By Justin Franz
CUMBERLAND, Md. — A few weeks back, the owner of a restaurant in Cumberland, Md., called the mayor to ask what was going on down at the old Western Maryland depot and why there were so many people milling about. It was a Friday night — normally a pretty quiet time in those parts — but his business was full of people.
The answer? Ice cream trains.
This summer is turning into a big one at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad — and not for the reason you might expect — as a new executive director breathes new life into the 33-year-old tourist railroad. Earlier this summer, Wesley Heinz was appointed interim executive director and, after a probation period, was named the permanent leader on August 24. Prior to coming to Cumberland, Heinz was the executive director of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum in Portland, Maine. But Heinz was no stranger to the WMSR having worked off and on there as a contractor and employee over the last few years on its marquee project, the restoration of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 1309, the largest operating steam locomotive in the east.
Last year was a tough one for the WMSR. Due to the pandemic, the railroad did not run in 2020. The railroad was also plagued with track problems following a Federal Railroad Administration inspection that found the 16-mile line between Cumberland and Frostburg needed extensive work before trains could safely run. This spring the railroad was able to do some track work and began running trains in May for the first time in over a year. The schedule was simple at first, mostly weekend excursions so people could look at the scenery along the old Western Maryland.
But since Heinz arrived in June, the railroad has started to focus more on events, including dinner trains and ice cream trains aimed at families. The ice cream trains are inexpensive and short, perfect for people with young children. Heinz said it has helped the railroad engage with the local community in ways that it hasn’t been able to in the past.
“It all comes down to figuring out what the local community wants and then responding to that want,” he said.
So far the gamble is paying off, Heinz said. In 2019, the last year the railroad ran, they moved more than 19,000 people on its regular-season excursions (not counting Polar Express runs in December). This year, the railroad is just a few weekends away from surpassing that.
“We’re about to beat 2019 and we still haven’t even had our biggest events of the year yet,” Heinz said.
Among the big events still to come are the Pumpkin Patch Express runs in late October and the Polar Express in December. Tickets for the Pumpkin Patch Express went on sale last Sunday and sold out within 48 hours. To respond to demand, they’ve added another coach to the train and those tickets are expected to sell quickly as well.
Although Heinz has only been on the job a few months, his bosses are happy.
“Since stepping into the role of interim executive director earlier this summer, Mr. Heinz has embarked on an aggressive program to rebuild and reimagine the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad,” said Mike McKay, WMSR board president and Delegate for District 1C in Allegany and Washington Counties. “His efforts have directly resulted in dramatically increased exposure, ridership, and revenue, as well as a brand-new image that we are sure, in a very short period, will make WMSR the pride of our community, our region, and the great states of Maryland and West Virginia.”
Heinz attributes much of this season’s success to the crew he’s assembled, some new and some old, on the railroad.
The WMSR has also started moving freight recently. Earlier this summer, the railroad started working with CSX Transportation to move soybean hulls, a byproduct of the oil-making process. WMSR picks up cars from CSX in Cumberland and moves them across the river to their yard in Ridgeley, W.V., where they are unloaded.
Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 1309 will lead the Polar Express in December. Photo by Wesley Heinz.
While Heinz’s biggest priority is meeting the needs of the local community, he knows a lot of people in the railfan community are wanting to know when C&O 2-6-6-2 1309 will run. After an extensive, multi-year restoration, 1309 ran for the first time on New Year’s Eve. The locomotive has not run since then but work has continued on it and this week the tender was getting painted. Some of the delays have been beyond the control of the railroad. For example, the WMSR was waiting for more than two months to get bricks for the firebox thanks to supply shortages.
“We’re very close,” he said.
Heinz said the railroad is confident that the locomotive will be running this year and that they plan to use it on the Polar Express on December 17, 18 and 19. As for when test runs will begin, Heinz will only say that the locomotive will hit the main line sometime between now and December.
With Heinz taking the throttle of the WMSR, his former employer in Maine is looking for a new executive director. Heinz said he is proud of what he accomplished at the Maine Narrow Gauge and that the state’s legendary 2-footers will always be special to him.
“Maine Narrow Gauge will always be near and dear to my heart,” he said.