It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:31 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 1:57 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:06 pm
Posts: 2530
Location: Thomaston & White Plains
This was contained in an email received from a friend this morning:



From the Georges Creek Wikipedia page…



The January 2016 issue of Railpace carried the following update on the railway on page 41: “In October [2015] reader Blair Williamson checked on the Georges Creek Railroad, which is reopening the former CSX/Western Maryland/Cumberland & Pennsylvania branch out of Westernport, MD. When he was last there two years ago, the railroad had the track open up to Barton and was replacing grade crossings. The track is now overgrown again, to include the part CSX still owns. No maintenance is being done on the engines. The company has not repaired the track break and washout between where the engines are located and Moscow. A silver switcher parked at the paper mill at Luke, MD, leads one to believe the Georges Creek is no longer performing switching there.”[5]


************************

Anything to this? I thought GCRy was actually expanding in recent months. Perhaps this is just the usual "Rumor-Pace" nonsense.

Howard P.

_________________
"I'm a railroad man, not a prophet."


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:12 pm 

Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:31 pm
Posts: 329
George's Creek Railway was switching the mill as of yesterday when I went by. The attached Photo is from December 18, 2015


Attachments:
ZGCK 101 A.jpg
ZGCK 101 A.jpg [ 214.36 KiB | Viewed 14334 times ]
Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:17 pm 

Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:31 pm
Posts: 329
The crews when not switching the mill traffic spent time this fall clearing brush along the tracks in Westernport along side the Elementary School.

I think the Rumor Mill is working overtime...


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:40 pm 

Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 4:59 pm
Posts: 351
Location: western Maryland
It is really a shame that industry periodicals publish unsubstantiated rumors. They are acting like the main stream media. It would have been a very easy story to verify: look us up in the Pocket Guide and send a fax or call my cell phone. Really disappointing.

George's Creek Railway works at the same place 365 days a year. We don't have any intention to the contrary. The only locomotive at the paper mill is the same one that has been at the paper mill since April 2008: our T6.

We recently purchased the rest of the CSX George's Creek Subdivision. Prior to September 2015 CSX still owned it and it was out-of-service. Prior to that date, George's Creek Railway owned the track north of Barton, MD.

The Thomas Sub from 21st Bridge (BAH 19.5) to Hampshire (BAH 27.3) was officially downgraded from "main line" track to yard track on Dec 14,2015 at 0800. There is a reason CSX did that, and it should be obvious what the reason is.

(wipe the foam off your chin, Blair)

_________________
Apparently Not A Serious Preservationist


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:45 pm 

Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:09 pm
Posts: 560
I dont know if I would consider Railpace an "Industry Periodical"..

There is a reason it has been known as Rumorpace for many years.

_________________
https://vintagedieseldesign.com/


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 10:47 am 

Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:07 pm
Posts: 1192
Location: Leicester, MA.
Well it must be true if Wikipedia says so (here's the link to what Howard is talking about)*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Creek_Railway

*that was sarcasm, if that much wasn't clear already.

On another note, I did notice that the company website seems to have been jacked by some woodworking nonsense...

_________________
Dylan M. Lambert
https://www.facebook.com/LambertLocomotive/


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 2:18 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:25 pm
Posts: 348
One can easily modify, update or add to the text of Wikipedia articles. Additionally, such things as track charts, photos and equipment rosters may be added. Some articles are poorly written and woefully inaccurate while others are quite good, and the latter are only as good as the input they receive. It would be well worth it for the railway to update the article to reflect reality and to present the world with an accurate view of itself.

Likewise, much of Railpace relies on inputs from readers. Its columnists write monthly articles on specific geographic areas and seek input from readers. Rather than leaving the columnists to rely upon uninformed observers, the railway would do well to submit occasional input to the appropriate writer and, where appropriate, submit some pictures of track repaired, locomotives restored, etc. It's free publicity and it can't hurt.

I’m reminded of a saying I heard decades ago in the military about how it was better to do wrong and have everyone know your name than to do well and remain anonymous (and unrewarded). The railway is off the beaten path but it doesn’t have to remain largely unknown and unrecognized for its efforts and progress.

