Walkersville Southern Railroad

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Walkersville Southern Railroad
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 651, Walkersville, MD 21793

(301) 898-0899, or 1-877-363-WSRR toll-free

pres@wsrr.org

All Aboar-r-rd! Take a trip back in time . . . on the Walkersville Southern, established in 1991 on the Frederick branch of the old Pennsylvania Railroad.

Come see our turn-of-the-century railroad station and freight house. Ride in vintage 1920s passenger cars or on an open flatcar as your rail excursion runs past a 100-year-old lime kiln, and then out into the picturesque Maryland farm country.

Come and experience a bit of railroad history!

History of the Railway Line

The railway line between Walkersville and Frederick was built as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad Frederick Secondary in 1869, just a few years after the Civil War. During this time, while our nation was in the process of rebuilding, the railroad was busy carrying passengers and goods. The line ran from Columbia, Pennsylvania, through York and Hanover, into Maryland, running through Taneytown, Keymar, Woodsboro, Walkersville, and finally into Frederick. For decades there was a thriving business on the rails as dairy farmers sent milk and eggs to market, and local residents rode the train into Frederick for the day or perhaps north to the "big cities."

In 1968 when the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central, the line was part of the resulting Penn Central Railroad. They would soon have their share of troubles. In less than three years, the new railroad filed for bankruptcy, and at about the same time, in 1972, Hurricane Agnes hit the Frederick area hard. The resulting flood completely washed out the bridge over the Monocacy River, severing the rail line two miles south of Walkersville. The entire line was put up for sale. The State of Maryland purchased the portion of the line within its borders, only utilizing the section north of Walkersville. For 20 years, the six-mile line between Walkersville and Frederick was out of service, buried under brush, weeds, and asphalt.

History of the Walkersville Southern

From 1991 through 1993, Walkersville Southern volunteers cleared the right-of-way of brush and debris. In 1993, the Maryland Department of Transportation chose Walkersville Southern as the operator of the Walkersville-Frederick line. Rebuilding began immediately.

In 1995, Walkersville Southern began reconstruction of the Monocacy River bridge. Limited excursions were run in 1995 while the work progressed. With the completion of the project in March 1996, the first trains in more than 20 years crossed the Monocacy River. The 1997 season marked the first year of both Saturday and Sunday operations, with three trains departing the Walkersville station each day. The 1998 season marked the first time in more than 25 years that trains had run to Route 26, the current terminus of the line. In late 2008, approximately three miles of track north of Walkersville was added to our operation, and we are currently working to rebuild this additional track.

Copyright © 2009 Walkersville Southern Railroad. All rights reserved.