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Georges Creek Railway: Maintaining The Old WM

Published: July 27, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The Georges Creek Railway (reporting mark GCK) was a shortline railroad in Western Maryland that performed contract switching, operating 14 miles of former Western Maryland's Georges Creek Branch between Westernport and Carlos. The railroad was headquartered at 119 Pratt Street in Luke in the former Luke Post Office.

Operating since December, 2007 the short line utilized CSX Transportation and plant trackage, serving the Verso Paper Mill in Luke. The railroad had high hopes of opening even more former WM trackage but ultimately no other business could be obtained on the line. With the paper mill's closure in May, 2019 service was suspended entirely.

In January 2024 the line's fortunes changed dramatically when the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) signed a long-term loan to revitalize and eventually operate GCK as the Georges Creek Division for regular excursion and occasional freight operations.

Georges Creek Railway GP9 #25 and FA-2 #303, wearing full WM speed lettering, layover at Barton, Maryland on December 30, 2011. Wade Massie photo.

Heritage

What would later become the Georges Creek Railway has a long history dating back to the mid-19th century.  The line was always centered around the transportation of either coal or iron ore, and successor CSX was even still handling coal on the line through the late 1990s.

The Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company (GCC&I) initially grappled with transportation logistics for its blast furnace in Lonaconing, Maryland. Iron production was robust, but delivery proved problematic.

Early experiments with a horse-powered tram road quickly highlighted the need for a more efficient solution. Thus, the idea of constructing a rail line down the Georges Creek Valley to the Potomac River at Westernport was born.

Focusing on this transportation challenge, the company aimed to establish a railroad connection with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) at Westernport.

By 1850, surveys for the railway were completed. The following year, in July 1851, the B&O reached Piedmont, West Virginia, directly across the river from Westernport. This progress set the stage for GCC&I to commence construction of their own rail line in September 1851.

On May 9, 1853, the 9.2-mile rail line from Lonaconing to Piedmont officially opened, establishing a critical connection with the B&O. Recognizing the strategic importance of further expansion, the rail line was extended northward in 1856 from Lonaconing to connect with the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P) from Frostburg, Maryland.

Eventually, on October 23, 1863, the Georges Creek Railroad was acquired by the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad, which was later purchased by the Western Maryland Railway in May of 1944.

Launching A Short Line

The journey to acquire the track for the Georges Creek Railway began in 2005, coinciding with CSX's decision to abandon their Georges Creek Subdivision due to two significant washouts and the subsequent loss of its customer base.

By December 2005, ownership of the northern 8.54 miles of track, spanning from Morrison, Maryland to Carlos, Maryland, was transferred to WMS, LLC. Unfortunately, WMS, LLC faced investor difficulties and declared bankruptcy a year later.

In 2006, the Eighteen Thirty Group, LLC, in conjunction with Georges Creek Railway, LLC, filed to acquire and operate the line as Class III common carriers, successfully purchasing it from bankruptcy court.

On May 15, 2015, the Eighteen Thirty Group, along with Georges Creek Railway, LLC, announced their intent to acquire an additional 5.4 miles of rail line from CSX, which included 4.8 miles of the Georges Creek Subdivision between Barton and Westernport, and 0.6 miles of the Thomas Subdivision. An agreement was established whereby Georges Creek Railway would operate on these lines, thus bringing the entire former Georges Creek Subdivision under their control.

Reviving The Old WM

Owner Gerald Altizer always held a great interest in the classic Western Maryland and was excited at the prospect of operating this former section of the C&P/WM.  

He even went so far as to acquire a handful of former WM locomotives, including SD35 #7436 and SD40 #7496 which were repainted into the classic "Speed Lettering" livery.

Unfortunately, traffic on the line never materialized beyond occassionally serving the local paper mill in Luke, Maryland.

Mill Closure

With the Luke mill's closure in May, 2019 the railroad's future appeared bleak.  Abandonment papers were filed with the Surface Transportation Board in early 2020 and the state subsequently had interest in convering the property into a rail/trail.

Western Maryland Scenic

In January 2024, after more than two years of negotiations, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) of Cumberland, Maryland, announced a long-term lease of the Georges Creek Railway from the Eighteen Thirty Group.

With vegetation encroaching on the right-of-way, WMSR's primary task will be to assess and implement necessary safety improvements to the rail infrastructure. Additionally, they plan to create a trail alongside most of the trackage to benefit local bicyclists.

The eventual goal is to run the short line as a distinct business entity under the name Georges Creek Division. Planned operations include regular tourist excursions and occasional freight services, which will interchange with CSX. This initiative is expected to stimulate local economic growth significantly.