I’m also reminded of a couple of lines from the first Pirates of the Caribbean film during the scene in which the pirate, Jack Sparrow, is upbraided by a Royal Navy officer who has just captured him:

Norrington: No additional shot nor powder, a compass that doesn't point north, [looks at Jack's sword] and I half-expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.

Jack Sparrow: But you have heard of me.

In addition to repairing track and rolling stock, and serving the mill, it’s in the railway’s interest to ensure people have heard of it -- and heard the right things.

There’s not an overabundance of information to be found online about the railway’s progress, but that can be reversed by using Wikipedia and Railpace to the railway’s advantage.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 4:11 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:07 am
Posts: 737
Location: Philadelphia Pa
Why should they have to provided information that was not initially requested?.... They do have a railroad to run, which seemingly should take priority over foamer mags.

The "journalists" who work for/operate the Magazine in question have an obligation to their readers to provide factual information, not rumors. To excuse them for the mistakes they print and say the Railroad should do better to publicize itself is pretty lame. They're not a passenger operation, they're a freight railroad running a 365 day a year business. I highly doubt their customers rely and a monthly foam magazine to tell them if their local railroad is still in service. If they want to know, they pick up a phone and call directly.

The Magazine in question is in a business to provide information that is as close to factual as possible, and has the resources to "reach out and touch someone"... Otherwise, they should refrain from printing unsubstantiated information.....but I guess it's all theoretical to them.

Now, had the Mag's editor said, along with the speculation, that attempts to contact the operation proved fruitless, so there are no facts avail to prove or disprove the speculation, then that shows they made an attempt...but they didn't, don't and never will - they're satisfied with publishing photos, foam and occasionally letting some correct information slip in.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 4:45 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:25 pm
Posts: 348
If a company chooses to put out no publicity on itself, then it shouldn't complain when others fill in the blanks on their own, no matter how inaccurately they may do so. In this case it wouldn't take much effort. We've already seen the alternative.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:23 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:07 am
Posts: 737
Location: Philadelphia Pa
Bull!

Said Railroad Company is in the business to provide freight service to its customers.

Said Magazine is (theoretically) in the business to provide information to its subscribers.

Railroad company's obligation is to its freight customers - to provide timely, quality service.

Magazine company obligation is to its subscribers - to provide factual, quality information.

One of the two fail miserably. The other is not to blame.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:19 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
Here are the multiple problems involved:

First, let's look at the quote involved:

Quote:
“In October [2015] reader Blair Williamson checked on the Georges Creek Railroad, which is reopening the former CSX/Western Maryland/Cumberland & Pennsylvania branch out of Westernport, MD. When he was last there two years ago, the railroad had the track open up to Barton and was replacing grade crossings. The track is now overgrown again, to include the part CSX still owns. No maintenance is being done on the engines. The company has not repaired the track break and washout between where the engines are located and Moscow. A silver switcher parked at the paper mill at Luke, MD, leads one to believe the Georges Creek is no longer performing switching there.”


Now, on the one hand, there is nothing factually incorrect there, is there? Misleading impressions, yes, but technically accurate as stated? If so, the onus is upon the credited Mr. Blair Williamson to explain himself. The best possible way to put both that guy and Railpace "in its place" would be for the GCRY to send a letter to both Railpace and the offending columnist (assuming this appeared in the "Allegheny Observer" column) with the terse, corrected version.

I'll be the first to agree that Railpace is little more than a glorified NRHS-style newsletter. There are bound to be a few "judgement calls" and opinions/commentary mixed in with the hard data. I strongly suspect some past "news sources" have disgraced themselves enough to fall out of favor with the staff--but if you wanted a REAL "rumor rag," go check out back issues of Rails Northeast, which didn't hesitate to print acidic commentary and even pseudonymous "news" items. But for what Railpace is trying to do, it's quite worthwhile, even if an occasional grain of salt is needed. And I would suspect that for every "factoid" they get wrong, they get a lot more right, with a few items falling somewhere in a gray area between evident truth and a PR department or fans in denial. (Note that Trains has, over the decades, also committed egregious errors that, after the fact, became known as the "Trains Jinx"--officials insisting they were continuing passenger service or continuing steam operation, only to apply to kill all passenger service or order a fleet of new diesels as the issue went to the printers.)

