Fallen Flags: Western Maryland/Chessie System

[2011Maynard]

Ahhhh - the days of nearly graffiti/tag-free railroad cars! Thanks for sharing

[mopacslim]

they were still using BL2's in 1982? damn!

[htc6600]

I love that WM circus scheme. Of course, I like Cornell Red too despite living in Minnesota.

[Wehategod]

Beautiful Grain Cars

[Dockshund]

One of the WM BL2's is in the B&O museum and like a lot of other items, is quickly

rusting to the point where it won't be much to look at . It takes cash to take care of these relics properly and hard times are taking their toll.

[RailsandRoads]

COOL! A BL2 AND SLUG!!!!!

[tarmac2001]

Very Interesting, CSX was only a holding company on paper at this time, but the Family Lines Hoppers mixed in with the Chessie Hoppers on that train truly indicated what was going to come about in the next few years. However seeing a WM BL2 even running at this time along with a modern NW caboose is kind of astonishing to me, although I'm aware of the NW having trackage rights over the WM to connect with it's Pittsburgh route that the later NS sold off and is today's W&LE enterprise.

[sontafranklin]

Invite - Facebook Group - Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20701. Collection of all things Annapolis Junction, MD... Mainly Research\History. Share pictures, videos, stories, and more... intended for residents of past and present.

[pianomanmaestro]

What happened to the Chessie System?

[Nathanrailfan]

@pianomanmaestro Merged with CSX in the mid 1980's.

[strobx1]

@pianomanmaestro Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System to form CSXT = Chessie Seaboard Transportation.

[fordsuckbigtime]

i was chessie system was still around right now

[ma7799]

Wow! The WM was still using BL2's in 1982?

[spiritomb]

Technically it was the Chessie then, but yes they did (they were re-numbered too, 81 - 7172 & 82 - 7173).

[ma7799]

WM still existed under Chessie untl 1983, when it was merged into the B&O.

[spiritomb]

yes I know, I was just commenting on how the Chessie renumbered the BL2's from the WM and the C&O instead of repainting them. The same thing with the WM, B&O, and the C&O's F units and FA's.

[generationll]

There are BL2s in Maine and Kentucky.Would love to see one.The frornt makes me think of E/F Series locomotives

[andybowe]

The BL2 was built in 1948-49 on an F3 frame in a semi streamlined body and was the predessor to the GP7 the location of the single note horn can be seen on Australlian CLP and CLF classes E unite type bulldog nose with a 645E3 engine at 3300 Hp.

[Tjsingle14]

I railfan right there now, 28 years later, there is a guardrail there, and a marc station a ways down, you catch some really cool power

[dragonpullman]

WM 3799 is now CSX 6574 to my understanding, it doesn't operate at the moment but that might soon change because I saw a picture of it at Waycross, GA where it looked like they were turning it into a roadslug.

If anyone has any more information about this, please let me know about any more news, I'd be really interested

[blazinsk8er359]

Thats an awesome video of the BL2. Theres one at the Baltimore and Ohio railroad museum in Baltimore.

[RailfanDownunder]

Wonderful....more WM please?

[TrainmasterCurt]

Does the BL in BL2 stand for Branch Line?

[kasi330]

Yes it does.

[TrainmasterCurt]

An EMD BL2 "Shark Unit" cool, never seen those weird lookin loco's in action before

[cinemaphiliac]

FYI, they were built in 1948.

[WWBZT1]

Western Maryland is still around. I was up in their yard near Johnsonville. They have 6 - 8 shinny EMD GP-38's.

[Hickler90]

No i think in 1973, as part of the Chessie, the Western Maryland ownership went to C&O and it was operated by the B&O. In 1987, it was merged into the C&O and then that became CSX.

[strobx1]

@Hickler90 My dad retired off from the C&O. Here's what really happened. C&O+ Pere Marquette & Hocking Valley- C&O merged with B&O about 1968 to become C&O/B&O. C&O/B&O bought the Chicago South Shore & South Bend. Chessie bought WM. THEN

Atlantic Coast Line merged with the Seaboard Airline to become Seaboard Air system in 1968. They bought the Louisville & Nashville, Monon, Chicago & Eastern Illinois & Clinchfield = Family Lines. Chessie system merged with Seaboard System Family Lines.

[kasi330]

I think you might be confusing the WM with the Maryland Midland. They have orange and blue GP-38s.

[Shield1751]

Western maryland is long gone....they were merged out of existance by the C&O...as was the B&O. Too bad...WM was a great railroad!!

[cbehr91]

Your think of Maryland Midland. They cloned the paint scheme. And then there's the Western Maryland Scenic which runs passenger train out of Cumberland, Maryland. WM hasn't been around since 1975. It was sucked into the CSX monopoly.

[ma7799]

1983 actually. B&O bought them in 1975, but WM was retained under the Chessie System until they merged it into the C&O.

[Railfreak78]

Thank you for posting some (well now days) "classic" footage. This is awesome!

[e44e33]

It was switching the yard at Hagerstown--NW (now NS) came in there, as well as Conrail.

[nickman912]

Heh a WM BL2 deep in the Chessie era. I didnt think they lasted that long. Funny it was pullin a Norfolk Western cab though.

[Shield1751]

WM, B&O and N&W all had yards in Hagerstown, MD.....it was most likely a transfer run between yards (hence the BL-2)...... and having a NW cab was not that unusual.... remember..the WM had very well maintained units..i have a picture of the f units in the late 70's /early 80's.

[ma7799]

When were the F's retired?

[redskins1192]

Awesome!!! Takes me back!!

[Galaxy2517]

Wish the Chessie days could come back.CSX tore up alot of track in the nineties, including the old B&O main past my house.Since then the rail traffic has picked up greatly and I think they are starting to regret their haste.

[e44e33]

yep

[2GUNBOY]

Didn't Western Maryland only have two BL2s?

[GP30RDMT]

hmmm. seems to be running better than it did back in Muirkirk!! -Jeffrey

[2GUNBOY]

A Western Maryland EMD BL2, COOL!!!

[e44e33]

Yeah, and look closely as it passes--the other BL2 is just beyond it.

[cweis127]

@2GUNBOY can you believe people at EMD thought it was ugly?!