A half-century ago, America's railroads were in transition, particularly in the East. Many were financially challenged, in bankruptcy and/or merging to be more competitive and profitable. The Western Maryland Railway was a relatively small railroad and an independent entity at the time and was listed as Class 1--the highest category--because of the revenue it generated. This independence would change when it merged into the Chessie System, which would become part of CSX Transportation. Most of the photos in this book were taken between 1970 and 1972, when my good friend Chris Spencer and I were college students in Maryland and were working on a portfolio of railroad photographs; many of which centered on the WMRY because of geography. We were also lucky in gaining access to the WMRY properties. We visited the WMRY office at Port Covington in Baltimore Harbor, and by simply signing a liability release we were given permission to photograph their properties. I believe our only instructions about what we could and could not do consisted of "Boys, be careful out there.

" Since the original portfolio was not based strictly on the WMRY, my photographs at the time did not cover the entire railway. In more recent years, however, I have had the opportunity to photograph the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, which runs over the old WMRY track from Cumberland to Frostburg, Maryland. I've also photographed the Maryland Midland Railroad, which runs over parts of the old WMRY as well. I have included some photographs from both of these studies in this book. The Western Maryland Railway has a loyal and enthusiastic following. The Western Maryland Railway Historical Society, located in the 1902 WMRY station and offices in Union Bridge, Maryland, maintains a large collection of railroad records, photographs, and memorabilia. The Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, on the grounds of the old WMR railroad yard in Hagerstown, Maryland, not only covers the history of the WMRY in Hagerstown but also all the related rail activity in the Hagerstown area. I hope you enjoy these photographs .

and a bit of personal commentary!.