CSX's Georges Creek Subdivision is a ten mile coal branch with a long legacy of railroading and coal mining. Originally constructed in the pre-Civil War years of the mid 1850s, the subdivision served as a mainline for the Cumberland & Pennylsvania Railroad between Cumberland, MD, and Westernport, MD. Following the Civil War, coal production expanded in the Georges Creek Valley as did the numerous branch lines to serve the many coal loaders. This boom along with C&P passenger trains between the many mining towns made this line a high density piece of railroad, like many coal railroads of that era. Unfortunately, this prosperity was brought to an end as the mines began to be worked out, inaddition to the miner's union strikes of the 1920s and the long Depression of the 1930s. By World War II, the C&P was financially strapped, making it a ripe acquisition for the Western Maryland Railway. In 1944, the WM acquired the C&P but the full merger did not occur until September 1st, 1953 when the C&P was officially terminated. Exactly one year later, the WM severed the Cumberland and Pennsylvania's physical plant at several locations, most notably at Frostburg where the C&P's mainline was cut, turning the Georges Creek line into a branch between there and Westernport. Mining continued in the Georges Creek Valley over the next few decades, surprisingly with several new mines opening up to take advantage of the new utility coal market and the Oil Crises of the 1970s. During the WM era, mine turns with several four axle units - six axles were prohibited on the subdivision - would originate out of Maryland Junction and later Keyser in the Chessie era. Up until the mid to late 1980s, it wasn't unusual for the subdivision to be worked six days a week with more than a 100 loads of coal a day making the journey south to Westernport and points east and west. By the CSX era in the early 1990s, dwindling coal prices and reserves, coupled with the Clean Air Act rendered many of the remaining mines too costly and almost all save for a small number closed. Because of this decline, the Georges Creek has been worked very infrequently and sporadically during the mid 1990s. However with the Conrail Merger on June 1st, 1999, and an increase in the demand for coal, new markets became available to the mining operations along Georges Creek and the remaining loaders have began to take advantage of it. Currently two active loadouts are located on the subdivision - the TriStar operation at Morrisons shown below and United Energy's operation at the old Consol No.10 site near Frostburg and Interstate 68. Mine turns are still infrequent and often follow no pattern, although as of the summer of 2001 one of the two mines would usually load at least once a month. [Click to enlarge] Photo by Rich Borkowski Jr.The two units on the B880 of this Georges Creek Turn have cut off from their train and are backing east in the siding at Morrisons during March of 2000. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. The headend of the Georges Creek Turn, B880, consisting of #5934 and #2672 near Morrisons, MD. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. The sign marking the TriStar coal loader at Morrisons, Maryland. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. This view is from the 'Conductor and Brakemans Perch' at the Tristar loadout. From here, the engineer is instructed on how many cars to pull down to the front end loaders. Crews also have to watch a nearby road crossing to prevent it from blocking any vehicles - in the event that a vehicle is blocked, the train will be cut at the nearest loaded hopper and then pulled downgrade until it clears the grade crossing. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. No fancy loadout here! Three front end loaders do the work, with 11 to 14 scoops to fill one hopper - this train consisted of 71 cars and took five and a half hours to load. In this view, the Georges Creek helper, a GP38-2, can be seen just above the loadout to help hold the cars while the head end units work the trainline air brakes. The grade is sharp here, requiring handbrakes to be set on ten loaded hoppers while the loading process is underway. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. The Georges Creek Turn has reached Westernport, MD, as it crosses over Route 135 and approaches the Hampshire Yard Limits on the Thomas Subdivision. The Thomas Subdivision tracks continue around the curve on the left to WVa Central Junction near Piedmont, WV, while the track in the foreground continues behind the photographer to 21st Bridge and a second connection with the Mountain Subdivision. [Click to enlarge] Photo by John Plishka. The old station in Westernport, MD. This station currently houses a local museum preserving some of the rich history of the Potomac Highlands. 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