Looks like the WMSR is intending to lease with an option to buy an F40PHR from Larry's Truck and Electric. According to their Facebook post, 501 is down with some serious mechanical issues and 502 isn't powerful enough to meet their motive power needs alone, so enter the F40. I've posted a link to their FB post, but not sure if you need to login to view. It's the only place I've seen it posted.

It's a shame that something between Gerald Altizer and the scenic railroad couldn't be worked out to lease one or two REAL WM SDs in WM paint to run the on the railroad...

Hopefully it operates better than it looks.


https://www.facebook.com/WMSRailroad/vi ... 9742924915

Here it is when it was on the now defunct Montreal Maine and Atlantic, which shut down after the Lac-Mégantic disaster. I believe it was regeared for freight service.

I think it would be neat to see them paint it up in the WM black fireball scheme.

Or, and just as appropriate, the black Speed Lettering scheme. . .but not the red and white Circus colors!

I also notice this is an F40 that had its nose altered for freight service, to provide a front platform.

She's here.

https://www.facebook.com/WMSRailroad/ph ... =3&theater

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C2A9554

It should be a good puller but might need some work before entering service, MM&A/RailWorld and Iron Road before it weren't noted for their top-level maintenance standards, quite the opposite in fact, and it has sat for four years.

A set of F's would've been nice.... or an invitation to others to run equipment that otherwise remains functional, or almost functional, but on display.

An F40? Better than a bus ride. At least the scenery is fantastic.

/Mitch

That is a F40M-3F

I can’t fauly WMSR for buying a more modern diesel locomotive. Parts for the first generation EMD units are getting harder to find and more expensive every year. The regeared F-40 will be able to pull the average WMSR passenger train by itself, and being a carbody style unit, will look more appropriate than a hood unit.

Hopefully the railroad will paint the F-40 into one of the classic black Western Maryland schemes and not the gaudy “circus” colors.

Interesting choice. You can always pick the cheapest option and please the most basic of customers. I guess that's what they are going for? They could have hit it out of the park with a pair of WM appropriate Alcos.

How are the WM's numbers since they dropped steam?

When we visited the WMSR a few years ago for several times, we of course have bought tickets even when we were just taking photos, as we always do.

One evening, when a dinner train was scheduled after the regular service, we were still on place at the station to take photos even if we did not have a ticket. In that respect we would have been the last ones to complain when the diesel appeared instead of the announced steamer. But while there was quite a crowd of paying customers waiting for the train, there seemed to be nobody else who cared about the kind of locomotive at the top.

So I believe the colour scheme of the locomotive is the last thing to be worried about, as long as the customers buy it anyway.

Mike

If your theory is correct than WMSR would have seen no decline in attendance since going to steam correct? Is that the case? (It's not a rhetorical question, I don't know the answer).

The most crowded tourist trains I have seen of late have been the Grand Canyon Railway and the Verde Canyon RR.

Neither has locomotive in anything anywhere near a "historical" paint scheme.

With the WMSR's target market for the next two months, they could paint one loco in a pink version of NS's recent "horse mane/Sonic the Hedgehog" scheme and the other shrink-wrapped with a Guinness advertisement--as long as the train gets them up the hill and back on time in sunny weather.

The #450 today at the WMSR shop. They are working towards having it in service for the weekend........ less new paint!

Amen!