Hagerstown to Gettysburg-August 2000
Hagerstown
Varied units idle at Hagerstown on a Sunday afternoon. A unit coal train was awaiting to depart.
Highfield
Several months ago when I was in Highfield, work was in process to rehabilitate these sidings, which were in very bad shape. This day the sidings were full of coal cars (going to cement plant at Union Bridge maybe?)
Highfield, MD/Blue Ridge Summit, PA is kind of neat as it sits right on the Mason Dixon line right on top of the mountain (the Blue Ridge is locally called South Mountain). This mountaintop location is the intersection of 3 rail lines these days.
IPS Plant
Not far from Blue Ridge Summit, WM makes a horseshoe curve starting down the mountain. Cuts are through metamorphic rock referred to as Greenstone (a post office with this name is in the middle of the horseshoe.) According to mineral guides, these cuts also contain piedmontite, a similar rock of basaltic origin. At a location called Charmian, this ISP Minerals facility grinds the rock into grandules and dyes them different colors, my guess is that the grandules are used for coating on asphalt shingles.
This B&O hopper was on the ISP plant siding in early August, 2000. The hopper has a message to return it to Hancock, West Virginia for sand loading. The car was manufactured by Bethlehem Steel in Johnstown, PA.
Note:below is Hancock, the town is in MD, the location on the B&O is across the Potomac in WV. The reason the hopper was to return to this location is because of the branch line leaving here for Berkeley Spring along which are several large silica sand plants.
Jacks Mountain Tunnel
Further down the track, the Jacks Mountain tunnel is cut through a large mass of greenstone. The tunnel is 310 ties long, all but about 70 ties' length is without lining. Mile marker 89 is at the east end.
Fairfield Station
Fairfield Station is actually a mile or so from Fairfield, PA, a town that looks little changed from the days of excitement in 1864, possibly representing the era better than a somewhat tourtisty Gettysburg. Notice the vertical curve in the track, guess that WM felt no need to make it more level. This section from Orrtana to Highfield was the Western Extention added to the Baltimore & Harrisburg (which never made it to Harrisburg) later in the 1800's. From the map at the bottom of the page, it appears that this extention was made to again partner with the Reading on a line that would have gone through York to Reading.
Fouth of July decorated MOW locomotive doing ditching duty in the area, was parked at a siding that serves a large Quebecor facility near Fairfield.
Evidence of the ditching work performed by this Jordon spreader unit abounded on the line from Highfield down the Blue Ridge to Orrtana.
This is truly a land of milk and honey (and fruit!). The Krouse facility at Orrtana produces Lucky Leaf brand of apple products. At Gettysburg, another rail line (Gettysburg & Hanover, I think) connected the WM with the Reading at Carlisle Junction. This line travels up South Mountain through miles of orchards.
Gettysburg
Mixed freight rumbles through Gettysburg past one of the most recognizable WM stations on a late Sunday afternoon.
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