Happy Fathers Day...From Me to Me.

Having a rare summer Saturday to myself...I didn't have to work and Goody Two Shoes was at an all day crop...I plunked down twenty bucks and bought a one-way ticket for the scenic railroad. Why one way? They have a thing where cyclists pay $20 and they and their bikes are taken to Frostburg and then you can hop on your bike and pedal your heart out.

I've wanted to do this for sometime and yesterday was my only chance to do it this summer. Business where I work has picked up and we're working a lot of Saturdays.

Except for a little sprinkle on the ride down the mountian the day was perfect. The ride up the hill was great and all total I took 191 photos. Now, my only problem is culling them down to ten or so for this post. Soooo....here we go.

734 pulling into the station.

Heading out of town.

Passing the old interchange track at City Jct.

Climbing into the Narrows.

Crossing the bridge over the National Highway at the west end of the narrows.

Rounding Helmstetter's Curve

The Helmstetter farm.

At Brush Tunnel

In the tunnel.

Coming out the upper end.

Above Woodcock Hollow.

On the hill above Mt. Savage...where I went to high school...a very long time ago.

Passing under an old Western Maryland signal bridge.

Just below Frostburg. 734 is leaving Western Maryland rails and swinging onto the old Cumberland and Pennsylvania...and the steepest part of the hill.

Tight curves and steep grades mark the last leg of the run to Frostburg.

Crossing over the old Western Maryland...now part of the bike trail. In less than a mile the train has climbed fifty linear feet.

734 on the turntable at Frostburg.

Look for the red glow under 734's boiler. It's not reflected sunlight...its the glow from the boiler. By the way, I gave up on just posting a dozen photos a while back.

A parting shot of 734 before I head down the mountian.

Photographed a grey squirrel at the Woodcock Hollow Trail shelter.

Ran into rain coming down the mountian. Ended up taking shelter in Brush Tunnel.

Had a little snack and dried off while I waited for things to clear.

Two last shots from my day. 734 coming into the narrows.

Crossing Baltimore Street at the end of another successful run.

The rocking and rolling of the cars made it a little difficult taking pictures. The cinders stung my arms as I leaned out to take my photos. I couldn't breathe in the tunnel. And I got rained on coming down the mountian. But I had fun.

If yesterday was a song it would be Travis Tritt's 'Great Day to Be Alive.' Enjoy the photos everyone and Happy Father's Day.