Fund

/Mitch

Wow! Great pictures! Some of those would make great posters!

Andy

We just called it bridge number 2. It crosses the old Western Maryland Main here, which is now the bike trail. Some of the grades between this bridge and switch number nine, the last 2 1/2 miles to the old Cumberland and Pennsylvania Depot, now the WMSR Depot, are 2.8%!

The tunnel under Frostburg, in your other photo, goes to Westernport Md. In the old days, it crossed the Potomac at Westernport, and over to Piedmont, WVA, where there was an interchange with the Baltimore and Ohio.
The trail, as I said, is the old Western Maryland Main, and the Western Maryland had their own depot at Frostburg, which burned years ago, and was located at the trailhead just below the current WMSR Depot. That is the line that went to Meyersdale and on to points west.

That shot on bridge two, for me, is the best of 'em. I sure would like to have shot that scene in that light. At about 1pm, during the regular runs, the light just isn't that good. Would have loved to join ya'all on the photo shoot, but just don't have the coin.

The clearing shot? I thought that I had walked over every inch of the 15.6 miles to Frostburg, but I don't know that location.

Ed

Sweet Georgia Brown!!! Beautiful pictures. I have never seen a pan shot done on a 3/4 view. Awesome!

I went up to Frostburg on Oct 26, at noon, to see if I could meet some of the folks on that photoshoot. I did meet Tom Mugnano, and some of the WMSR crew, talked to them a while, and shot this one while there, as they were changing the direction of 734, and put her on the table. Usually, its an event that draws a lot of folks during the regular runs, so I liked getting this one of her:

ON THE TABLE

Ed

Just wondering, what's the caboose number?

Poppyl

The caboose was numbered 1813.

I have a photo of it (panned - go figure) but it's
not on RP. If someone would show me how to post
an image on this forum, I'll add it. Don't see
any icons above that provide a way to do so?

/Mitch

Mitch,

Terrific photos. I've used quite a number of yours as background/desktop photos over the years. Check out the 3 Rail forum. There is a sticky at the top of the page listing the instructions for posting photos.

Mitch,

Here is the link to the instructions that SJC mentions:

http://www.bojphoto.com/ogr/index.html

Andy

Mitch - Your remain the King of the Pan!

Mitch;

Thanks for the info. Do you know if that is the original number for that unit? Looking forward to your photo which should resolve a vague question in my mind.

Poppyl

Not sure if that is the original number - maybe someone here can answer before I Google it up. As for the photo - be right back. It's been a while since I used a host site (It worked!)

/Mitch

Nice! Looks like a Marx litho.

Thanks, Mitch. That's a great picture. My question related to the window configurations -- both on the body and cupola -- as the first picture didn't match my recollection of 1813. Your picture makes it clear that some work has been done.

Poppyl

Poppyl, here's 1826 at Westernport. Looks like she has two windows a side closed up, too.



The folks that take care of the caboose (not the town) have it in excellent shape.

Ed

Ha! Found it. This is a photo of 1813 before it was repainted by the Scenic.

Back in 2004, it was the 1891 in Western Maryland Tuscan.



This may answer your question, Poppyl.

Ed

Thanks, Ed. A wolf in sheep's clothing, as one might say.

Poppyl