Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Reviews

We paid extra for lounge car tickets for a specialty Octoberfest beer tasting event. The additional ticket price was for the lounge car which was SUPPOSED to include heavy hor d'oeuvres and soft drinks. After paying the larger additional fees per ticket, they let everyone and anyone sit in the lounge cars no matter what they paid, there were NO hor d'oeuvres and no soft drinks. On top of that, we watched one of the train employees take takeout containers of food for himself from the dinner car even though the specialty lounge received NO food from the additional fees we paid for. We have been on specialty trips from this company a couple times before but will never be back. If we want a specialty scenic train, we'll take the West Virginia Potomac Eagle instead. At least they care about their customers and what they pay for. DO NOT pay for or go on their specialty events programs.

Went on the NYE murder mystery dinner trip with another couple. Dinner was good and the entertainment was engaging. Just a nice fun evening.

My family loved the Polar Express, they sang and danced most songs from the movie, loved Hot Chocolate, we were even served Hot Chocolate, and a cookie, We all got to meet Santa, and received a Christmas Bell, it was so realistic to the movie, recommend for ALL ages, you won’t regret it !!!!!

We booked the Murder Mystery Dinner train as a Christmas present for my mother-in-law. We had 5 people in our group and they book tables of 4, so I sat with a group of 3 at the next table. Since that was a table to three women on a birthday party trip, I had a great time with them. The show was entertaining and we all enjoyed ourselves. Three of our group had the filet mignon and two had the shrimp pasta. The filet was top notch and the shrimp pasta was delicious. Two that I sat with had the chicken and said it was a little dry, but that’s why I don’t order chicken…lol. The chef was 18YO and I was very impressed with the amount of food he was able to put out with minimal help on a moving train with a small kitchen. The wait staff did a very good job considering tight quarters, moving train and multiple train cars of people to take care of. They probably could have used a few more staff, but this is a non-profit and costs are no small thing for these organizations. Thank you to the staff for a very enjoyable evening with my family.

The overall experience was okay. The train moved very slowly and stopped for an hour in one spot before heading back to the station.

The food was the worst part of the experience. My husband and I got two different things (the tuna steak and the Chicken Primavera-Cavatappi) and both were hard to eat. I absolutely hated the food which left much to be desired in every course of the meal. The salad was comprised of just lettuce with some homeade dressing that was very bland. I had to add so much salt and pepper to my food just to be able to tolerate eating it. They definitely didn't put much time and effort into the food portion of the experience so beware!

We only were able to go into a main lounge area about 40 minutes before the train ride was over to mingle with other riders.

It was an okay evening, just to have had something to do but I would not do it again or recommend this dinner train to anyone else.

Took the train ride to Frostburg. It was a nice leisure trip out with lots of scenery. We were in the lounge car which has great seating in chairs or at tables. There are free beverages or you can purchase alcoholic beverages, and you also receive a complimentary tray of snacks. There is an attendant to serve you and answer questions. The conductor actually owns the lounge car and he has an interesting story to tell about it. Once in Frostburg you have 1 and 1/2 hours to walk up the hill to the town and see the shops on the main street and you can also grab a bite to eat. The whole trip lasts 4 and 1/2 hours and it well worth the time. I would like to go again in the fall as I am sure it looks great with all the changing colors.

I went on two train rides. Sunset on the Mountain and Saturday to Frostburg. Friday trip was very nice. The music and atmosphere was great, met a lot of great people too. Saturday, again my host Sherry was spectacular, gave great service, paired me with a great couple and gave great scene information as we rode. Then we got off train, No SHUTTLE! ! didn’t get to go to see town of Frostburg. Too many steps to walk up, and no Shuttle. Very disappointed outcome.

Taking an excursion on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad was the centerpiece for a romantic weekend away for me and my boyfriend. The train ride goes from Cumberland, MD to Frostburg, a few miles away. The train winds you through some pretty countryside and you get to see mountains. We were past the fall foliage colors, but it still was very pretty and relaxing. When you get to Frostburg, there is a free shuttle that takes you up a hill to the town, which is very convenient. There are some dining options in town, if you didn't get lunch on the train, i.e. Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, pizza, coffee/sandwich shop. They also have a snack bar on the train that sells hot dogs and chips, etc. Hint: on the way back they reduced the price of the hot dogs to a dollar each! I really enjoyed the trip and recommend it for couples and families.

We have enjoyed many rides on the WMSR over the years. We went back to ride again last weekend now that the # 1309 is back in operation. It's an awesome locomotive and a thrill to ride behind, as well as getting up close while laying over at the depot in Frostburg. This time we opted for a dome car ride. It's a great view from up there, but I should note the seating is a little cramped.

As an aside, the construction on main street in Cumberland, Baltimore Street, a short distance from the WMSR station, has been completed since our last visit two years ago. It's now a very nice pedestrian friendly street with limited vehicle traffic, lots of sidewalk cafes etc.

Planned a getaway birthday weekend for my husband. Seeing/riding the 1309 was on his bucket list. I specifically booked our ride for a Saturday in October as the website stated the 1309 would run ALL Saturdays in October. When the train pulled up we were quickly disappointed to see a diesel train. The overall experience was fine and similar to most other scenic rail excursions we have done. Our only complaint is that we planned our entire trip around the 1309 and felt our weekend was somewhat wasted.

We traveled on the Polar Express!! The whole experience was wonderful. The ticket agents - crew - performers - they all made sure everyone had a magical time! WMSR also provided a shuttle for those who are new to the area - allowing them to experience downtown Cumberland as well. Hats off to the WMSR!

We kicked off the holiday season with a ride on Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's Polar Express, and what a great trip it was! Total roundtrip on the train was close to 90 minutes. We bought the Table car tickets and had an absolutely fantastic time. The steam engine brought back some nostalgia and had my daughter really thinking that we were going to the North Pole. To keep the magic going, we were served hot chocolate, cookies, and treated to the songs from the movie. Santa even made a visit to give our "the first gift of Christmas" to the passengers. Such a great time and cant wait to do it again next year!

My husband and I took the dinner train for our anniiversary. It was disappointing. It was an expensive activity and the dinner was not what you would expect for the amount of money spent. The wine they serve is Barefoot which costs about $10 for a large bottle at the store; a small glass of wine cost $9. We waited lengthy periods of time to get our drinks and every course of food. The other wait staff was zipping around the train taking care of the other side of our train car.Our waiter was chatting or just disappeared continuously. My husband waited 30 minutes for a beer. The dessert was minimal and we waited over an hour for it. the train brakes were not working properly for the return to the depot. We sat on the tracks for quite some time. We were not offered any thing to drink during this time or given any updates on the hold up. The wait staff disappeared, perhaps they were working on the train. We were supposed to return at 10 pm and we returned close to 11:30 am.
I would not reccommend this dinner train to anyone. Not sure I would reccommend this train at all.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Polar Express train ride with our family last night (6 kids under the age of 5)! I read some other recent reviews and was nervous as they were all terrible. We bought tickets to the steam engine and the only tickets left were upgraded “stampede pass- deluxe” seats. I’m not sure if that’s the reason we had a better experience, but it was awesome! The staff was so engaging and took the time to really talk with our kids and play the role! We had plenty of room to spread out and were not crowded in any way. We sang, got golden tickets, enjoyed our chef thoroughly and got a magical bell from Santa! The hot chocolate and cookies were before the ride, but it was nice because we got there early and it gave us something to do. I gave it four stars as the “north pole” was pretty very lame, but it didn’t take away from our experience! Would definitely recommend, and if you can afford it, upgrade your seats!

My wife got me this for my birthday, riding in the cab with the engineer and brakeman. Wonderful trip and got to see a lot. Both narrated the history and how the train worked, very informative and engaging. Got to see the Diesel engine too. Would highly recommend this as a unique thing to do.

Took the train up to Frostburg and back. It was a great day trip. The museum at the Train Depot in Frostburg was interesting and the people who work there are very knowledgeable.

We did the dining car option with the fall foliage tour! There was zero delay boarding the train after obtaining your tickets from the window. We found our seats and were immediatly offered somethign to drink - for example pop, beer or wine. Fresh brewed ice tea and water with a bucket of chipped ice was already on the table. The 1 hour trip up to Frostburg was narrated nicely and dinner was promptly served after leaving the platform. It was hot delicious and more then you could eat. We were allowed to move around the cabin during the drive. The stop in Frostburg was 45 minutes which allowed you to see the Carriage Museum for free. Very nice. We also walked around the local park. The one hour ride back included cheescake for dessert. Very yummy! Our server was nice - Jenny - Thank you! The ride concluded back on time. It is hard to travel with teenagers but even mine enjoyed the trip. It was just long enough to be entertaining but not too long to get boring. I would really recommend this trip!

This was the best polar express train ride. Have been on a couple but the interaction between the train staff and riders made it best of all. My grandson who is 5 was in absolute awe. He has seen the movie a ton of times and he thought this was the best!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our train trip. The staff was helpful and friendly and the food was delicious. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and we learned a whole lot of interesting history!

Want to step back in time? How about re-visiting a time in your childhood, time when life was full of wonder and excitement?
Here's your Golden Ticket to the memory of a lifetime; there aren't many of these opportunities to see ear-to-ear smiles on the young and old alike. The train is a step into the past that you can't get from almost any other experience. But it's the dedicated people who operate the whole show, as well as the incredible staff who perform the on-board skits from the movie, who make it a wonderful experience.
If you want to invest in a memory for a lifetime, here's your opportunity.
Dont't miss it...ALL ABOARD...This is THE POLAR EXPRESS!!!

Our trip last October on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad was easy to plan on their website. Parking was convenient. We were greeted upon arrival by the train conductor and easily found our reserved table in the dining car. We enjoyed our meal, the nostalgic train interior, and the view on our trip from Cumberland to Frostburg and back. The narrator of the ride was very interesting with information and a good sense of humor. My daughter and I enjoyed the brief layover at Frostburg to shop and take in history. There we were fortunate to experience a ride on the engine turntable. For us, it was a personal "Twilight Zone" opportunity to mentally experience the roundhouse our late Pops had built on his model railroad layout. The train conductor, Jim, was super friendly and interactive with the passengers. He patiently answered endless questions about his experience, about the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, and about the operation of the train. We were fortunate to learn even more directly from the engineers. We thank the entire Western Maryland Scenic Railroad staff for making our final day of vacation relaxing, enjoyable, interesting, and fun. Special thank you to Train Conductor Jim May for his “all aboard” welcome and for creating a train experience for us we will fondly remember! He created magical moments!

Took young grandchildren on the Polar Express. Great Experience. Boarding was well planned. There were activities for the children very similar to the movie for the entire ride, including Hot chocolate and sugar cookies. The entire experience was one hour. Perfect for young children. Priced very reasonable for coach. My only criticism is that it would have been better to have the steam engine running. Highly recommended

My boyfriend planned this train trip in Cumberland Maryland. I didn’t know what to expect. When we arrived, the train was decorated for the Valentine holiday, the staff greeted us warmly, and we got to sit in the dining car decorated with roses and other holiday accoutrements. We sat with another couple and learned a lot about them, which I didn’t think I would like but I actually did. It was a great experience, the wine was good, the food was good, and it was an opportunity to really enjoy the old style train travel. My only regret is that because it was dark most of the trip, I have no idea where we were. I would look forward to going on a day trip in the fall to see the foliage.

