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, September 18, in the Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street, among the shops at Canal place. Parking is available in the lot along Howard Street beneath the Interstate Route 68 Bridge north of the Footer Dye Works building. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.
The video program, titled “America’s Railroads: The Steam Train Legacy,” consists of short films made in the 1950s about different aspects of the railroad industry. Three episodes focus on the history of the Western Maryland Railway, on railroad safety procedures, and on “precision efficiency” during freight train operations. The program concludes with a section about train accidents, wrecks and derailments based on newsreel footage filmed between 1951 and 1967.
The Western Maryland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered in 1977 to promote the appreciation o f rail transportation and its heritage. This chapter is especially focused on 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 on the third Wednesday of each month, and receive a monthly newsletter containing information about chapter activities, current railroad news, and local railroad history. Anyone who is interested in railroads is invited to attend.
Western Maryland Chapter National Railway Historical Society 