March 15th, 2022 by WCBC Radio
Even in dealing with COVID-19, one of the bigger success stories in Allegany County last year was the remarkable turnaround of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. Ridership records were shattered for the popular Polar Express excursions and interest from across the nation soared with the long awaited debut of steam engine 1309. Most of those associated with the tourist train in recent years do not hesitate when pointing to the arrival last summer of the new general manager Wes Heinz. Heinz and his team went to work immediately in completing what had been a seven year restoration project on 1309 and returned it to operation- as well as immediately creating and scheduling a number of family themed activities such as the Ice Cream trains and the Pumpkin Express. Heinz tells WCBC News that the potential for a booming tourist train industry has always existed in the region- it was just a matter of putting the right team in place to execute the plan…
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