We had a good time. Unfortunately, it was pouring but it was still fun. It would be nice if Frostburg could have their restaurants stay open for your trips and partner with you more. It looked like a ghost town on Sunday. The train staff were all very nice.

Incredible day... was blown away by the customer service and food. Our waitress in the dining car was fantastic and went above and beyond for us.

This is a great train ride when it's foliage season. The cattle call of people lined up to get into the train is literally a disaster. The only way you can avoid this is buy a premium ticket.
The foliage was beautiful but be warned the trees are in your field of vision so you get glimpses of the foliage. I enjoyed the train ride to Frostburg I could have done without the ride home since it was basically the same scenery. I've heard the Xmas train is very exciting for the kids.

Booked the standard coach ticket and just brought our own picnic lunch to eat in Frostburg upon arrival. We opted to sit in the open-air car, which was a great experience - if you plan to take lots of photos like I did, sit in the open air car, you can lean out and catch some amazing photo opps.

Sit on the right side of the train (the side facing the rail station when you board) if possible! The left side does not offer much in the way of views. Along the trip to Frostburg you'll encounter lots of nice views, and if you go in October like I did, good opportunities to see the fall colors.

There is one tunnel - again, another great photo opp as the tran is approaching it and again leaving it.

When we went, there were plenty of seats available, so it was nice being able to spread out.

The only negative thing I have to say is that on the return trip, I went to the snack car to buy a bottle of water and they were sold out. The train wasnt even near filled to capacity, so I'm not sure how even then they sold out of water.

Also, you only have about an hour in Frostburg before the train returns; it would be nice if you we had at least 2-3 hours, that way people would have the chance to visit Frostburg and the downtown area before needing to board again.

Otherwise, if you are looking for a neat way to check out western Maryland and catch some neat fall foliage and railroad pics, I would recommend this.

This is an extremely difficult thing to do with any handicapped people. As our trip was in October and on a weekday afternoon, there were many people with canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. I expected the narrowness of the train aisles and had planned for that. Obviously, no wheelchair goes down those. However, there was virtually no help from the staff after my friend got out of the wheelchair and was using a cane to get upstairs to board the train, andthen the train had ramps going up and ramps, going down inside the car and a very narrow staircase. None of this was noted before we went. When we got off the train in order to get to a restroom, you had to go upstairs and downstairs. Very awkward and difficult for anyone who has mobility issues. There was positively no access for the disabled.

One of the best experiences EVER!! My husband has dreamed of driving a train since he was a child and his dream came true! The experience was so much more than either of us expected! Mike & Dave were awesome!!
I highly recommend this experience to all the kids at heart!!

We drove down from Philadelphia to take the Frostburg Flyer on a Friday. It was not what we had expected. Most of the scenery we saw were woods and the rocky sides of the gorges the train line rain through. When the train emerged from the woods for 3 or 4 seconds it was barely long enough to snap a shot of the hillside farms, nearby mountainside, or the canal. It was really just a slow ride through the forest.

The doors at both ends of the car were open for the length of the trip, from Cumberland to Frostburg and back. The screeching of steel wheels on steel tracks, and the racket of the cars swaying, drowned out the conductors attempt to give us a little history of the area over the loudspeaker. It was not worth the $50 fare but I might have paid half.

This was very disappointing. I drove 1.5hrs and it was a flop. Parking was a nightmare so be prepared. Then the train was dirty, Inside and out. I had to use wipes to clean the chairs down. It was disgusting. The volume was too low for the announcements and decor was too basic. For the price point, we would like to see a more decor inside train and the train station too. I gave two stars because my son was happy to see Santa.

Some windows were clear but some were almost completely blurry. For a scenic ride, more attention should be paid to the windows. There was no shuttle in Frostburg and going up the stairs and hill to get to the town was not an option for us. However, there was a nice little concession area offering burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, and ice cream. Also enjoyed the carriage museum. Gift shop was pricey but all money received helps support the railroad. Trees were just starting to color up for Fall and a few beautiful scenes of mountains & farms along the way.

We went to Cumberland to catch the train. We rode to Frostburg before returning to Cumerland. We were served a meal on the train and dessert on the return trip. The girl that waited our table did an excellent job. The conductor was a retired railroad man and was very knowledgeable. It was a very nice trip on a very nice day.

Tough I did not spend much time here Had just completed a bike ride from Pittsburgh It would be nice to ride the train (July 2017)

Being train enthusiast, we loved the train.
The conductor was very helpful. There were two wheel chair passengers who the train tried to accommodate. At Cumberland, there is a ramp to get onto the train but at Frostburg there is not. Getting off and on the train in Frostburg was difficult. Thankfully both wheelchair passengers were able to maneuver the 4 steps with the aid of other passengers and conductor.
Also, there's no room on the train for a wheelchair to go down the aisle to access the bathroom.
At Frostburg the path to get to the terminal and shops from the train car is gravel and very uneven making it almost impossible to roll the chair to the terminal.
The conductor tried very hard to make it easier but for the length of time that the train is in Frostburg it is hardly worth the effort to get off the train.

I was with 3 other adults; and we took the Saturday Frostburg Flyer Trip. There was pretty scenery throughout a good portion of the trip. The view is MUCH better on the right outbound (and left inbound). Sadly, the 1 hour stop in Frostburg isn’t long enough to explore the shops or sit down to enjoy a meal if you didn’t chose to dine on the train.

Our toddler daughter loves trains and I love fall colors, so we thought a late-October ride on the Western Maryland scenic train would be really fun. Well, it was in the end, but our day was peppered with little annoyances that could be easily remedied. First, the time on our tickets was not the same as the time on the website. We got there 45 minutes easily intending to walk around for a bit first, because we bought our tickets online and didn’t need to pick up tickets, right? WRONG. Even if you book online you have to wait in line to get paper tickets...but nothing on the website or printout said such. We luckily noticed that a lot of people were on the platform so went up, and heard others complaining about the ticket issue so we were able to get in line. It was huge and only one very flustered young lady trying to check in hundreds of people (while I saw several other staff just standing around). Then the platform was crowded with no signs for people with first class, pub car, etc to go (I guess there actually isn’t a special section? Save your money because everyone just sat where they wanted in the end). The conductors were ornery because no one knew where to go and so many people showed up at the door to the train without paper tickets re: above. They did a good job on board, though they ran out of a lot of the food items before we returned from Frostburg. The hour stay in town really isn’t enough time since part of the fun is watching the engine go on the turntable, then you have to wait in line at one of the two food places by the station or hike up the big hill into Main Street Frostburg (and also wait in line if you don’t get there first). The coffee shop where we got food - to go - was overwhelmed and also ran out of food items. We really didn’t feel like we actually saw any of the town, it looked cute. It’s really hilly though so plan for anyone with disabilities to have to stay down at the station. 30-60 more minutes would make it an actual nice visit in Frostburg and I’m sure the businesses would appreciate the time and more revenue. No one told us to keep our tickets handy for getting back on the train so reboarding was frustrating while I tried to figure out where I stuffed them (luckily I didn’t toss them!). The bathrooms were mostly out of order and the one we did find working was pretty gross. At least they had them I guess! Anyway we still made the most of it. It’s a quaint type of activity, definitely not Acela or even Amtrak quality seats or speeds, but the fall colors did not disappoint and our toddler “choo choo”’d her little heart out. We will go again in a few years, hopefully they figure out the logistics stuff so we can just relax and enjoy the whole process.

Wonderful day in Western Maryland. Ride was fun, views beautiful and the people were great and we met new friends. The shuttle running through Frostburg was not available and that was a big disappointment. Better coordination with shuttle service is needed.

We went on the Easter egg right to meet the Easter bunny. We upgrade to the car the dining car with the wife, 2 kids and grandparents. It was a great time with awesome views. The food was good and an experience the kids will not forget. The 2 dinning cars were vintage cars and it was a steam locomotive that pulled us along.

We took a daytime ride this time, to see the beautiful fall leaves. No complaints except for the food -- we got lunch in the dining car. At about $75 bucks apiece, we would expect hot sandwiches to be at least warm, but the cheeseburgers were placed on very cold rolls which made the burgers quickly go cold. The bacon was barely cooked to translucent. The toasted cheese was cold, too. We've had similar experiences with the evening dinner trains.

Could use more guidance on parking, too, we had to park 4 blocks away in a parking garage and it took some time to find. The lot by the train station was full but the machine kept handing out tickets.

Wonderful time with our grandkids. We all had a fun time. Started on time, which was great. Staff was very welcoming. Sound system went out so one of the Conductors read the book aloud. Evveryone in our car seemed to have a great time.

Had a great day. The ride is just very chill. The staff was friendly and informative. I highly recommend this.

This historic railway excursion is amazing, and it is great for all ages. Pricing is scaled based on which type if passenger car & amenities that you want to travel with. Obviously, the most expensive fares provide the most luxury. We did the basic Frostburg route in the Deluxe car.
The trip outbound (to Frostburg) is a slower uphill incline with amazing views of the mountain views (out of the right side of the cars). The 90 minute excursion in Frostburg is OK. It is a little town; not much to see or do (and most shops are closed Mondays). The big highlight to Frostburg is watching the railway crew use the wheel house to turn the locomotive around.
The return leg is a bit faster going downhill.
The Conductor walks around the cars on both the outbound and return; he provides a history on the individual cars (some privately owned).
Overall, an wonderful experience that is enhanced by little elements.

This follows a lovely very curving route through the woods, between interesting Cumberland downtown and Frostburg. The woods were very lush this spring.

The schedule drops you in Frostburg for 90 minutes before the return trip. That is enough time to climb steeply to the main street in Frostburg and enjoy lunch and the architecture. A brief highlight was watching the engine turn around on the turntable from above, along the steep street. There is good ice cream at the train station if you don't want to climb to Frostburg proper.

The advertised steam engine was under maintenance. They offered a refund or an upgrade (which seemed to consist of a bottle of water and a bag of potato chips). The scenery was worth the trip.

Conductor was extremely friendly and informative, and sat down to chat with many people during the return trip. The ride was comfortable enough in vintage passenger cars. Took me back to the 1960s.

we were in the parlor car, great lunch with a wonderful desert. nice scenery pleasant trip to Frostberg . Had shuttle to take us to the main street to window shop and found a few shops that we bought some nice things, trip back was just as noce

Me and my girlfriend wanted to see the fall foliage and felt this would be a great way to see it. This was a very nice scenic tour and we had fun on our trip. Thanks for the experience and we will do it again.

I had a wonderful ride on the Frostburg Flyer while in the area for a weekend getaway. The train ride was relaxing, the staff was amazing, and the views were incredible. I will definitely be back!

The ride was fun; a great way for adult family members to get together for a nice evening. We were VERY disappointed with the dinner. To cook filet mignon THAT well done is absolutely criminal and totally ruined what could have been a great piece of meat. The actors were good, but the story was somewhat weak, with very little build up to the murder.

