Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Cumberland

This was a nice ride for those who want scenery and memorable experiences. The scenery along the route was impressive. And the train did not hurry along. It was leisurely.

My wife, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law and I all had reserved tickets for the dining car ($55) on the 3:30PM train. When we were picking up the tickets, about 30 mins. before the train pulled out, we saw a sign in the ticket booth that said . . . for $175 one could ride up in the engine for a most unique experience. In a rush we paid the $175 for this experience and boarded the train . . . our wives in the dining car and my brother-in-law and I up front in the engine. On the way home I began questioning my wife, who paid the extra amount, if the cashier deducted the price of our prepaid ticket because we opted for the much more expensive opportunity to ride in the engine. She informed me that the cashier said that they could NOT refund those two $55 tickets. What a ripoff . . . Totaling the price up, it cost me, and my brother-in-law, $230 to EACH ride in the engine!!! That certainly seems to be grossly unfair when one could just walk up and pay $175 on any given day. It's all about the money!

I took my family to the Strausburg Railroad (PA) which was amazing, but too short of a rail trip (ride coach for best value and stop at corn maze farm). We planned this trip (Western Maryland Scenic Railroad) because the train ride was longer. The directions from the brochure to parking were horrible and the town's signs weren't much help. There was MUCH confusion around the station and no real signs or anyone helping. The trains were not very well restored. They were like an empty shell. The ride wasn't as scenic as I would have thought. The right side of the train (left on the way back) provided the only scenic view, but was a bit disappointing. I thought a ride through the "mountains" would be a little more breathtaking. The stop in Frostburg was disappointing to say the least. The train turnabout was ok, but started without notice and was a crowded view. The walk (climb) to the town of Frostburg was ridiculous. Forget finding gift shops. If you love bars. you are in luck. Not a very kid friendly trip. The trip was saved by a last minute decision to visit a "zoo" just north of Cumberland. We drove up to see a plywood city and thought, "here we go again!". BUT....once inside, it was pretty awesome. Up close views of animals, reptiles, and birds. And, wasn't crowded at all.