And so it begins...

[wm3798]

At 10:54 p.m. EDT, Western Maryland Extra train #25 left Maryland Jct. pulling a train of four gondolas and two flat cars toward Williamsport Junction.  The work crew aboard has dismantled the hardware from the track, including switch machines, signal stands, and the train order stand at Williamsport.  The train circled back around, pulling hardware along the Thomas Sub between Williamsport Jct. and Shaw, then proceeded back to Maryland Jct., and onto the Connellsville sub, dismantling hardware from the mouth of Knobley Tunnel through Meyersdale to Casselman Crossing.  The diverging route from Williamsport Jct. to Ridgeley Yard has been embargoed for about 6 months, since Ridgeley Yard was closed for major upgrades to improve traffic flow.  This track will also be removed in favor of a superior alignment, according to WM's engineering department.

The forests in these areas have been leveled, and only a few abandoned buildings remain along the right of way.  Tomorrow track gangs will be deployed to salvage rail and ties along both of these same lines.  Once these lines are cleared, there will be substantial earth moving activities underway, as phase 1 of the Western Maryland's improvement program gets underway.  This will involve deconstructing much of the peninsula area to gain access to the original staging yard, approximately 200 yards below the surface of the earth.  The yard will be reconfigured to allow trains to smoothly loop around to return to North Junction.  This activity will also significantly improve the capacity of the railroad, creating four through tracks that can accommodate trains of up to 40 cars.  At present, trains are restricted to less than 20 car lengths.

This project will also include replacing the current eastbound yard throat in staging.  It is currently laid out with #6 Peco turnouts, which have proven to be too sharp and unreliable, and will be replaced with Peco #8, or long streamline switches.  This will improve safety for the WM's crews, and reduce transit times to and from points along the east coast.

Once completed, work will begin on the new alignment of the Connellsville Subdivision from Casselman Crossing westward to Connellsville.  The railroad regrets that in the process of this work, the communities of Williamsport Jct. and Meyersdale will forthwith be wiped from the face of the earth, however, new development opportunities will exist once the Queen City of the Potomac, Cumberland, Maryland, is installed sometime in the near future.  Until further notice, shippers located west of Maryland Jct. will be served by local trucks.  We apologize for this dreadful inconvenience.

Stay tuned for further developments as they happen!

Lee

[John]

At 10:54 p.m. EDT, Western Maryland Extra train #25 left Maryland Jct. pulling a train of four gondolas and two flat cars toward Williamsport Junction.  The work crew aboard has dismantled the hardware from the track, including switch machines, signal stands, and the train order stand at Williamsport.  The train circled back around, pulling hardware along the Thomas Sub between Williamsport Jct. and Shaw, then proceeded back to Maryland Jct., and onto the Connellsville sub, dismantling hardware from the mouth of Knobley Tunnel through Meyersdale to Casselman Crossing.  The diverging route from Williamsport Jct. to Ridgeley Yard has been embargoed for about 6 months, since Ridgeley Yard was closed for major upgrades to improve traffic flow.  This track will also be removed in favor of a superior alignment, according to WM's engineering department.

You been sold to Chessie

[wm3798]

No, actually, we're tearing up the bad railroad and rebuilding a good one.  Quite the opposite approach.
 ;D

But yes, there is certain air of "scorched earth" about the place at this point...



More photos here:  http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee.WildCard.Graphics/ReconstructionPh1?feat=directlink

You can follow the fun at home on the bliggity blog...

http://wmrywesternlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/and-so-it-begins.html

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Makes me glad I took these when I did:

[tom mann]

Why Peco #8 and not Atlas code55 #10?

[ljudice]

Like he said, he cares about his crews, so he's using Peco.

Those Atlas turnouts are a union grievance just WAITING to happen....   ;D

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

Hater...lol

[wm3798]

That's down in staging where nobody cares if the track looks like crap.  One thing about Peco, it does work.

Plus, I already have the pieces laying around.  No sense in spending money before you guys finish paying for your hopper cars! ;D

Ed, those are great shots.  I'll miss some of those scenes, too. But wait till you see what's coming!

Lee

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee

Think I have some old Peco (code 80)'s layout around somewhere.  You want um for hidden staging, there yours.

[Chris333]

So the branch up to the coal mine is finally going in?

[wm3798]

Well, if you're talking about the Chaffee Branch thing that I built back in what, 2001?...yes and no. 



I've already stripped the track off of it to build the Elkins yard, and I'll be using the foam base to flesh out the scenery of this new work.  But as a unit, no.  It has been sacrificed to the new design.

Lee

[wm3798]

Bliggity Blog updated...

http://wmrywesternlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/thoughts-on-deconstruction.html

Lee

[MichaelWinicki]

Nice blog Lee.

Interesting to read the stories behind the story.

[wm3798]

Just got back from working on the Habitat house, and my house is blissfully empty!  Wife and kids off to a graduation party for my niece in Havre de Grace...  Looks like a good opportunity to make a major push!

Who's coming down!  Bring beer!

Lee

[wm3798]

From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., I had a screw gun in my hand.  The damage is done...



The entire peninsula has been stripped down to the joists, and I nuked the workbench area to get it ready to move.  It's going to be beefy cheese getting that thing out of there.



But making room for it in the other corner will be something of a chore in itself...



I'm going to try to get that part of the process a little farther along tonight... 

Lee