Josh and Rick were amazing, doing many jobs at the same time, giving our group the feeling of being special. Our meal was served quickly and the wraps were quite tasty. Both Josh and Rick took care to make each of us feel special. My hat off to them

The train was was really fun for our group of 7 friends!! The food was good, the service was great and the narration was very informative!!!
Only one complaint! Upon arrival at Frostburg, we discovered that there was no way to get our handicapped friend up the hill to the town in the 1 hr layover. Therefore, our friend and her daughter were left below while the rest of us traversed the hill. Would be great if a shuttle of some sort was available. I’m sure other passengers would agree!!!

I have taken the scenic daytime train rides in the past and it has been a very enjoyable experience. Sadly the Moonshine Train excursion was very disappointing. The train was extremely late due to mechanical issues and I would not give a negative review based solely on that. The wait staff were understaffed and overwhelmed. Some guests did get to eat right away but several people including myself were served our dinner minutes before the layover in Frostburg. The food was warm-ish and we felt like we had to eat fast as to not miss the layover activities. We barely had enough time to go to the bathroom and see the very tiny fire outside. It consisted of a few pieces of wood in a tiny freestanding firepit maybe big enough for 4 people to stand around it. The train was very cold and there was no relief at the fire. It seemed silly since the there probably was over 100 people there. I was expecting a bonfire. The moonshine samples consisted of a few thimble size glasses. For the cost of the ticket and what I considered maybe a $30 meal at best, it wasn't worth it. There were other guests on the train that appeared to be past employees and they were pretty boisterous to put it mildly. They also enjoyed extra food including lobster tails which were not even a choice for anyone else. They were served multiple dinners before some guests were served their dinner. That just showed poor judgement and lack of consideration. To sum it up this train was a trainwreck! I would go on a non dinner daytime ride again but never this!

Wasn't sure what to expect from the Santa train but I've always wanted to ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and decided to make a family holiday trip out of it. Beautiful scenery and the entertainment for the kids by the elves was cute. Meeting Santa and Mrs Clause was a real treat. Would've have loved to spend more time in Frostburg but am now likely to make a return trip in another season.

We love train rides and it looked like this one would be great. We paid 120 each for the dome first class car which was a lot but we thought it would be worth it. On the contract it said you would switch sides coming back so everyone would have a chance to see the views. However the tables were not cleaned when we got back so everyone sat in the same places. Since no one else mentioned it, I didn’t either. I felt it should have been announced so that everyone was aware. We didn’t get to take pictures because we were on the side without a view. Just a little disappointed.

Since everyone already purchased tickets for 2021 at the time of this writing, my review is being added to forewarn potential disappointment of future Polar Express passengers.
The website INCORRECTLY described the experience, as we were not served hot cocoa & cookies onboard. Santa barely made an appearance, only to rush through passing out bells to little children only. The ride is lured as “90 minutes”, but it was a little short of an hour long. The “North Pole” was anticlimactic and had a few inflatable decorations which could only be seen if you were lucky enough to be seated on that side of the train. We paid over $250 and drive 3 hours to behold a dismal attempt at recreating Polar Express magic. I specifically selected this particular Polar Express train ride based on past reviews since our son is obsessed with the movie and apparently the 2021 experience is not the same as was provided in previous years. Save your money and prevent childhood disappointment by opting for a different Christmas experience.

My wife and I visited the WMSR on a Friday in July 2023. We had purchased tickets for the upper section of the observation car Stampede Pass back in February. We arrived early enough that we could walk around the canal area and photograph the train as it pulled up to the station. Unfortunately, the steam engine wasn’t available. WMSR offered to refund the tickets or give us credits for when the steam locomotive was available. We decided to go anyhow.

I went into the station to pick up my tickets. The young lady who checked my ID and found my tickets was pleasant. She explained that we could board the train about 20 minutes before the departure time. When the time came, we boarded at the clearly marked observation car entrance.

Once seated, the hostest offered us a glass ofchampagne. She explained that there was crackers and cheese available. She introduced herself as Rachel Bytheway.

The trainride to Frostburg was pleasant even though the speaker for the narrative didn’t work. As we approached Frostburg, it started to rain. We decided to stay on the train for the 90 minute stay in Frostburg.

Rachel was very pleasant and very attentive to our requests for water, coffee, or soda. All 12 people in the upper section of the observation car agreed that service was great.

The rain stopped as we left Frostburg. We arrived to Cumberland on time. It was a pleasant trip and very comfortable. Rachel was the best.

This is an interesting and fun thing to do. Try to go when the foliage is at it's peak in the surrounding area. The train cars are showing their age, but it's still a comfortable ride. The food is pricey considering it's quality, so if you skip it you won't miss much.

My husband and I enjoyed the train from Cumberland to Frostburg. We went the end of October and the scenery was beautiful and the color of the leaves were close to their peak. Make sure when you enter the car to sit on the right hand side, better views. The train was crowded but not filled to capacity so there was no trouble boarding as in previous post or in picking up our tickets

Josh, Rick and the rest of the crew did a great job for our group of 46. They went above and beyond! They were short staffed and still did an amazing job. They always were cheerful and attentive. I recommend the Old Fashion with the maple syrup!

Went on the Frostburg Flyer in mid-October for our third visit and had another fantastic time! Ordered the tickets beforehand online and they were easy to pick up at the depot's ticket window. ALL of the staff could not have been nicer, and all were very helpful in answering any questions. Once onboard (our first experience riding the dome car) the car hostess Sherry made us all feel welcome and was very friendly. A standing ovation to all of the paid employees and volunteers who put these trips together. They make it look easy, but we all know there is an extraordinary amount of work needed to make these trips work. We have ridden the train a total of three times traveling from Southern Ohio and cannot wait to do it again. Outstanding job!!

The stop at Frostburg was very underwhelming. First off, to get to “scenic Frostburg” consisted of about 109 steps up a staircase to get to a steep road leading to Frostburg.from the train stop. There was a small ice cream place at the Frostburg stop. For $6 you got two golf ball size scoops of ice cream!!it was served in a small Dixie cup. Only the young at heart even tried the staircase. They say there is a shuttle to avoid the staircase. However we were told the shuttle is only available when the train has over 200 passengers!

My grandson and I have been planning this trip for 3 years and it did not disappoint. The Cumberland Depot is an amazing structure, a beauty of a bygone era. The centerpiece of course is the steam locomotive that conveyed us from Cumberland to Frostburg on the “Frostburg Flyer” route. The WMSR 1309 Baldwin 2-6-6-2 H-6 Mallet is the last of her class and was a thrill to see in person and ride. The ride through the Narrows, paralleling the historic C&O Canal, and past the picturesque Helmstetter’s Curve, as well as rolling through the 914 foot Brush Tunnel, on our way to Frostburg was delightful. The Frostburg Depot was lovely and there were things to see and do in the vicinity without having to take the stairs up to Main Street or the available shuttles.

We chose this train ride as our first because our family’s roots in Frostburg and our connection to coal mining in the area. I hope to do it again someday.

We certainly hit the gift shop at Cumberland Depot to pickup some WMSR swag. I’ve already enjoyed frosty beer in my new “1309” pint glass. All in all, we have a wonderful trip where I could point out things and explain why it was worth seeing because I wasn’t driving - I was a passenger and tourist.

I recommend this even if you aren’t a rail enthusiast. There were some beautiful vistas to see and I imagine they are even more spectacular in fall foliage.

So disappointing! First, hard to find any available parking spaces. More importantly, this was advertised as though we were going to take a ride on a beautiful old fashioned steam train, but instead it was more like a run down inner city subway train hitched to a prop that served as the “Steam engine” when it actually ran on diesel, and just happened to be above ground. The open coach section was so bad we had tiny pieces of charcoal blowing in and landing on our clothes the whole way. We had to wear masks so as not to breathe in the ashes. The cabin itself was like a cattle car. Hardly any scenery at all wit worth mentioning and the speed of the train was slower than a slow bicycle ride. Also advertised snacks available for purchase. Good luck with that. And why would they take us to the town of Frostburg that was described as small and charming but instead was dead as a door nail ? We arrived on a Sunday so was everything closed because of this or were all the small businesses actually out of business? We found one place open for lunch but had to find a bench outside the establishment to sit and eat it because all the other passengers from the train headed to the very same restaurant as it was literally the only option for anyone. I never write bad reviews because I know that people’s work hard at their jobs and I wouldn’t want a business to close because of something I said. But in this case I feel like warning the buyer is more important. At $55 per person for the coach section, this “attraction” is a complete ripoff for the consumer so I am compelled to warn others… Do not waste your time or money!

We did the Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Very enjoyable, smooth ride, surprisingly delicious food, fun show, and comfortable train.

It is not really scenic. Its mostly trees. As for the ride its ok. You board the train in Cumberland and it takes you to Frostsburg for a 90 minute layover. But the surrounding area does not offer much.

It was a fabulous train trip with the steam locomotive . We did the lounge car. Had champagne welcome drink and cheese crackers cheese raviolis during the journey to Frostburg . Nice views , and a nice 90 minute stay at Frostburg. The train station itself was very old time train style with plenty of parking. Would definitely do it again.

My family really enjoyed this trip. The scenery was great and the narrator was interesting. Our only suggestion is that better information is needed regarding the stop in Frostburg, what there is to see and do there, transportation options, etc. We felt we lost some time wondering around. But it's a very cute old city. We loved Princess restaurant toward the top of the hill--great old fashioned milk shakes!

Our group of 8 took the Steam Train ride yesterday. The ride was very pleasant, and the train staff was so nice and helpful! The cars were clean, narration was interesting, and the food was decent too. Once in Frostburg, there is a free carriage museum to visit and a couple of options to grab a bite. Unfortunately, all the seating seemed to be in direct sunlight and the only bathrooms were porta potties. Area of potential improvement - the signage outside the train station does not clearly show where to enter the station.

Great staff, very friendly and very comfortable and relaxing! Enjoyed commentary and wAtching train turn in Frostburg.

1. The moment the conductor checked tickets, people casually walked from regular train and open air seats up into the upper dome, where the tickets are almost $150, significantly higher. The train staff knows it and looks the other way. The people who paid extra to be up there are then surrounded by family with noisy kids, computer games and a more crowded train experience. WMSRC needs to monitor and deal with it.
2. The signage and directions for boarding are nonexistent and people mill around confused. The ramp up to the train has no direction or sign at all.
3. The only assistance is a very busy conductor with passengers approaching from all directions, confused.
4. Staff was great but not enough. The cafe attendant was also responsible for the upper deck where passengers have paid for drinks and food with their ticket.

It was a pretty train ride from Cumberland to Frostburg, even in the spring when I went. I'm sure the mountains would be gorgeous in the fall, with the fall foliage. There is a 90 minute layover in Frostburg, but there didn't seem to be much to see or do there. I read there are over 100 steps to climb to get to what turned out to be a fairly steep street, up to Main St. there. I read there is a shuttle to take passengers up, but only if there are over 200 passengers, which there weren't on the day I rode. I did walk the steps and found a 7 Eleven to buy a piece of pizza, then walked back down. It was neat to see the engine put on a turntable to turn it around for the return trip to Cumberland. I guess this would be more recommendable to go in the fall, to justify the fairly high price for the coach ticket I bought.

