Baltimore & Ohio

Out of Cumberland, more specifically Viaduct Jct. the B&O mainlines headed in two distinct directions.
One main headed due west into the West Virginia coal fields and across Ohio to Cincinnati and St. Louis,
while the other turned northwest toward Pittsburgh and then west to Chicago.  This page will follow the
main up and over the famous Sand Patch grade toward Connelsville and Pittsburgh, PA.

    Just outside Cumberland a mountain ridge is cut through by the river and the railroad used this
natural break known as the Cumberland Narrows to its advantage.  Here an eastbound train has stopped to wait for clearance to enter
the yard.  It is March 8, 1975 and some of old F-units are still working.

  A few miles north of Cumberland is the small town of Hyndman, MD.  It is here that the climb up Sand Patch grade begins
as the railroad turns away from the river and heads across the backbone of the Alleghany Mountains.  The tower at Hyndman controlled the
crossovers and the helpers engine pocket tracks.  'Q' tower was a classic wooden affair.

  GP40 4146 and four other units have cutoff their train and have pulled up to the tower to crossover to the helper
pocket tracks to add two units to the head end.

  GP9 5627 is among the units this trip.

  Western Maryland SD40 7571 and another SD40 are the units to be picked up the westbound.

  With seven units, this westbound is into the climb passing through Glencoe, PA.  October 15, 1980.

    Working hard along a short straight-a-way at Philson, PA.

      A final look at this train curving around the tiny town of Mance, PA.
That is the town Post Office in the foreground.  For those new to railroading, that's at genuine manned caboose !

      The small hamlet of Glencoe is being enveloped in a cloud of brake shoe
smoke as two GP40's try hard to control a loaded coal train heading downhill.  October 15, 1980.

    Downhill a bit further at Fairhope the smoke has eased up a bit.

  A little earlier in the day I catch an eastbound behind a new GP-40-2 4307 at Falls Cut Tunnel.

  Not far behind the 4307 eastbound is another eastbound led by 4159 and a WM SD40.  Fairhope, PA.

      On October 16, 1980 GP35 3502 is westbound smoking it up at Glencoe.
Poor Glencoe, smoke, smoke, smoke.

    GP35 3502 is straining while winding around the reverse curves near Manila, PA.  October 16, 1980.

Lots more to come.............