WMSR Moving out of Cumberland

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:59 am

So the WMSR is moving out of Cumberland: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 5?sfnsn=mo

Anyone have the skinny on what's going on?

Randy Gustafson · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:21 am

Listen for yourself, it's not entirely clear.

https://www.wcbcradio.com/?news=scenic- ... d-ridgeley

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:15 am

If you don't have any revenue coming in, you do your best to eliminate unnecessary expenses. If no trains are being run, they don't need the station for now. A lot of businesses (and individuals) are in the same boat due to the COVID-19 lockdown. It's called "survival mode".

Topfuel · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 529

Rumor has it they're losing their insurance coverage at the end of this month so there may be a lot more to this than just moving out of the Cumberland station. But, this operation seems to have survived one crisis after another so we will see what happens.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:16 pm

Meanwhile the State of MD is running TV ads that show the WMSR.

They're really the Joe Btfsplk of tourist railroading.

Phil Mulligan

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:13 pm

Almost every state develops tourism campaigns, commercials, etc. a year or so in advance.

Furthermore, EVERY LAST bit of tourism promotion nationwide has been THOROUGHLY shredded, discombobulated, and rent asunder by the COVID-19/Wuhan pandemic. Trust me when I say that there are literally tons of promotional material in each state that went to the landfill unused or rendered obsolete by mass cancellations. You can't even go into a rest area with a tourism counter these days.......

If the Md. Office of Tourism Development (with which I had some interactions over the years in promoting non-RR events) was blissfully unaware of some problems going on with the operation of the WMSR, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Further, it wouldn't be the fault of the WMSR, except that there's question as to whether and when that attraction will reopen, and to what extent.

Now, imagine being stuck in the position of writing and editing the next edition of the Tourist Trains Guidebook......... The WMSR and EBT are probably the least of your head-scratchers........