We had a wonderful time on the Frostburg Flyer. We sat in the dining car and it was wonderful. The food is good, the waiters are responsive, and the scenery is beautiful. We had our elementary school aged children with us and they had a blast too.

Honestly it makes me really sad to write this. I was looking forward to a nice experience but instead it was very underwhelming. We took the Diesel train Polar Express ride. The decorations in Car 1 were shabby and the lights in the overhead garland on our side of the car didn't work. All the decorations looked worn out/like they had seen better days including the outfit Santa and Ms. Claus were wearing. The bathroom we had to use which was in Car 2 was absolutely filthy. It must not have been cleaned in quite a while. The only time I have see a bathroom in that poor condition in a train was on a trip overseas. There was just a general sense that routine cleaning of the cars was minimal and the bathroom, possibly totally overlooked. The whole experience was kind of tired and sad, like something passed over and neglected. Now I wish I had taken some photos to post, especially one of the bathroom.

Although it was raining and cold, we enjoyed the Fall Foliage trip on the railroad. We were seated with a couple we had spoken to in line, and although we were strangers to one another, we quickly cemented a friendship. Our trip was enjoyable with great conversation and light hearted laughs.

The food is mediocre, but, they are doing the best they can I am sure. The service however, was top shelf, professional, and impeccable. White table cloths, with low lighting, water and tea carafes provide a nice setting. The ride is slow and easy and even in the rain, the foliage is breathtaking.

I personally believe the trip is worth the money. The stop in Frostburg includes a free museum with horse drawn carriages and sleighs. Very nice addition to the trip at no extra cost.

We arrived 20 minutes before departure for the Mountain Moonshine Dinner train to find the ticket window -where you must retrieve prepaid tickets-closed. We inquired in the train office, sent to gift shop and told "he's on the train, will be right back". We waited 10 minutes for him to return to get our tickets. I understand he was resolving an issue but don't understand why 1 of the people we spoke with were unable to help us- there were 2 people in the gift shop. We boarded the train and asked the conductor whereabouts to go and all we were told was "left". We sat at the first available cloth covered table and sat for several minutes without a server appearing while those around us had already begun eating. I approached the conductor and politely asked if there was a server. The curt response was "be patient, she'll be there". After a few more minutes I inquired again and though he was clearly annoyed at being bothered said he would look for her. He came from the car ahead followed by the server who inquired what our name was and politely told us we were in the other car and to look for our name. The conductor said "I told you to look for your name." No he didn't and he could clearly see we were sitting at table with tablecloth that had not even been set. Not the level of service you expect when paying $125/ticket. Thankfully things got better from there but had the tickets not been so much we would have gotten up and left after the "be patient" comment. All of this could have been avoided with better communications on the front end and more courteous service. No team effort. Food was very good and entertainment in Frostburg enjoyable. Should have been an excellent experience.

Actually, I give 4.5 stars. This railroad experience is awesome! Several different train options and experiences. People are friendly and the scenic views are amazing. A few things to know:
-don’t bother going up into Frostburg. Many stores and most restaurants closed. And it’s not much to look at either. Spend your time walking down the trail, reading the coal miners historical walls or the little museum.
-be very careful if you are a party of two and reserve a table that can seat 4. Mostly likely you will be seated with strangers. We just watched a poor couple who sat with people who talked - about themselves- the entire trip up and back. Couldn’t even enjoy the scenery. They just sat there and had to listen
- dome car is somewhat nice. But know the tables are small! Felt cramped. Bring your own food and enjoy a nice meal with appetizers provided. Maybe consider sitting in the lounge car. I did that twice and it was awesome. Wanted to try the dome and it was...ehhh.

The train ride itself was very enjoyable, and the staff were very pleasant, however I most certainly didn't get the seating that I had paid for or expected. On their site a picture of 'Dome Car' seating is shown, it looked really nice and spacious, so I paid more for that seating. Upon arrival I found that the seating area was limited, and all seats taken; we ended up having to sit in the lower level...NOT what I had paid extra for OR anticipated! In my opinion the limited space in the dome car is purposefully overbooked. This put a real damper on what otherwise would have been a very enjoyable day. I WOULD NOT recommend spending extra for a seat in the dome car, which you may or may not get. VERY DISAPPOINTED.

My husband booked the Murder Mystery Dinner Train for my birthday. We live close by and had ridden on the Scenic Railroad before. The evening began at 7:00 pm. Our boarding went well, and we were greeted by many friendly staff members. Our drinks were served in a timely manner as was our salad around 7:30. However, our main course was not served to us until right before 9:00. The food was very tasteful, but was cold when they served it (we both had chosen the filet), however after waiting 1 1/2 hours on our entre were really disappointed. We thought maybe it was just the filet being served cold, however a lady at the next table said hers was cold and she had the other option (we think chicken). To explain a little more, we think we were among the last on the train to be served our meal, but that does not mean it is acceptable for it to be cold especially when we had to wait the longest to get it!

The show was another story. We have attended Murder Mystery Dinner Theatres before and knew going in it would be a challenge for actors to perform on the train in the isle. However, the show consisted of pretty much 2 actors yelling angrily at each other, with some input for several other actors. When it came to the who done it question, no one on our train car guessed the obvious angry actor, because it was too obvious. But they turned out to be the culprit. Very unimaginative. Anyway, we do love the Railroad, but probably would not waste our money on the Murder Mystery again unless, maybe we knew we were in the first car served, and they stepped up their game for the show and added some intrigue.

I traveled over the Columbus Day weekend. But from reading everybody elses trip, I'm glad I went on the Friday before the weekend. The runners from outside were definitely clogging the station and long lines to the restrooms. I thought the ramp was for wheelchair passengers only but figured out it was for everyone. I adapted and got on without a problem and it turns out that the train was wide open. Plently of places to sit.

I enjoyed the ride up and the ride was smooth enough that the gentle sway of the cars caused me to take a nap. A passenger had to wake me up because the engineers stopping in Frostburg was very smooth. Didn't jolt me awake. My compliments to the engineer.

I didn't take the time to walk the steps as the turn table was fun to watch along with crushing my penny on the rail. I would have loved to explore the tunnel beyond the turn table but its all fenced off. Neat to look at from the outside.

The ride back was nice and I sat in the last car with no windows. View was nice. After arriving back at the station, I got on my bike and rode back up [and down]. The best part of this path, for me anyways, is riding along an active rail. Gives it a better "feel" than riding an abandonned rail line. Years ago, I rode the "Passage" from the opposite direction making to the Mason-Dixen Line. At that time, I didn't realize how close Frostburg was so I didn't ride any further. But, now realizing how close it is, I'll be back next year and ride the Western Maryland RR and include a bike ride up to Mt Savage Tunnel and back.......on a week day.

We rode the train over Columbus Day and took the Fall Foliage tour. Unfortunately, the leaves had not changed. Luckily, this was a bucket list item so I wasn't disappointed at all.

We decided to make a little trip of it and first visited the Rocky Gap Casino (which was nice) and then stayed overnight and took the train ride in the morning. The tickets were slightly higher then I would have preferred to pay. I believe you can get Groupon/Living Social tickets for this train ride.

We chose not to get the lunch meal because it was very expensive and we were happy with just the ride. The train breaks at Frostburg where it leaves you off for almost an hour. We thought this was a bit long for a break. They do have a food stand there, so we got a cup of tea and waited to reboard the train.

All in all, it was worth our time.

Its definitely beautiful scenic route, but unfortunately we didn't see bful colors even if we traveled in peak time. Its

We took the Fall Foliage train ride at the end of October and really enjoyed it! We learned some new things about the area and the Autumn colors were fabulous! We highly recommend this day trip!

We rode in the dining car and had a nice lunch and desert that was served by Dan who was friendly and open to chat with us. We were here from Stratford Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 and enjoyed the experience.

The family decided to take the train to try the Murder Mystery ride. It was really awesome. The scenery, depending on which side of the train you were on, was either mostly forest or open areas. Either one had enough to keep you attention. The staff on the train was entertaining, I would like to give extra mention to Jennifer and Courtney for their super attitude and attentiveness. They were superstars. The food was excellent. We had two salmon and a filet. Everything was prepared perfect and the service was what you always see in the movies, very first rate. The mystery was ok and a little hookie but still fun. We plan to return to take the fall foliage train because we had such fun.

Friday morning on October 5th my wife, sister and brother in law and two of my friends and I drove to Cumberland from Bel air. We all drove separately because we all were carrying bikes and no one vehicle was capable of hauling everything. Turned out to be about a 2-1/2 hr drive and once past 95 and 695 and onto RT 70 it was a very pleasurable ride. Finding the train station was very easy and although the literature said parking would be $1 per hr., it was free this day and right out front of the station. I had purchased my tickets online but had to pick them up the day of at the ticket window on the 2nd floor of the station. A cool old building with a gift shop and rest rooms. Back downstairs we unloaded the bikes and rolled them up the ramp just to the left of the station to the platform and waited for the train. Soon were heard the horn blow and then it appeared coming around the bend. I’m sure it said but I thought it was going to be an old steam train. Not this time, it was and old diesel. We had to wait and give our bikes to one of the railroad crew for loading and then get in line to board. I was concerned that being at the very back if the line, we’d have trouble finding seats, but it was a light crowd this day. Seating is first come, first served, but we had no problem finding seats together. This is a very slow 1 hr train ride and I’m sure it would have been much prettier had the Fall colors been present. Even so it was a nice ride, but truly not allot to see. We arrived in Frostburg where we all unloaded. Those going back on the train had about an hour and a half to explore before needing to be back on the train. We had all day if we wanted since we were riding bikes back. But before we went exploring the town of Frostburg, everyone watched the trains engine enter the turntable and turn around for the ride back. The train ride was okay and it was a necessary part of getting us and our bikes to Frostburg. But the bike ride itself was the highlight and the most fun as far as I was concerned. And a very easy ride at that, all downhill with some parts not even requiring pedaling. And several places to stop and “rest” made it allot of fun. Easy ride for everyone, just a word to the wise to make sure your bike is in good working condition prior. Two in our group bought brand new bikes for this trip and didn’t do any riding before this trip. We had to correct several issues in the first few miles due to poor assembly by the store where they were purchased.

We took the trip to Frostburg to celebrate two birthdays. It was a beautiful and relaxing train ride. We especially appreciated the extra care Josh and Rick gave us with our special menu requests due to dietary restrictions.

Were very disappointed that there was no shuttle to take us to the top of the hill to see historic Frostburg. 87 year-old member of our party with a walker couldn’t make it up the the hill or stairs.

My husband and I recently did the murder mystery ride. The actors did an excellent job, may need microphones, as some cannot project their voices as well as other. The food was good. What concerned me was that there were NO COVID protocols in place at all!!! The train car we were in was completely full. we had to sit with total strangers across from us eating. Yes, I wore my mask, but no one else did!!! I blame myself for not calling and getting clarification about their protocols, but it was unbelievable that they had none at all. So, if you do not want to attend a COVID party you may want to wait on taking a ride on this train!

