Eastern Shore RR?

Legio X wrote:...Now, if we could get someone at DCL, MDDE and an NS DelMarVa division guy to update us on those lines regularly, it would be great. If you have any contacts on those roads who could join this forum, encourage them to do it.

I work for the MDDE. What would you like to know?

The MD&DE operates excursions each year for the Hurlock fall festival during the first weekend in October as well as the chicken festival, held last year in Federalsburg. The two passenger cars belong to the town of Hurlock. Is there any possibility the line would consider operating a rail buff excursion from one end of the line to the other? I think the company only runs the existing excursions to keep the local politicians happy and has no interest in anything other than freight business, but I thought I'd ask the question.

RailVet wrote:... Is there any possibility the line would consider operating a rail buff excursion from one end of the line to the other? I think the company only runs the existing excursions to keep the local politicians happy and has no interest in anything other than freight business, but I thought I'd ask the question.

Highly doubtful, for one, MDDE would have to borrow the cars from Hurlock. That in itself, probably not a big deal. But, the carrier would need to insure them. Third, track conditions from East New Market to Cambridge are poor. We are limited to 10mph for freight. The way the excursions are run now is the best in that west of Hurlock there are no runarounds until Cambridge. East of Federalsburg, the next runaround is in NS's Seaford yard. Obviously, that won't happen as they won't allow that kind of disruption to their switching. That leaves us with what is in place.

There was talk on another forum of a scenic route from Hurlock down the Preston line utilizing the two NW coaches, but that is only in the exploratory phase right now. They would have to identify a source of power, perhaps other then MDDE.

Hurlock to Preston - that would be Dave Owens. He faces a long, uphill climb to make that operation a reality, and he's not getting a lot of cooperation. I wish him the best but I don't know if I'll see any movement over that line in our lifetimes.