Day One of this trip was dedicated to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR). WMSR offers multiple trips on their system. I opted for the Frostburg Flyer. This route runs from Cumberland, Maryland to Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. Wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right. Lemme look this up…AH! Yes, Frostburg! The train runs from Cumberland, MD to Frostburg, MD. By the way, how is it that every town in this state has completed medical school?

As I’ve said before, I’ve been on enough so-called “scenic train rides” to know that they aren’t all worthwhile. So, I only ride those that sound truly unique. This morning, I could find nothing in my notes or in my head to explain what was special about the WMSR. I just remember that I heard of it from a co-worker several years ago who said the railroad was managed (owned, maybe?) by some of his family. And based on that, I added it to my list.

Now that I’ve ridden it, I can say that what makes this ride special is the autumn leaves. I don’t think I would consider it “scenic” at any other time of year. For most of the ride, you are submerged in the forest; there are no significant overlooks, no groovy rock formations, just trees. That said, Frostbite Falls is a pretty cool little town. If I’d had more time, I would’ve loved to photograph the downtown area.

Despite the lack of scenery, I still snapped a few pictures along the way. Here are the decent ones…

After de-training, I hit the road for a 4.5-hour drive to the coast. See ya there!