If I could give this company 1 star, I would. I made a reservation for the scenic tour, in the pub car, over a month ago, for the 27th of October. Money was taken from my account on the day of the reservation. I get a voicemail a little over a week ago asking if I wanted to upgrade to the dining car for free. Needless to say I did not. Then just today I was again called with no explanation, so I called back to see what the problem was, I was told I could upgrade to the dining car for free or that I would have to except a refund. Meaning that my reservation, that I made over a month ago, wasn't going to be excepted. They tried to placate me by saying that the dining car upgrade was more expensive and that I would get it for free. I did not want the dining car, even if free because we were all set for the PUB car. So they either overbooked, or gave our seats to a "friend" of theirs. It's unacceptable to tell me my reservation for the pub car is now not going to happen, 3 days before the event. We even booked a hotel in preparation for it. There are also other trips we wanted to take with them, but at this point we will not. I will also be passing the word along about their Bait and Switch tactics.

We had a very enjoyable time; sorta'. The scenery was great including the hills full of windmills. Dinner (filet, asparagus,potatoes) was very adequate. It MUST be terribly difficult to prep for hundreds! Our server, Tyler, was great. He actually spoke with us and we enjoyed him tremendously! A good deal for the price. Suggestions : 1) Better signage for the "Expedition" entrance. 2) A different type of entertainment. Perhaps a singing trio or quarter from car to car along with a comedian/joke teller. The micriphones and small amplifiers that the murder/mystery group used were deafening. The speakers were directly at ear level. No one could hear anything else so everyone yelled louder and louder. It was very frustrating to not be able to have a conversation with your friends because there were 80 people screaming at each other.

Railroad Transportation treasure must see and ride. Ride through the mountains and Narrows with a professional rail crew

I would first like to share that the train ride itself is delightful. We have taken the Frostburg Flyer & ridden open air class which we highly recommend. The Thrasher Carriage Museum in Frostburg at the train station is a must see. The train station, staff, and ride itself on the Murder Mystery Dinner Train were all lovely aside from the extremely uncomfortable seating. I would 100% recommend taking a trip with the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. What follows, however, is a detailed review of our culinary & entertainment experience on The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Murder Mystery Dinner Train, which unfortunately went off the rails rather quickly.
For comparison reasons, I will share that the base price for a family of 4, in July of 2025, is $540.00 for the Murder Mystery Dinner Train; Alternatively, it is $135/diner. There is no additional cost for the show. The Murder Mystery Dinner Train menu is set. Dinner starts with an overdressed, glob of a “Caesar salad.” If you happen not to tolerate cheese or Caesar salads, you will be served an ever so delectable dry lettuce and crouton salad as there are no other dressing options. Not one. This is where my first two suggestions enter, stage left. Please offer a simple classic Italian option, oil and vinegar-based dressing with spices, for those who don’t like or can’t have Caesar salads. The cost is so minimal as spoilage is so low. Plus, it really won’t increase the time it takes to get food out to tables. Second, please bring both dressings in jars to the tables with a serving spoon. This way guests can control the amount of dressing they wish to add to their salads. I know it is imperative you get food out quickly. We empathize, truly. Three of the four guests in my party grew up in or spent their careers in the restaurant and service/catering industry. I know you see uneaten, soggy salads coming back to the kitchen and I can promise you the rest of us are eating them out of pure desperation because we are STARVING! I’m begging, like down on my knees, find cute glass containers with lids, put the dressing in them, and serve the salads undressed to the tables. Your guests will thank you.
Second course, much the same as the first. Two of the four dinner options contain pasta. The pasta, though advertised as al dente, in our experience was severely undercooked, stuck together, gummy, and void of flavor. I ordered the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, which was the vegetarian pasta option. The dish was essentially a medley of colorful bell pepper rings, a plethora of sundried tomatoes, the slightest bit of fresh parsley, & the ill cooked pasta. I did see the same dish pass by which appeared to be smothered with grated parmesan cheese, yet this was not the case with mine. I was surprisingly delighted by the unexpected depth of flavor the chef built in the peppers. I usually am not a fan of green bell peppers, which were mainly featured, yet these were light and bursting with flavor. I would have been elated to have eaten a plate full of these as my main course instead of the inedible disappointment which consumed the majority of real estate on my plate. My mother, who we were celebrating, ordered the Shrimp Scampi. After poking at her sogg-bog of a salad to make it look as perhaps a few bites had been taken, she no doubt said a few Hail Marys before for her Shrimp Scampi meal was delivered, even if it had been highly acclaimed. As the rest of us ate, I couldn’t help but notice that much like myself, minimal items were being eaten from her plate, a few shrimp, a regrettable bite of pasta, and the savior, the asparagus which lucky for us both, my father despises, and; therefore, I had secured a trade for half my pepper rings in exchange for his asparagus for my mother and I to split. The guys in our group lucked out by selecting Filet Mignon. My father enjoyed his meal, and my husband said it was okay. Either sentence my mother and I would have been thrilled to be able to state honestly but wouldn’t dare utter being so high on a mountain for fear of a lightning strike. So curtain please because hello, it is I, the “good idea fairy,” with good intentions, as I want all guests to have an enjoyable experience as well as business to succeed. In our experience, your cooked vegetables are on point, and in my personal experience, pasta can be a tricky dish to cook in bulk, in a small space, and in a short amount of time. Especially when you add in trying to keep it in top serving state. Why not try making something like Shrimp and Grits? Be sure you make amazing & flavorful grits with a tasty light broth to keep the dish from getting too heavy. Add some fresh tomatoes, fresh summer corn, & veggies cooked the way you do & Voilà! Alternatively, you could make polenta with shrimp instead of grits, just be sure it isn’t dry or heavy. For the vegetarian dish, you could make a hearty vegetarian chili with a knockout cornbread and maple butter or serve with maple syrup or honey instead of butter. The vegetarian chili and cornbread could easily even be made gluten-free, which gives you another audience. Another great vegetarian dish would be a vegetarian paella. This would ensure flavor throughout the dish while also keeping the dish easy and price effective. Just some flighty thoughts from a helpful winged friend.

For the final act, the much awaited, dessert. Queen of the ball. Our table was so excited to see the generous, pillowy slices of cake arrive. Imagine our disappointment to cut into still frozen cake with icy, overpowering lemon filing. Womp-womp…Aghast, we were aware that we were guests on the Murder Mystery Dinner Train. We were not aware that we were also going to be victims; along with the salads, the desserts, and at least 2 of the 4 main course meal offerings. So here we were, 2 of us desperately trying to ignore the growing hunger pains in our stomachs with bums screaming from the hard, wooden seats, counting each second to the train station, calculating the odds of anything decent being open in a small mountain town after 10pm while our other two table mates were trying to sweetly distract us from the disaster of a dinner we had all been looking forward to since Mother’s Day. What a sight to behold.
Though this was not at all the dinner, or show we had hoped for, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. The servers were absolutely tops! There were 2 servers and 1 bar tender per train car, each train car seating 60 guests. The servers kept our glasses full and all of our requests attended to promptly & professionally. The train ride was nice, even if the view on the even numbered side of the train was sad as we only hugged the mountain and never received the beautiful views of the valley below the other side of the aisle was treated to for the entire ride. This is a mountain train ride after all and is no way the fault of the train line. We will know to ask for the side with a view next time, as will you if you are reading this. 😊

As for the Murder Mystery show. Let’s just say when you compare the price of the Murder Mystery Dinner Train to the price of the Allegheny Mountain Dinner Train, there is no visible price difference. I phrase it this way because I must believe that the cost you pay is in the entrée offerings between the two train rides. Though I have not yet taken the Allegheny Mountain Dinner Train, as a travel influencer, I plan to so that I can compare. Based on my past experiences, when one experience has a set menu and another offers a rotating menu, there is more care taken in the rotating menu. Additionally, with the Murder Mystery Train, you only have one salad and one dessert choice, whereas the Allegheny Mountain Dinner Train gives each diner two choices in the starter and dessert categories for a more tailored experience. The cast of the show popped in and out haphazardly throughout the evening. It was very disorienting and disorganized. If I didn’t know what the cast was wearing, I would have thought someone had lost their Gran or drunken uncle and offered to help them back to their seat. Lines were often forgotten. Not enough background for the characters was built by the actors or story. What diners read in the small pamphlet on the table about the characters was about as deep as it got. In fact, I made the mistake of excusing myself to the loo just in time to miss the entire murder and end of the show which lasted an entire 2 minutes. I feel like the play was the sort of thing an elder home would ask their residents to put on as an activity for their families coming to visit and that this is the kind of elder home I would like for my eccentric great aunt who enjoys partaking in these activities to live in. When I returned to our table after hearing the loud and dramatic death scene from the loo, I had the pleasure of the detective asking the diners to make their case as to why they chose who they chose as the murderer. I felt the guests put on more of a show than the actors. I will say that the toilet paper heiress was quite entertaining. She was the highlight of the show, and I would include her in a proper cast. Thank you, Ms. Flush! You are worth every penny of the $27,300 you were asking the diners for. My final verdict on the Murder Mystery Dinner Train itself is, if you are willing to sacrifice food quality and don’t mind the constant congestion of the servers, “actors”, and diners trying to shuffle back and forth through the narrow aisle, I suppose the trainwreck aboard won’t be any more harmful than the cuisine that is currently being served. Personally, I would opt for the Allegheny Mountain Dinner Train as there will be less congestion in the aisle and fingers crossed, better food.

As the curtain closes on our trip, I will share a few thoughts I hope will help future travelers and the Railroad. In regard to dessert, please find an alternative to the lemon cake. Lemon tends to be one of those flavors that individuals either love or hate. After a long ride and perhaps a questionable dinner and show, guests deserve a dessert they can all delight in. Perhaps the fluffy cake with fresh fruit or with a raspberry filling instead of lemon?
The servers and bartenders work hard and deserve tips. I realize an announcement is made that tips are appreciated but it isn’t made clear whether tips are included in the ticket price or not when this announcement is made on board. I know this is clearly stated on the website, but let’s face it, there is no cell service in the mountains, many of us book these tickets well in advance, and many passengers are way too snockered to remember if the gratuity was or wasn’t included in their ticket price. Gently reminding them that gratuities are not included in their ticket and are greatly appreciated if they enjoyed themselves is the right thing to do for your hard-working associates.
What is going on with the hard wooden, non-cushioned chairs? You are offering a dinner experience for 3 hours. The lounge cars have lovely, cushioned seats. For the love of all that is humane, please upgrade these seats for a more comfortable option. It was as if we paid more to be punished, and I’m not knocking you if that is your thing, but I don’t think that is the audience you are catering to.
For guests, please be courteous. The railroad makes several announcements asking guests to use the restroom facilities in the station prior to boarding the train to minimize interruptions in performances & serving. Realizing it is a long ride & you can’t control when nature will call, they ask that if you need to use the restroom you please wait until the performers have completed their act to walk the aisles to and from your table to the restroom. There were so many times this request was not followed and it really did take away from the experience for the other guests.
I can’t speak to the first train car, but for car 840, if you want to be fed early, you will want to be seated at a higher number table. The last table is number 14 and tables 13 and 14 received their food first. I don’t know if this is always the case, but it certainly was on our train. Additionally, the restroom is also in the hall just before tables 13 and 14 for those who may need to be closer.
Since the train leaves from Cumberland and heads to Frostburg, if you want a nice view, you will want to ask for a table with an odd number, not an even number. The even number tables are up against the mountain the entire ride, so you only get to see rock and tree, no pretty view of the mountains and towns below. So call and ask for an odd table, you will thank me later. Perhaps to be sure, ask to be seated on the side of the train which will not be up against the mountain. I’d hate to lead you astray.
This last bit is for those of you who love to travel and wish to experience a proper Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Remember, I am simply a traveler, sharing my experiences, with no affiliations. The Grand Bellevue in Rhoad Island has a Mystery on the Bellevue Express dinner mystery train which is wonderful. Each guest will receive a playbill at their seat with information about each character in the cast. The cast starts mingling with dinners as you are seated all the way up until the train starts and drinks are served so that you get an idea of each character’s personality. Though they chat with you candidly, they stay in character so you can tell who is nervous, who is suspicious, who may have something to hide. As the train starts, all cast members are able to enter and exit as needed, while much of the performance can be given from a central area in the midsection of the dining car. The show engages diners, even asking several willing diners to play small parts in the show ahead of the show while seating occurs. Don’t worry, these parts are played from your table and add to the fun. The show only wraps up late in the evening, thus entertaining guest for the majority of the excursion & is a true dinner show experience. I highly recommend a visit. They even have holiday trains in November, which is one of my favorite times to visit RI, where my family has a vacation home. The estates are gorgeous in Providence and the summer crowds are left, leaving room to really enjoy day trips, restaurants, activities, and local traditions.

Splurged for the dome on The Frostburg Flyer. Includes a plate of hors d'eouvres and soft drinks. Potent libations could be had.
Power to Frostburg was an impressive steam engine and the return to Cumberland was led by a diesel. Got invited into the cab of the diesel during the layover at Frostburg.
The train moves rather slowly. Sit on the station side when loading in Cumberland for best views along the route.

We took the Fall Foliage tour and really enjoyed the trip itself. The boarding process in Cumberland is horrible. We had been standing in line waiting to board for quite a while when someone standing at a door quite a distance behind us announced that if you had a pink ticket (we did) you could board down there. Everyone at the end of the line jumped in front of the people who had been standing in line for quite some time. It was very unfair and there was a lot of angry people in line. When were nearing the door, they stopped the boarding and moved the train forward increasing our wait time. Something should be done to alleviate the problem. Perhaps you could have separate lines and boarding areas for both groups and put rails up to keep people in line.

The crew on the train; Josh, Rick, the lady, and the conductor were very friendly and knowledgeable. They made this journey extra special!
Thank you all! 😊

Railroad parking lot straight off exit, get parking token while buying ticket for free parking. Take your bike to the end of the platform for them to load it in caboose, take your gear with you on the train. Little over an hour up on train, train takes 1 1/2 hours before it starts back. Little cafes at both ends are the best places to eat, better than up the steep hill in Frostburg. Its cold on the way back because its mostly downhill, and you don't pedal all the time. You'll need a mountable light for super dark long tunnel on the way back, tunnel lights aren't bright enough inside. Bring a jacket if its cloudy and 70 or below. No water or bathroom stops on the way back, in May 2010. Mostly farms and nature on ride back, need map to chart where you are using the pole markers. Won't see roads or houses until last section of ride.

Rode the "Frostburg Flyer". Beautiful scenery. The vintage train was in very nice condition. Staff both at the station and on the train were very helpful and informative. The Cumberland station is a beautiful historical site and in great shape. On the first floor is the C&O Canal National Historical Park which is very informative. At the Frostburg station is the Thrasher Carriage Museum which is fantastic. Also take some time to walk around Frostburg it's a beautiful town. Our family went, all 17 of us, and we had a great time.

Our train was pulled by a standard diesel engine... nothing too exciting . The conductor gave a brief history of the rail car we were riding and that was almost the most interesting thing on the trip. The most interesting event was upon reaching Frostburg, they needed to turn the engine around to go back to Cumberland. To do this they had a large turntable. The engine pull onto the turntable and a small tractor turned the entire thing 180 degrees. Pretty cool to watch. There was a free shuttle to take us from/to the rail terminal into Sharpsburg. It stops at the Toasted Goat brewery and restaurant.

WE had an excellent time, from booking online to Train ride to visiting gift shops at Train Station. Very friendly staff on the Train and at station. Only thing that would of been better was a shuttle to take one to downtown Frostburg, that is a little hike up to downtown and wife couldn't walk that far up and back.
Looking to take another trip next year .

A very foggy September day, and yet still we enjoyed the early fall colors of mountains and farmland. We were seated at a comfortable table in an elegant dining car. Excellent service, friendliness and humor from the staff (I think Rick and Josh? and others). The food was delicious. We rode from Cumberland to Frostburg, walked around for about an hour, then rode back while enjoying coffee drinks and dessert. A most wonderful special day.

I just wanted to take the time to thank all of the employees there from the lady at the ticket counter, to the conductor, and everyone in between! I arrived at the ticket counter at 11:30 thinking the train left the station at 12:00 (my fault) only to watch the train slowly start to move out of the depot. The lady at the counter immediately started contacting the train and the conductor spotted my little daughter running after it flailing her arms and he stopped the train! STOPPED THE TRAIN!!! After driving from VA to PA to pick up my nephew then back down to MD just for this ride to celebrate my son's 12th birthday, they turned what could have been the most epic mom fail ever into such an awesome customer service experience! I can't thank them enough for turning the look of utter disappointment on my son's face into pure joy! We enjoyed the entire experience!

We had a wonderful time. Highly recommend it. Train was very clean, and staff was very helpful and friendly. Parking was terrible. Not enough for the people already on the train and the ones waiting to get on the train.

This was a great way to ring in the new year. A unique thing to do and overall a lot of fun! I recommend others give it a try but make sure tickets are left for me as we will be doing it again for sure!

Took a short ride on the Ice Cream Train. It was a short little jaunt in the open air car. Fun way to top off dinner at The Crabby Pig next door.

Our son loves classic railroads, so we discovered the Cumberland, Maryland scenic railroad on YouTube. Lured by the Maryland Scenic RR videos of such engines as the steam locomotive "Mountain Thunder" (2013), we were shocked to see that our train was hauled by an old, 1980s Amtrak. It was too depressing for words. Our coach seat was in a car more like a worn-out Long Island Railroad commuter car from the 50s. What bothered us the most was how this railroad has gone down, down, down from its former self. Gross misleading marketing.

Our large family group of 11, including 4 children, took the Steam Train ride on Saturday. The ride was lovely. Fantastic scenery and interesting narration. 2 things to improve- there needs to be improved signage outside the Train station to show exactly where to enter the station. Also, we were told that once in Frostburg, we would have enough time to walk to the Princess diner , eat lunch and return to the Train platform in 90 minutes. There was no way , once we got there, which was in a timely fashion, that the diner was equipped to handle all the other customers there, let alone us! It took them over half an hour to even wait on us! We ended up ordering our food to go, hurrying back to the train and eating on the return ride home. We should have stayed at the station and gotten a bite there. Even though we followed the advice to tell our server we had to get back to the Train by 2:30, it made no difference. Please don't advise Train customers to eat at the Princess Diner !

Saturday and Sunday only. But a ver good ride through the mountains of WV and MD. Open air coaches. Be sure to bring a camera.

My husband and I did the Murder Mystery train years ago and had a wonderful experience so we decided to gift the experience.

Our Murder Mytery train ride this time was quite different from our first experience. It was very hot when we entered the train. The staff explained that they cranked up the heat and would turn it off when we got moving. It was uncomfortable, but nothing we couldn't deal with since we knew the heat would be adjusted when the train started moving.

Once we got moving, the murder mystery show started. Overall, the show was ok. We could hear some of the actors better than others. Not sure if they were having technical issues with their headsets.

The real issue was the food. Two in our party ordered the shrimp scampi. When we were served our dinner, it was VERY cold. We thought this might be because we were in the first car and served last. It took a minute to flag down our server to ask him to warm it up. When he brought our dinner back he stated he couldn't remember which dish belonged to whom, and the food was still cold. This was concerning but we are family and accepted the plate he gave us. We didn't bother asking him to heat it up again. The shrimp scampi had a good flavor, but would have been 100% better if it was served hot or even warm. Next up was dessert, we were looking forward to the lemon cheesecake and it had a good flavor but it was frozen. It was literally like eating ice cream. Overall, our dining experience was very disappointing, especially since we were celebrating a birthday for our 91 year old mother.

We are not sure if this experience was a one off or if there is a new group managing the train. If management works out the food issues, this would be a nice experience.

My wife and I enjoyed the Moonlight on the Mountain trip. We had the diesel engine running the train, as the steam engine was not available. There wasn't as much scenery as I had hoped for, as the outbound trip to Frostburg was done with the sun still up. We did see a number of wind turbines, but for a lot of the trip, trees blocked the view.

The food was very good. The two mains were a pasta primavera dish and a meat lasagna. The RR actually punched above their weight here, as they just considered their offerings as hot snacks. For my wife and me, we enjoyed a pleasant dinner.

There were a couple of other things I really liked. The drinks were generous pours, and were reasonable, about $6 per glass of wine. The conductor was very friendly, and invited us to sit in the upper great dome as seats were available there.

One minor suggestion, while the train had a PA system, and played pre-recorded music when the live musicians weren't playing, they didn't use the PA system when those musicians were performing. You could only hear the live music in the upper great dome. I'd suggest that the live music also be piped throughout the train.

Overall, the trip provided a fun night of entertainment.

Seeing the engine turned on the turntable was great! And we watched them recouple it to the train. Friendly staff!

Great family experience! There were 15 of us & everyone enjoyed our ride on the Polar Express! Ages ranged from 6 to senior.

Took 4 granddaughters to Frostburg and back - train ride only, no meal on board because it was so expensive. They loved standing on the platform between the cars and feeling the wind in their hair and waving to people along the way. Only problem was the hour long stay in Frostburg. You really have to choose between watching the engine turn around and reattach to the other end of the train or walking up the hill to have lunch in town. There was not enough time to do both activities. We literally had to run to catch the train back to Cumberland. Waitress at the restaurant said we should have told her we were on the train and they would have rushed our food but it was too late. Never ran so fast. Did not want to be stranded in Frostburg! Overall a great day.

If you like trains, this is just a great experience. Dining car and ride was amazing. Staff, especially John the conductor, were simply fantastic. Great with the kids and very informative. I just cannot recommend this high enough. If you can, book into the Hands on the Throttle experience where you get to LITERALLY drive the train. It is only available once a day and worth twice the amount they charge. Thank you for making such magical memories for my nephew!

My wife and i had a fun afternooon riding the rails from Cumberland to Frostburg. The crew was very nice.

I went in 2021 so don't judge me. It was fun. The food was amazing. We sat at the last car. The views were also amazing too. It took us to a historical museum.

The trip was even better than my expectations! The train was clean, the food was delicious, and the service was exceptional! I had bought my tickets separately from the couple I was attending with and they quickly made adjustments for me to sit with them and were not bothered at all by the accidental disruption to boarding I caused. The murder mystery show was a lot of fun! They involved the guest and were very concerned with making sure everyone was enjoying the show. I was worried the layover in Frostburg was going to be long and boring but we sat at a picnic table and chatted and the time flew by. We boarded to find dessert waiting for us and it was delicious!! The only thing I would change would be the chairs, they were hard wooden chairs.

