Chapter Meeting – April 19, 2023

APRIL 19 SOCIAL MEETING PROGRAM will feature Wesley Heinz, WMSR executive director, who will give an informative talk about the 1309 steam engine and the 2023 excursion train season to guests and members of the WM Chapter NRHS attending the next monthly meeting, which will be held at 7 PM in the Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street, among the shops at Canal Place in Cumberland MD. Admission is free and open to the public. Nearest parking is available in the area beneath the Interstate Route 68 bridge on the north side of Howard Street, opposite the historic Footer’s Dye Works building. Parking is free on a first-come basis. Be careful when crossing Howard Street because motor vehicles do not always fully stop at the bottom of westbound Exit 43B ramp.
Heinz, who has been the executive director of the WMSR during the past 22 months, will discuss the impact that will be made when the massive 1309 Mallet-designed 2-6-6-2 steam locomotive is providing motive power for WMSR trains during summer and autumn. When it is operating on WMSR tracks between Cumberland and Frostburg, the locomotive will be America’s largest articulated compound steam engine active in regularly scheduled excursion service.
Heinz will also talk about the various excursion train experiences that are scheduled throughout 2023. There are several exciting events planned for the scenic railroad during the next eight months ahead. Everyone who attends this meeting will hear what is coming down the track. Don’t miss out on this very informative and interesting event.