Cumberland

Cumberland
Where the railroads meet
And the Appalachians touch the sky
Give me a moment
To pause in Cumberland
And I am forever happy

A Chessie System Train at Cumberland, Maryland

A Chessie System train heads east through Cumberland, Maryland on the former Baltimore and Ohio.  Its carloads of general merchandise and coal are bound for Baltimore.
Chessie System remains a favorite amongst railroad enthusiasts for its colorful yellow, orange and blue paint scheme that incorporated Chesapeake and Ohio's iconic cat "Chessie."  Chessie System merged with Seaboard Coast Line to form CSX.

A Moment in Cumberland Along the Baltimore And Ohio

I enjoy visiting the historic route of the Baltimore and Ohio.  Many of the cities and towns along the right of way are rich with scenery and history.
Many times, I find myself pausing in Cumberland.  I enjoy watching the freight trains of today's CSX and Amtrak's Capitol Limited as they pass through town.
Cumberland is known as the Queen City.  Cumberland developed as a key junction of the Baltimore and Ohio, where traffic headed for Pittsburgh and Chicago diverged from the line to Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Drawing a Baltimore and Ohio GP9 Aboard Amtrak Capitol Limited

It truly was a great thrill to ride the Amtrak Capitol Limited across CSX's historic Baltimore and Ohio tracks. Drawing a Baltimore and Ohio GP9 locomotive in the lounge car as the train passed through Cumberland, Maryland was the highlight of my trip. 

 For years I have watched CSX and Amtrak trains roll through this key community.  Seeing Cumberland with its historic structures from this vantage is truly an experience I will always remember.