As for Wikipedia, the less said, the better. The only thing worse, in my opinion, than misleading (not factually incorrect, but misleading) information being up on Wikipedia is the eruption of editing wars, where folks with agendas repeatedly add/delete information leaving favorable/disfavorable impressions. Imagine trying to keep a listing for a company like Chipotle, Monsanto, or WalMart free of agenda-driven posts, or even just--in the case of Chipotle--posting nothing but facts, but facts that appear to damn or incriminate the company.

If Georges Creek goes in themselves and edits the misleading information from the entry, they look as if they're out to hide something. The best thing they can do is just do things that disprove the allegations--i.e., run the railroad. And maybe, you know, a little "branding"--this is why railroads used to use locomotives as rolling billboards, not as something holding the reporting marks of the lessor.

The railroad branch in my own hometown looks pretty well "abandoned" every time I go up there now--that's because they're down to two customers both badly impacted by the national economy, biweekly service at most, rusty track between fits of bad weather, and--as I'm told--night runs. And there are a lot of our excursion lines and short lines where I only have to keep showing up the wrong days to declare them a "pile of junk" and "never running".


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 3:46 pm 

Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:27 pm
Posts: 118
What are the WM gp and the SD40-2 used for on this line?

Alan


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:25 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:25 pm
Posts: 348
I came across a flyer in the March 2016 edition of The Pioneer, the newsletter of the Cumberland Valley Chapter NRHS, that contained the following text:

George’s Creek Railway is celebrating their 10th Anniversary on Saturday, May 28th in the George's Creek Valley. The day will begin with a BBQ party at 11 a.m. The menu will include ribs, pulled pork and beef, chicken and salads.

The focus of the event is to honor the dedication and service of the men and women who invested their labor and lives in the Western Maryland Railway, and whose dedication made it the corporation we are so proud of. We are inviting everyone who worked for our beloved Wild Mary to join us for a day of fellowship and remembrance. There will be special guests in attendance.

Following lunch, there will be a photo session which will include the George’s Creek roster of restored WM motive power. The plan is to operate them along our very photogenic right-of-way between Barton and Westernport.

Later in the afternoon there will be slide presentations and comments from several invited guests.

The price for admission to the indoor segments has not been determined, but it will include the BBQ, evening presentations and a souvenir mug commemorating our 10th Anniversary and Reunion of Employees. Adult beverages will be available.

If you are a fan of the Western Maryland Railway, you will not want to miss this event.


The flyer also provides this phone number for information: 301-359-9040.

Also, the Wikipedia page on the GCK has since been updated with a roster of the line's 11 locomotives, four of which are stored elsewhere quite some distance away.

The BBQ event sounds like an excellent opportunity for those interested in the GCK to take a closer look at both the line and its motive power, perhaps answering some of the questions that arose earlier.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Georges Creek Railway (Md.)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:11 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:25 pm
Posts: 348
If you go to the STB website (http://www.stb.gov), click on Proceedings and Actions, select Filings from the drop-down menu, and then scroll down to 2/3/2020, you'll find Docket No. AB-1294X, Eighteen Thirty Group, LLC—Abandonment Exemption—in Allegany County, MD and Docket No. AB-1293X, Georges Creek Railway—Discontinuance Exemption—in Allegany County, MD. An excerpt from the first page reads: "Enclosed for electronic filing is a Verified Notice of Exemption Eighteen Thirty Group, LLC (“Eighteen Thirty”) to abandon and Georges Creek Railway (“GCR”) to discontinue service over an approximately 07.54-mile rail line between milepost BAI 26.00 in Moscow, MD and milepost BAI 18.46 in Shaft, MD, all in Allegany County, MD."

This appears to affect only the upper half of the railroad which, as far as I know, was never reopened and in need of significant repairs. The southern end of the line down to the interchange in Westernport is not included in the filing.

Starting on the 64th page of the 81-page there are photographs of the line that show bridges, brush growth and fallen trees across the tracks. If you wish to visit the line, particularly the miles to be abandoned, it's better to do so before spring arrives and the brush obscures it again.


Offline
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


 Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 104 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: