Historic train car will move from Frederick to Walkersville

By KHUSHBOO RATHORE

krathore@newspost.com

Walkersville Southern Railroad will be the new home for a historical C&O railroad car that is scheduled to move on Thursday.

The car is the home of a model train collection of the Frederick County Society of Model Engineers, a nonprofit organization. The train car is currently off East Patrick Street, across the road from Saputo Dairy Foods USA.

The car was used to transport race horses around the country, according to Walkersville Southern Railroad (WSR) Museum Program Director Wayne Kirchoff.

The property that the car sits on is being sold for development, and the museum stepped in to offer FCSME a home, he said.

Moving is a three-day process. Tuesday involved preparing the car to be moved, including detaching the two “trucks,” each of which is a set of three axles.

On Wednesday, WSR will load up the train car and the trucks. Thursday, the car will be relocated, Kirchoff said.

The car will be hauled from East Patrick Street onto Interstate 70, then onto U.S. 15 and Biggs Ford Road, before arriving at Walkersville Southern Railroad. None of the roads will be closed, but the trailers will have a police escort, according to Kirchoff.

The train will be taken in three parts. The car, which is about 73 to 74 feet long, will be on one trailer, and each “truck” will have its own trailer, he said.

The rail car will be outside the museum at Walkersville Southern Railroad. Kirchoff hopes that it brings more people to FCSME and the museum, he said.

Kirchoff is not sure whether the hours of operation and entry for the FCSME display will change, but he hopes that they can adjust to the museum schedule, so visitors can get a full experience, he said.

A historic train car is displayed off of East Patrick Street on Tuesday. According to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Historical Society, the rail car was built to transport built to carry thoroughbred racehorses, and is believed to be the last known Horse Express Car in existence. It is planned to be moved from Downtown Frederick to the Walkersville Southern Railroad by truck on Thursday morning.

Staff photo by Katina Zentz