Riding the GAP Bike Trail

The WMSR steam engine was built in 1916 and really makes the uphill climb to Frostburg a pleasure.

We discovered a great way to get a bike ride in and ride a historic railroad in the same day. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland, and runs both steam- and diesel-powered trains from Cumberland to Frostburg, about 16 miles west. We opted for the steam-powered engine originating out of the former Western Maryland station in Cumberland, which also houses one of the six visitor centers of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. This station was built in 1913.The track, which for the most part follows a former Western Maryland Railway line, proceeds northwest from Cumberland through "the Narrows", a deep water gap, proceeds up the Allegheny Front , and terminates at the former Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Frostburg. The train lays over there for about 90 minutes to allow passengers to visit the town, and the locomotive is turned back there on a turntable before it returns to Cumberland by the same route. They let you bring your bike along and instead of making the trip back to Cumberland on the train, you can ride back on the Great Allegany Passage (GAP) Trail. It's a bike-only trail that is a gradual downhill coast all the way back to Cumberland. Highly recommend the trip for anyone interested in trains and looking for a way to get in some exercise.