Western Maryland Chapter National Railway Historical Society

THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING ON NOV. 16 will be held at 7 PM in the Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street among the shops at Canal Place. The nearest parking is available in the lot along Howard Street beneath the Interstate Route 68 bridge, 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.

Since the event is the last public business meeting of the year, chapter officers and committee chairmen will present final reports on their activities. The admission of any prospective members will be considered, and dues payments for 2023 will be received from current members. A review of the fourth year of operation for the Cumberland Railroad Museum will be given. Preliminary plans for next year will be discussed. The major item of business will be the election of officers and directors who will serve next year. All WM Chapter members are urged to attend this important year-end meeting.

 OCT. 19 SOCIAL MEETING PROGRAM of the WM Chapter NRHS will be held at 7 PM in the Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street, among the shops at Canal Place. Nearest parking is in the parking lot along Howard Street beneath the Interstate Route 68 bridge, 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. Meeting is open to the public at no charge.

     Railroad photographer and historian Tom Biery will give an encore presentation of his program, Kelly-Springfield Tire Company and the B&O Railroad in Cumberland. It is a short history of Cumberland’s Kelly-Springfield Tire plant and the role that railroads played in providing transportation service for a major tire company. While doing historical research in preparing this program, Tom discovered many interesting facts about the interplay between a tire manufacturer and local railroads. For example, when comparing sections of USGS topographic maps between 1900 and 1925, Tom noticed that over a twenty-five-year period, the dual tracks of the B&O Railroad on the West End of the Cumberland Division were re-aligned for a half mile to provide more useful property for the construction of the Kelly-Springfield Tire plant. Tom will reveal more fascinating historical facts during his interesting talk.

SEPTEMBER 21 SOCIAL MEETING of the WM Chapter NRHS will be held at 7 PM in the Cumberland Railroad Museum at 17 Howard Street among the shops at Canal Place. Nearest parking is available in the parking lot along Howard Street beneath the Interstate Route 68 bridge, 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. This meeting is open to the public at no charge.

Cumberland Mayor Raymond Morriss will give an encore presentation of his interesting program that he gave on Saturday morning, August 27, to members of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society. His program, Cumberland Terminal Operations and the Reasons for Change since 1983, the period during the transition from the Chessie System railroads to CSX Transportation. Ray Morriss began his association with the B&O Rail-road in 1974 when he worked on a track maintenance crew during the summer months. He later continued to be employed by the successor corporations Chessie System and CSX Transportation, retiring after 43 years in 2017. Ray will have many fascinating railroad tales to tell.

WM CHAPTER BUSINESS MEETING ON AUG. 17 will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday evening in the Cumberland Railroad Museum, located at 17 Howard Street among the shops at Canal Place in Cumberland MD. Nearest parking is available in the lot beneath the Interstate Route 68 bridge on the north side 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.
Regular reports will be given by chapter officers and committee chairmen. Membership applications will be read and considered for approval. Plans will be presented for the social meeting programs that are scheduled for September 21 and October 19. The 53rd Cumberland Heritage Days will take place on September 10-11, so sign-up sheets will be available for members wishing to volunteer as guides at the Cumberland Railroad Museum and aboard the CRR 1072 caboose on Track 3 at Cumberland’s historic Western Maryland Railway Station. The nominating process for the annual election of WM Chapter officers and directors on November 16 will begin with the selection of the Nominations Committee. All WM Chapter members are urged to attend this meeting. Important matters will be discussed and transacted during this business meeting.

     JULY 20 SOCIAL MEETING of the WM Chapter NRHS will begin at 6 PM (one hour earlier than usual) in and around the home of Kelly and Bruce Pfeifer on 190 Shady Rest Lane in Short Gap, West Virginia. This informal gathering of WM Chapter members, spouses and friends on a pleasant summer evening will feature a cookout and viewing of model railroad layouts. Here are directions to their home at 190 Shady Rest Lane in Short Gap WV: From Cumberland, Ridgeley, and Wiley Ford, travel south on WV Route 28 or WV Route 28 Alternate for about six miles. Upon approaching Short Gap, pass the Dollar General Store and the Red Barn Restaurant on the left. Turn right on the Shady Rest Lane, then follow the left curve at the mailbox cluster, and follow the right curve up Shady Rest Lane. No. 190 is the third house on the right, just before the cul-de-sac (turnaround). 

     From Cresaptown, LaVale, and Corriganville, travel south on US Route 220 to the intersection with MD Route 956 near Pinto. Turn left on to MD Route 956 and go three miles until the road intersects with WV Route 28. Turn left at the new traffic signal and go north on WV Route 28, passing Graceland Church on the right. Turn left on to Shady Rest Lane, then follow the left curve at the mailbox cluster, and follow the right curve up Shady Rest Lane. No. 190 is the third house on the right, just before the cul-de-sac (turnaround).

     From Fort Ashby, Springfield, and other places in Hampshire County, travel north on WV Route 28 At the new traffic signal in Short Gap at the intersection with the road coming from Pinto, continue going north on WV Route 28, passing Graceland Church on the right. Turn left on to Shady Rest Lane, then follow the left curve at the mailbox cluster, and follow the right curve up Shady Rest Lane. No. 190 is the third house on the right, just before the cul-de-sac (turnaround). Anyone planning to attend this meeting should contact Bruce Pfeifer at 410-227-8678 before Saturday, July 16, so that he has a good idea how many persons will be visiting his home on July 20. He is looking forward to everyone having an enjoyable evening.