WM Coach #835

Western Maryland Railway Coach No. 835 was built by Pullman in 1917 and has a capacity of 80 passengers. A small restroom is at each end.

After years of service, #835 ended up in the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, PA. Since it did not fit into the Pennsylvania-oriented collection, in late 2005, #835 was given to the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society (WMRHS) based out of Union Bridge, MD. The board of the WMRHS saw the potential to get #835 back on the rails carrying passengers by leasing it long-term to our museum.

Plans to move #835 from PA to WV missed several proposed dates as it was difficult to work out the schedule with the trucker. The coach was loaded on a special low-boy trailer with a detached bogie on Friday April 6 with the two trucks on a separate trailer. They arrived in Belington late on Monday evening, and the crane was in position on a cold Tuesday morning for the unload.

The unload went well and was accomplished in about three hours. On April 10, 2007, the WM coach again sat on WV rails. Still to be done was the reinstallation of the steps and cut levers from one end that had been removed for clearance on the trailer.

Next task will be to clean the car inside and out, work on the roof, and do a repaint. The seats are in great shape, but the paint is flaking off the ceiling. Hopefully, we can have a big work session on the car in the late Spring or early Summer. Keep watching the web site for more information.

Coach #835 will eventually be in service on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad.

        Bill Wade Photo

 

Loading in Strasburg PA on April 6.         Denny Wertz Photo

 

Waiting in Belington.         Bill Wade Photo

 

Positioning the trucks.         Bill Wade Photo

 

Lifting the body.         Bill Wade Photo

 

Interior.         Bill Wade Photo