Hi all,

Does anyone know the current status of the three surviving Western Maryland GP9s? I believe one (EX: #44) was (is?) operating on the Utah Central Railway (#201) in Ogden, Utah, while the other two (EX: #25 and #39) are working(?) on the George's Creek Railway in Western Maryland.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Nick

Your information is correct and complete.

25 is currently blue carded and service ready and 39 is waiting for a low voltage rewire and a trip to the paint shop.

44 is in service.

Last month: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5286574

39 has had an interesting life; from WM to CSX as 6414, then it came to the Gettysburg RR as "14" and just had the "Chessie" painted out on the hood with "System" left, and ran that way on the short-lived Johnsonburg, Kane, Warren & Irvine (predecessor to the Allegheny RR) in Warren, PA. The "6414" "System Engine" was the only thing left running up here for a little over two years. After ALY bought the line, it went over to the Knox & Kane, where it got renumbered again back to 39 and painted in Gettysburg RR colors.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1190216

This was the engine on the front page of the paper for the post-Conrail grand reopening of the JKW&I with enough politicians on the front sill to bend the draft gear. That was the one and only day where "JKW&I" reporting marks were on the cab with removable sticky paper. I met Sloan Cornell and his wife that day and he had me run his camera to record the event.

After hauling trains over the K&K, it ran on the Kinzua Viaduct until it was hit by the tornado

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/kin ... sinka.html

Ridership dived after the tornado, and it was left in Kane when the line was closed. I got photos of it pulling one of the last excursions before K&K hung it up post-tornado. It was in the Kane enginehouse when the arson fire of the Chinese 2-8-2 happened and it got very much singed. It was bought at the auction by Georges Creek, as-is-where-is, and made it down there, in burned condition, in 2009. It's been recorded as 'sold for scrap' in some records, but Gerald pulled it back from the dead, literally:

https://youtu.be/amQf64diRQE

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/290456/

It went out for work, I think, and came back with the other two WM units in 2017...

https://youtu.be/7wjQAV37ww0

This cat has already had nine lives....how it has evaded scrapping so far deserves some kind of book be written.

Here is the 39 with its distinctive WM chop nose, on the final run of the Knox & Kane Railroad, June 14, 2007. The 39 was swapped for the road's Alco RS-36 at the Kane enginehouse, and the train continued to Mt. Jewett where the Alco was shut down and hauled away for scrap. The 39 was still in the enginehouse when the structure caught fire nine months later.

- Alan Maples

Thanks everyone,

Yeah, the #39's story is definitely an interesting one. I'll have to persuade myself one day to make the trip up to the George's Creek Railway to see their historic roster in person. Maybe when #1309 is finished? Anyway, reading the interesting story of #39's survival reminded me of what could have been the preservation of Western Maryland GP7 #22. Sad reality that not everything donated for preservation ultimately survives.

Also, does anybody have the date when the Knox & Kane/Gettysburg Railroad management changed the number of the loco from #14 to #39?

Nick

ALY took over from JKW&I in 1985. Until then, it was definitely in CSX coloration. According to photos in Burns "Ex Baltimore & Ohio Lines in Western Pennsylvania", it was in Gettysburg RR colors and number "Knox & Kane 14" in late 1987; lettered "Gettysburg 39" in 1997 and came back to the K&K when Gettysburg was sold. It was renumbered while down there according to the book so maybe some fans in that area can have some info. Photos I have of it in 2003 are in that scheme but with the Gettysburg patched out.