A nice story about Allegany County from AAA World Magazine discusses how to explore the Allegheny Mountains by train and bike!
Western Maryland's Allegheny Mountains are equal parts history and scenery.
About 150 years ago, the gaps through the mountains were a key transportation gateway to the West, and the landscape today appears much as it did then. The best way to experience both aspects is to combine a journey on a historic train line with a downhill bike ride between Cumberland and Frostburg.
The Western Maryland Scenic Railway, running May through December, covers the 16-mile uphill journey with either a 1916 Baldwin steam engine or 1960's diesel locomotive pulling vintage passenger cars. The gradual downhill return is along a trail of packed crushed stone running parallel to the train tracks. It's part of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail that runs 132 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland. Bikers barely need to pedal, leaving plenty of opportunity for gazing at the mountain views.
The combo trip is the best of both worlds as you get the train experience with scenery teaser on the way up to Frostburg, and the scenery at your own pace with a train pass-by on the way back. The train trip takes an hour; the bike trip takes about an hour-and-a-half. (There's no extra fee for taking the bikes on the train.)
You'll board your train at the Cumberland Train Station. Seats on the station side of the train offer the best views. Passage on the two first-class cars costs extra, but the experience is full of nostalgia with the cars' mahogany walls, Victorian lighting, curtains and table seating for the meal served en route. All bikes are loaded by the conductor into a former mail car.
Soon after pulling out, the train enters a mile-long gorge called the Narrows, a key passageway to the West. The train passes over a 310-foot-long steel bridge, bends around the half-mile horseshoe called Helmstetter's Curve, and goes through the 914-foot-long Brush Tunnel, built in 1911. If you look out the back of the train through the open door in the food car, you can watch the tracks seem to merge into a single point as they disappear out of sight.
With whistle blaring and brakes straining, the train arrives at the 1891 Frostburg Station for a 90-minute layover. Since this is the end of the train line, turning the engine around for the return trip is accomplished with a turntable. The conductor uncouples the locomotive from the train cars and runs onto the turntable for a spin, then drives off in the opposite direction and links to the other end of the train.
The Thrasher Carriage Museum with horse-drawn carriages and sleighs makes an interesting stop before setting out by bike. Trees shade most of the journey, while overlooks provide impressive views of the Allegheny Mountains.
The track highlights are different from the seat of a bike. You get the feel of being in the belly of Piney Mountain while riding through the dark, cool Brush Tunnel. You can see the entire arc of Helmstetter's Curve and the angular geometry of the steel girders on the train bridge.
Back at the station, visit the C&O Canal Visitor Center, then walk two blocks to the Queen City Creamery & Deli for a rare find: fresh-daily frozen custard, which has a thick, creamy texture. Sit at the 1940's soda fountain counter to savor the yesteryear experience.
By Kathleen M. Mangan
