Fireball Freight at Brush Tunnel. God-beams penetrate the veil of soot and steam as Western Maryland's hefty Consolidation #729 emerges from the west portal of the Brush Tunnel with a coal drag, on a cool fall day.
Built in 1911, Brush Tunnel is 914 ft. long and was originally bored for dual-track operation. The second set of rails has long-since been lifted, and the real estate next to the remaining track is now occupied by the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail. It's a nice, paved path for runners and cyclists to exercise, on the 1.75% grade from Cumberland to Frostburg. Folks out on the trail had best be aware of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's excursion train schedules, however. Woe to he/she who happens to find themselves in that tunnel when one of the steam-powered excursion trains comes along. Conditions in that tunnel can become downright unhealthy in short order.
