Episodes from a video program on American railroad history will be shown during the monthly meeting of the Western Maryland Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. This meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, in the new Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street, Suite C5, among the shops at Canal Place. Nearest free parking is available on Howard St. beneath the 1-68 bridge located on the north side of the Footer Dye Works building. Walk west along Howard St. extended to the end of the row of shops on the left side. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.
The video program, titled “America’s Railroads: The Steam Train Legacy,” recreates the history, the romance, and the day-to-day operations of America’s greatest railroads. Some of the episodes include a brief history of the American railroads, the building of the nation’s first transcontinental line, the peak of steam engine operations during World War Two, and the eventual triumph of diesel power over steam during the mid-Twentieth Century. Viewers will take a look back to the people and machines that built the great American railroad system.
The Western Maryland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization chartered in 1977 to promote the appreciation of rail transportation and its heritage. This chapter is especially interested in the history of railroads and rail transit lines that have existed in Western Maryland and adjacent parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Members usually meet together on the third Wednesday of each month, and receive a monthly newsletter. Anyone who is interested in local railroad history is invited to attend.
Western Maryland Chapter National Railway Historical Society 