This was only the second time we have taken a scenic train ride. We booked the lounge car so we would have plenty of room and the added benefits of light appetizers (included) and drinks (not included and on the pricey end) Thankfully, the car was not full because one of our seats had been assigned to another person in addition to us. Since there were empty seats, this was not an issue but would have been if the train was full. The train ride itself was relaxing but there is little to see in the way of scenery. The staff was friendly and helpful and the conductor was engaging. There is a provided shuttle from the depot into the town. If you want to "shop and dine" during your layover in Frostburg do not book your ride for a Sunday, very few places are open. There is a museum that the admission fee is included in your ticket, it ended up being the only real option in town on a Sunday.
I want to mention that the town of Cumberland is in the middle of some serious construction in the heart of downtown. It was very difficult to get around as there are many one way streets and quite a few closed, find parking, and then literally walk through a construction zone to get to a restaurant. Many things in town were closed on both Saturday and Sunday.
If you enjoy train rides you will enjoy this one, but I would not spend extra money on the fancier cars. The view is the same from all and the "extras" didn't live up to the extra price.

Fun way to spend half a day. We bought the coach tickets and sat in the open air car. The open air car is fantastic if the weather is nice. It was a weekday, and the train was running on diesel. The open windows meant it was loud, and some debris did get on us but did not stain anything. It goes 15-25 mph, so even though there was a breeze, it wasn't too windy.

When arriving in Frostburg, the area by the train is a bit of a tourist trap, with a simple snack bar area for lunch or ice cream and a gift shop. The carriage museum that is right there is also free and worth a quick trip inside. To get to main street you need to climb a very long staircase and then walk uphill. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk but IF YOU HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES this may NOT work for you. We went to a cafe/creamery with nice sandwiches, and I know there is a diner another block or two further up. Otherwise there isn't much to see or do on main street.

Make sure to take the time to wait in Frostburg when getting off the train to watch them turn the engine around on the turn table!

The train ride itself had some narration on the way there pointing out landmarks- not too much. And was quiet on the way back with a little music playing. Lots of older couples, grandparents with young grandchildren, and young families.

We rode in summer, and it is a pretty ride, but it must be spectacular to see fall foliage!

We had a great time. Fun characters and storyline, with lots of laughs. Dinner was pretty good, although it took awhile to be served.

We went up to catch the Murder Mystery Dinner train and was not disappointed. Getting tickets was a breeze, boarding, food and their customer service was outstanding. The evening murder mystery was fun and the actors were interesting and funny. We highly recommend you give one of their events a try. It will be worth the time and money.

We took the murder mystery train ride. The crab cake and filet mignon was very good. The staff was friendly. The actors were funny and did a great job interacting with the riders.

We did not take the train but we did explore the C&O Canal tow path in Cumberland MD. We will return to the area to take the train.

The perfect length trip. The narrative was fantastic and on point. Great time in Frostburg, nice local places to check out and eat.

It is a railroad and train ride. It is in Maryland. It is NOT scenic. If you have never been on a train ride before, find one that is shorter or you will be bored. The staff was very nice but there is not much to see. You get off in Frostburg for over an hour then back on the train.

Day trip to Cumberland with grandparents and 2 year old. Our child was thrilled, enjoyed every second of the trip. We were happy to just take a scenic train ride for an hour. The entertainment, music, and Santa were delightful for the small children. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. I knew we wouldn’t get off the train at the “North Pole” as previous reviewers were disappointed by so I didn’t expect anymore than to see it out the windows. We were on the opposite side of the car (the “north pol is on the right side, in the direction of travel, we were on the left) so we didn’t get to see it well. But a toddler really doesn’t care much anyway. They gave us hot chocolate, cookies, and everyone a bell. We brought along our own Polar Express book to follow along with. Kiddo enjoyed the singing and dancing. The 3:30pm ride worked well because we could see out the windows, so there was always something to look at for the little one. Would def do again for the kid(s).

I booked this train as a Valentine's Day treat with my SO (significant other), and yes, in fact it did sell out. The food was wonderful, and the bottle of wine I ordered as part of the package was waiting on our table..... but I thought the decor inside was a bit "shabby". I guess I was expecting a true 1920's dining car type experience, fancy carpet, nice chairs..... not wood backed chairs on what seems like a 1960s era rail dining car. I also thought each couple would be at their own table, although we had a lovely time with the couple we were assigned to sit with. Would I do it again? Not unless they fixed the heat in the car we sat in....it was cold the whole way up and back....but in actuality.....probably not, considering the price (approx. $250 per couple) and the two hour drive each way from my home. Next time, I'll try the scenic rail road in Westminster, they also have this as an annual event, and it would only be a 45 minute drive.

The Polar Express train was fun. There was some confusion among many passengers on the platform about how the boarding process worked (plus it was raining which may have added to some folks’ stress). We were in the lounge car, which we enjoyed. We had comfortable reserved seats in the nicely decorated car. Once it got started, it seemed like the children in our car all had a fun time. I heard no crying or grumbling! They were cute in their pajamas, too. The employees tried hard to entertain everyone, the hot chocolate was good, and Santa was gracious and fun to kids and adults alike. Ride took an hour or so. I had my worries given some of the negative reviews I’d seen, but it was fine. Some people cannot be pleased, not matter what. We enjoyed it and would recommend for a different sort of holiday-spirit-creating afternoon outing, especially for families with young kids (note: there were all kinds of passengers, including couples-young and older— without kids and teenagers that were part of larger family groups).

Went to experience another steam pulled train, this one by the largest steam locomotive operating on a schedule in the United States. The 2-6-6-2 #1309 Mallet originally owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio.

We chose the dining car lunch option as we planned to make the trip which started at 11:30 our main mid day meal.

Getting tickets was easy, as they had each by name depending on the service that you selected. We got an excellent view of the locomotive as it pulled into the station about 20 minutes prior to boarding.

Boarding is quick, at least for our section it was. We were on our way on time just around 11:30. Service in the vintage dining car started almost as soon as we left the station, with our waiters explaining the menu and drink options.

If your expecting to get a gourmet meal for lunch, you'll be in for a surprise, lunch options were basically burgers, wraps, sandwiches or salads. Soft drinks were included, but any acholic ones were extra as was an optional dessert.

We were a bit surprised by this as the cost of going from a standard coach to the lunch option was a $65.00 upcharge PER PERSON. Lounge at $110 ea would have been a better option as we could have gotten food at the hour and a half stop in Frostburg.

Other than the over priced lunch the ride was a nice one. Once out of the confines of Cumberland the scenery is nice and the ride is enjoyable! There's nothing to match the smell and sound of being behind a steam locomotive,

I am a train fan. We rode this train to see the scenery between Cumberland and Frostburg and to ride on a train. We sat in the club car (for over 21) and enjoyed the amenities. The employees operating the train were wonderful and the train is in good repair and it was an enjoyable trip. Frostburg itself was a disappointment. There is really not much there after expecting a charming little town. So, if you just want to ride a train through some beautiful scenery, this is for you. In fall, it would be spectacular. It would be even better with the steam engine.

First, guessed wrong as to peaking foliage colors. That's on me. Next, lady server worked hard and was congenial and professional.
But . . . Dome seating is atrocious! The cramped, tight constricted space might work for children, but not for adults, particularly those of above-average height. Nibble food was somewhat stale and dried out, but the soft drinks and water were cold. As for scenic, passengers are looking at mostly woods. Not terrible, but the same as a car ride down a country road.
Maybe other seating gives a better experience, but it couldn't be much better. Don't go.

Our bookclub had the BEST experience on WMSR. The people who work for this company are the best and went above and beyond our expectations. Highly recommend!

My husband and I and two other couples drove 2 hours to Cumberland to take the train to Frostburg. None of us are train enthusiasts but thought it would be something different to do. It was a nice time. The ride took 90 minutes to and from with 90 minutes to spend in Frostburg. We ate at The Toasted Goat. It is an uphill walk the whole way to the restaurant. Several mention it’s uphill to the town but it continues to be an uphill walk once u get in the town. Definitely doable if your in semi descent shape. If not you can take the shuttle. The food was good there. We called ahead to see if we needed a reservation, which u don’t, but they advise u let them know your on the train and they have a separate quick order menu. We used the regular menu and still had enough time to eat and walk both directions. Overall a nice day but something we personally would not feel the need to do again.

Lots of people have given this a less than optimal review, but I loved the trip. It starts out in Historic Cumberland, MD. You ride the train to Frostburg, MD. You have the option to take your bike for $5 extra dollars. Tip: have a person stand in line to save seats otherwise you board last because you must physically stay with your bike until one of the staff comes and takes them to load. Once you get to Frostburg your bike is unloaded and you can bike around the little town. Be prepared for a pretty good hill climb. The ride back to Cumberland via bike is just over 16 miles and all down hill. I did it in just under an hour. The trail is hard packed and very developed. I saw families with kids as young as 8 riding back. It took them closer to an hour and a half to ride back. Great family or solo fun! It is approximately 16.4 miles one way.

Order a meal to eat in dining car if you can afford to do so you will not be disappointed. A fantastic fun day filled with beauty surrounding us. We plan to come back in the fall!

We enjoyed the relaxing trip but would like to have someone narrate the trip of interesting history. If the other couple had not been on the trip before we wouldn't know the history of some spots. Also The Thrasher Carriage Museum at the destination in Frostburg was the highlight of the trip. People should be made aware of it. We found it by accident.

We had done the moonshine dinner train last April and decided to do it again. What is nice is that there are two hotels close enough to walk to & from the station. The first time we stayed at Fairfield Inn which is closest. This time we stayed at Ramada which is a few blocks away just to try it and the price was right.
The WMSR is great. The moonshine dinner train is so much fun. We met some wonderful passengers, train employees and the Tall Pines Distillery owner.
Our dinner was really good. Salad, bread, water and tea. We had the baked Virginia ham. It was served with baked potatoes and asparagus. Adult drinks were available for purchase. We purchased huckleberry (moonshine) lemonade. Yum!
They served dinner plus 5 tastes of moonshine on the way to Frostburg. While at the Frostburg station they had a very talented bluegrass band playing. We were in Frostburg about 50 minutes to prepare the train to return to Cumberland. On the way back they served dessert (cheesecake) and 5 more tastes of moonshine.
We will definitely do this again.

Train arrived 30 minutes late. Food was cold. Bonfire consisted of a small fire pit. Moonshine was provided in very small portion and not with the meal. Very disappointing.

Nice scenery and comfortable ride although we had stormy weather on the way to Frostburg. Lovely ride back to Cumberland. I purchased a ticket in the dome car. Hors d'oeuvres included with complementary soda and water. Drink menu provided and available at extra cost. Our "server" was amazing and shared interesting tips about the railroad.

The major issue was access to Frostburg on this Friday trip. The trip is labeled as the Frostburg trip. To get to Frostburg from the rail station, it is necessary to climb many steep stair levels, or a 10 to 15 minute climb uphill on the sidewalk. Once to the top, another 2 to 3 blocks of climbing until you access historic Frostburg. There were many who could not physically make the climb and stayed at the station. There is a small ice cream stand with hotdogs, and a lovely carriage museum.

