WMSR #1309 Moves under own power - 31 December 2020

YeOldeEnjine · **Joined:** Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:31 pm **Posts:** 329

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's #1309 under steam before moving under it's own power New Year's Eve at the Ridgeley, WV shop complex....

Tim W.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2876

Video:
https://www.facebook.com/WMSRailroad/po ... 8502052970

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:49 pm

You HAVE to wonder if there was some legal reason--funding grant deadline, contract deadline, whatever--that they HAD to fire up 1309 to move it TONIGHT........ before midnight.....

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

Well I guess we can all "wonder"? But I have witnessed a couple of "deadlines" where the crews scrambled to meet the deadline regardless of who or why the deadline was set. That deadline thing can inspire to get the engine to move under its own power and the crews to make it happen. Myself I am just glad to see the thing move under its own power. And the many before it who got the final push to move. With so much drama in the world today, I am just glad to see it fired up and moving. If only in a yard with no train or even break in time. Still a celebration I hope. Had almost no sweat equity in this project but can't help but cheer it on for the sake of a hot locomotive if nothing else. Best of luck to all involved. Blessings.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:18 am

ADM, why worry about it? Why even concern yourself about it? Just enjoy it. Seems like a great way to close out this hotbox/bad order/run-through-switch of a year.

Howard P.

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

mldeets · **Joined:** Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:06 am **Posts:** 411

I certainly can't think of a better way to bring in a new year! Congrats to ALL who made it happen......mld

nedsn3 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:38 am

Yay! Congratulations to all who were involved. Ned

co614 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:50 am

As Kelly says every rebirth is a cause to celebrate !!! And, with all the speed bumps this project has encountered ( and conquered) it is especially fitting that it choose to start the new year with a salute to never giving up !!!!

Here's wishing Gary Bensman and the entire WMSR team every success in getting the bugs out of her asap and that the 1309 has a long, successful career introducing thousands upon thousands of new steam fans to the magic of steam.

Happy New Year to all. Ross Rowland

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:13 am

Absolutely a great way to introduce a new year! Who might have guessed such a wonderful event when her fires were "dropped forever" in the 1950's? We have surely needed this!

Alan Maples · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:18 am

Congratulations to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and the all the good people who have seen this project through from concept to steam.

- Alan Maples
Everett Railroad

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

Well done, all! Happy New Year indeed!

nedsn3 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 4:37 pm

co614 wrote:

As Kelly says every rebirth is a cause to celebrate !!! And, with all the speed bumps this project has encountered ( and conquered) it is especially fitting that it choose to start the new year with a salute to never giving up !!!!

Here's wishing Gary Bensman and the entire WMSR team every success in getting the bugs out of her asap and that the 1309 has a long, successful career introducing thousands upon thousands of new steam fans to the magic of steam.

Happy New Year to all. Ross Rowland

Right on Ross. Maybe 2021 will be "the year of the articulated" with so many running and soon to be running?

kevin kohls · **Joined:** Tue May 03, 2005 8:35 pm **Posts:** 298

I see Chesapeake and Ohio on that tender !!!! As a die hard C&O fan I'm hoping that one side will be lettered C&O and the other WM ! I'm loving what I see ! Way to GO.

Kevin K

J.David · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:03 pm

Seasonal Greetings:
Cool, very cool!
Congratulations to Gary, Dave, Josh and the rest of the folks working on 1309.
What a great New Years gift to us all!
I hope that this will encourage more folks to donate: there is still a ways to go prior to 1309 being ready to handle a train.
Be well,
J.David