Frostburg Depot/C15.6

On September 1, 1953 the C&P was merged into the WM. The WM began to rid itself of duplicate lines as the Eckhart Branch was abandoned as well as 5 1/2 miles of the mainline. The track was pulled from Mt. Savage Jct. to Mt. Savage, which later became Rt. 36. The remaining track was left to serve the brick works at Zihlman and Mt. Savage. The 2.6 miles of track between Borden Shaft and Grahamtown was also removed making the C&P two seperate sections of track with the western end being worked from the WM at Westernport and the eastern end being worked from the WM at Switch No.9. Much later during 1972 the track from No.9 to Frostburg Depot was removed due to a lumberyard on the west side of the tunnel switching from rail service to trucks. The depot would sit trackless and boarded up until arrival of the Allegany Central Tourist trains.

Two photos taken near the east portal of the Frostburg Tunnel. The first in 1968 ad the second in 2012. First photo is looking west into the cut and portal. Second photo is also looking west towards the now abandoned C&P Frostburg Tunnel. (1968, Don Biggs photo)

This photo is looking east from the east portal of Frostburg Tunnel on 7-14-12. I climbed up on the accumulated shale that has fallen from the hillside and collected on the roadbed. It would take much to clear this shale out and regrade the right-of-way to the tunnel. If only just to lay track into the tunnel to show how it used to look.

The track to the right in this 1968 photo was being used by a small concrete company. The company would get covered hoppers in from time to time. Some of the compainies trucks can be seen in some of the photos. The second photo is about the same location, although a dirt pile now lays where the switch to the highway dept tracks used to be. The dirt pile came from the ground that was excavated during the installation of the turntable. (1968, Don Biggs photo)

Don Biggs photographed the C&P mainline as it leaves west from the road crossing at the C&P Depot. Notice how much the tracks rise up to the switch and onto the tunnel. I shot WMSR 734 on the turntable, which now sits about the same location and the switches in the first photo. (1968, Don Biggs photo and 7-14-12)

The C&P Frostburg Depot in 1968. When these photos were taken there was still an agent working Monday through Friday at the depot. (Don Biggs photos)

Western Maryland Scenic RR 2-8-0 no.734 has stopped at the C&P Depot to unload passengers during blizzard in October 2012. (Wayne Norman photo)

Looking east down the C&P at the tracks in front of the depot in 1968. The track to the far left at the time was being used by the highway department for snow removal. Chemicals came in, in covered hoppers are were unloaded into trucks. You can see two unloading locations in this photo. The covered hoppers were spotted over a chute that led out and off the retaining wall to a waiting truck. (Don Biggs photo) I photographed WMSR 2-8-0 734 still with the throttle wide open as it approached the C&P Frostburg Depot. This train was run during the 2004 WMRHS Convention in Cumberland, Md. This train was very long and has two GP30's pushing it up the hill from Cumberland.

Looking west and east from the beginning of the multiple tracks at the C&P Frostburg Depot. From here the line winds down crossing the WM Connellsville Mainline twice towards Switch Number 9. (1968, Don Biggs photos)

WMSR 734 climbs the grade into Frostburg, MD. on the C&P. These photos were taken on 7-14-12 and show a now single track whereas the switch in the 1968 photo above was halfway down the straight stretch of track at this location.

WMSR train on layover at Frostburg on 11-19-2017 for the return trip to Cumberland. The WMSR had recently repainted there former PRR GP30 from WM the WM Speed paint scheme into the WM Red, white, Black scheme to help raise ridership and money for C&O 1309 restoration.

Pictured here just to the east of the Frostbug Depot up on the hillside near the tracks was this foundry. This foundry once built steam locomotives for the C&P when the Mt. Savage Shops were busy. There was even a turntable here and is in the circled parking lot in front of the white house behind the depot today. (1969, Don Biggs photo)

The Paul's Foundry and the destruction a tornado caused in Nov. 1891 to it and other locations in Frostburg. (thanks to Bob Lemmert for photo)

Looking east, downgrade midway between the C&P Frostburg Depot and the 2nd crossing of the WM Connellsville Mainline. I believe that may be a milepost to the left of the track. (1968, Don Biggs photo)

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