Western Maryland Railway Museum

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad traces its origins to a late‑1980s joint effort that secured the former Cumberland‑Frostburg branch, with Allegany County contributing $585,000, the city of Cumberland $2,470,560 and the city of Frostburg $338,427 to purchase the corridor. From 1988 to 1991 the Allegany Central Railroad operated excursions on the line under contract, using steam locomotives No. 1238 and No. 1286, before the Scenic Railroad Development Corporation (SRDC) assumed control. In 1991 the SRDC reorganized as the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) to run its own equipment, and in January 1992 the organization purchased LS&I No. 34 from the Illinois Railway Museum, returning it to service by July 1993. The railroad appointed Wesley Heinz as executive director on August 24 2021, a change that led to the completion of locomotive No. 1309’s restoration and a rise in ridership. In January 2024 the WMSR announced a long‑term lease of the 14‑mile Georges Creek Railway, planning to operate it as a separate Georges Creek Division while adding former WM GP9 units Nos. 25 and 39 to its fleet.