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County Commissioner Discusses Scenic RR Maintenance Issue

March 12th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

In February it was reported that the Federal Railroad Administration had ordered the replacement of railroad ties between Cumberland and Frostburg- with an estimated price tag of more than $2 million. With concerns growing on the part of county officials- and no firm dates established as to when the scenic railroad can begin operations again or when steam engine 1309 will be ready- the Allegany County Commissioners are planning to takeover track maintenance. A lack of confidence in railroad management has been evident for sometime as the county commissioners had a performance audit conducted in 2019- and just two months ago the County Commissioners demanded a financial audit of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to examine the books of the tourist attraction. Following Thursday’s public meeting, Allegany County Commissioner David Caporale told WCBC News that with some issues dragging on for months- the county is taking a proactive approach to the track maintenance problem…

 

The 1949 Baldwin Engine was purchased in 2014 by the WMSR and a restoration program was subsequently started. That effort is ongoing and it’s another point of frustration for the commissioners..