However, those of us wanted to have lunch in Frostburg and walk the town were very disappointed.

Please NOTE that I was told that the Saturday and Sunday trains have a shuttle to town. Either consistently provide, even on a Friday, or make a note on your site about this Friday challenge. Potential customers should be aware of the issue prior to purchasing tickets.

My wife and I rode the train from Cumberland to Frostburg and enjoyed the very relaxing ride. The tour guide was very informative of points of interest along the way. The stop in Frostburg was nice and it was amazing to watch the train engine turn around. would love to do this again!

We rode the railroad on August 17 on a beautiful but hot summer afternoon. Our seats were in the Stampede Pass observation/dome car. We were told that this car was to be taken out of service and replaced with a different First-Class Dome Car shortly after our visit. All seats on the train were reserved but purchasing tickets on the website was easy. On board staff members were outstanding, friendly, and professional.

We shared a table with two other gentlemen. Drinks and snacks were included in our ticket price.

The ride was excellent as it ran from Cumberland’s beautiful train station to Frostburg. The journey passes through scenic vistas and tunnels on the climb to Frostburg.

Our train that day was powered by a diesel engine, but the ride was leisurely. Once in Frostburg, we had time to walk around the station, climb steps and sidewalks to the main street in Frostburg proper and purchase ice cream cones. Full meal service was also available at a restaurant across the tracks.

A highlight of the afternoon for train lovers was to witness the locomotive turn on the turntable. The return trip was also delightful. The entire journey took 4.5 hours.

Last year while in Cumberland, I had stopped to get a picture of them as they pulled into the station for their "Frostburg Flyer" excursion. The crew of the train was very friendly, etc. This year I had gotten a picture of their new locomotive, F40PH 450 in nearby Ridgeley WV, where their shops are located. I was quite surprised when I showed up to the crossing at Ridgeley Street that there was an old passenger depot painted like their GP30 501. What was more unique about it was that the depot had a little flower bed with lights in it. Most older passenger depots like this are torn down nowadays so it was really nice to see an old passenger depot there.

Great experience for little ones. Definitely felt festive! It’s a little chilly on the train especially in the dome. The actors and staff were great.

My girlfriend is heart broken after spending a lot of time and money to surprise me for a long awaited date night. We showed up 30 minutes before departure to find no more seats in the car she booked and paid for because another couple decide they didn’t like their seats in an other car. We were offered seats with strangers in the over crowed top car filled with large and loud parties; not the romantic cozy train ride she was going for. Things happen and don’t always go as planned but this was total chaos. Very disappointed after the three hour drive, time off of work, and the price of the hotel room.

Western Maryland Scenic Rail Road which is a 501C, it is not in the business of making money and hence not concerned about customer service. Unless this changes or the administration suddenly becomes concerned with bad reviews this above situation is not likely to change. So don’t waste your money or your girlfriend’s poor heart.

Solution: Develop ticketing and seating procedures in accordance with real trains. Don’t oversell seats. Hire conductors and staff to ensure ticketed passengers know where to board and sit and stay in the area they paid for. Just like AMTRAC (subsidized with your tax dollars as well)

Very excited to book the “Sunset on the Mountain” excursion. Easy to book, stayed at a hotel within walking distance for easy access to the train, checking in and getting tickets no problem. Clean bathrooms in the station. Loved seeing the train while waiting to board. Seats are first come first serve which was fine as we still were able to get seats in the “Lounge Car”. Highly recommend (must be 21+) as it is the car with the bathroom, the bar and they provide charcuterie style apps for the ride. Train staff and bartender were great. The live musician - when they were playing were good, unfortunately they mentioned more than once how they were on their 3rd gig and tired and missing their co-musician. (*just a thought/ I work a job with long hours where you have to keep your energy up for new faces so I get it, but sharing it takes away from the crowds enjoyment so maybe don’t over share). Unfortunately, my excitement waned when I realized I wasn’t going to see the actual sunset at all and 30 minutes into the ride darkness descended and there was no view. The stop in Frostburg was nice to take a breath and walk around, but nothing was open so you couldn’t fully partake and enjoy. Will try again with a daytime ride to compare. Appreciate the effort it takes to keep a historical train and route going.

I grew up around this railroad sense I was 2 years old I rode the train about 500 times when I can the first engine i rode behind was Mountain Thunder 734 the steam engine i super highly recommend to ride this railroad

Took the Easter Bunny Hop ride today. I wanted it to be 5 star but a few areas were lacking. The train itself is cute, staff was friendly. We stopped for an Easter egg hunt and photo ops with the bunny.

The ad clearly said there would be stories and songs, and there were neither, leaving me to amuse 2 small kids on the train for an hour +. Yeah, I can sing and tell them stories but it's just not the same.

Cookies showed up after we came, but the promised lemonade never made an appearance...

I love trains. I desperately wanted to give the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 5 stars for keeping rail history alive. But I cannot, and you should be aware of several shortcomings that make me knock off one star. I also have a few tips at the end.

1) You do not get all that many broad vistas to view the trees and mountains. The line is cut into hills and mostly surrounded by trees, so you get a few glimpses of scenery lasting literally a few seconds before you go back to looking at trees and scrub about 20 feet from either side of the car. This is nothing like the gorgeous views on the Durango-Silverton line in Colorado. I guess the view will be a bit better on a winter ride, as most of the trees and scrub appear to be deciduous.

2) The "Dome Class" is in a car with a dome that sits atop the middle third of the car. The seating is quite cramped, and we felt uncomfortable with all 4 seats filled at our table. If you are skinny or traveling with small to medium children, it won't be so bad. The views are nice, but even the dome isn't above most of the trees on either side, so you don't get that much better view than you do in the other cars — you still get only a few glimpses of unobstructed vistas. Further, they insist on using white tablecloths for the tables, which reflect off the windows and obscure a clear view (you can see the awful reflections in the pictures from the dome car that they have on the website for the line).

3) The "Open Air Car" is available to passengers of all classes, and the seats are not reserved, but they fill quickly on a nice day. It is fun for at least a bit of the ride, but BEWARE: if the locomotive is a steam engine, you will get lots of fine-grained coal soot in your eyes, on your skin, and on your clothes.

4) I do not recommend the "Lunch Class." While I did not actually eat the food, I passed through the car, and what I saw did not look good. Think low-end diner or cafeteria food.

5) The steam engine is, of course, old, and it occasionally has mechanical problems. We found out the night before that we were not getting the steam locomotive for our trip.

6) Communication is not all that good with this group. When we found out we weren't getting the promised steam locomotive for our trip, we tried calling and emailing, but we got an answering machine several times, and they didn't respond quickly to our emails when we tried to change our date; we gave up and went ahead with the trip despite the lack of steam, which was a disappointment.

A few additional points/tips:
1) The "Lounge Car" is, in my book, the best experience, but it is a bit pricey and is for drinking age adults only. You ride in nice, comfy parlor seats. I particularly recommend seats 15-17, as they are closest to where there aren't windows with seats in front of them, so you can easily get up from your seat to get a good view (and even take a picture). In addition, those seats face toward the windows with the best views (the windows across from seats 18-35 on the opposite side have views of trees and hills pretty much the entire trip).

2) The cars do not turn around. So if you are facing forward going out, in the same seat you will be facing backwards on the return trip (except for seats in "Lounge Class," which face sideways).

3) There is a turntable at the end of the line in Frostburg, and watching it work is really great. They turn the diesel locomotive roughly 20 minutes after arriving at Frostburg so stick around. They cannot place the 1309 steam locomotive on the turntable, so you won't see it in action on a steam ride.

4) If you decide to go with "Dome Class" seats despite the shortcomings noted above, get them on either end facing the rest of the seats, as you will get a better view throughout the ride. Table 7 has banquette seating which gives you a reasonable amount of room. Seats B-7 through E-7 are particularly recommended.

We rode the train to Frostburg, took our bikes and rode the 16 miles back to Cumberland. It was a lovely fall day and it was great being outside. We sat in the car with the windows, but it was warm enough that we were comfortable.
At Frostburg, the biggest issue was waiting to use the bathroom. Lots of people and only 2 stalls for men and women.
Our grandkids were 11, 13, 15, 16.

We had family in town who really wanted to see the fall foliage and so we booked the train trip from Cumberland to Frostburg. The online booking process is very simple to navigate. I do wish there were more details of the different options, especially the pub car option, which we chose.

The ride itself is wonderful and in the pub car you get a nice white linen table cloth car rather than the usual bench seats. They serve chips or pretzels but you can also get a beer or wine. This is not the dining car with lunch service, but very civilized.

The conductor/tour guide was a lot of fun and pointed out interesting spots along the route as well as local history and lore along the way. Bone Cave and the replica White House were particularly fascinating.

Our one challenge was the lack of description about the food options on the trip. The dining car with lunch is an option for an additional charge. There are also snacks on the train, but the only food option at the Frostburg Depot is a little snack shack with a few options, none of which are really appealing.

You only have 50 minutes in Frostburg so walking up the hill to Main Street where there are other options would be a challenge. The next time we take the train, we would either book the dining car or bring a picnic lunch with us. That would have for a perfect outing through the foliage.

Tony and I stopped at the Western Maryland Railway Station to visit the building (historical value) talk to the agent and see the museum. We found out the train schedule and found out because it was mid-week we were not going to able to ride the train.
So we are going to try in the fall. We strolled around the building checking out the gorgeous interior. There is quite a lot to see outside also in the plaza and park area.
Free to check out plaza and building, there is a gift shop but a cost to ride trains.

My husband and I treated my parents to a dinner train ride this evening. We've done these before on other scenic railways in the area and the food is often iffy. Not the case here! I specifically booked this trip because I love Beef Wellington. A difficult dish to execute, let alone in a catering setting. We also tried the Lobster and Shrimp dish. Both were excellent. The accompanying squash and loaded mashed potatoes were delicious, too. The starters -- strawberry salad and French onion soup -- were also delightful. Even the desserts were well received.

It includes a cash bar -- Cocktails were $10 and a bottle of Heineken was $6. Soft drinks are included -- I had a delicious whiskey lemonade because they didn't have iced tea. I thought the bar prices were very reasonable for this kind of establishment -- no more than what you'd pay for a cocktail at a restaurant.

Our service was excellent, the food was served at a perfect temperature, and the pacing was wonderful -- measured, but not slow. Our waiter was quick with refills. We were checked on by the chefs and shared our compliments.

The scenery on the trip was as expected -- we've been on this train before -- but we could have enjoyed more of it with a slightly earlier departure time. Once its dark there's nothing to see.

I couldn't believe the train wasn't busier. The price of roughly $165 pp is high, but the quality matched it. For a special occasion, or a date night, what a perfect opportunity.

Parking in the lot in front of the station was easy and frankly, cheap, compared to the sky-high prices you'd pay in Frederick, Gettysburg, DC, etc.

And the station beforehand -- clean, spacious, air conditioned and a comfortable place to wait before boarding.

Absolutely recommend! I'd say it's a must do. If they can execute this menu well, I'd have no reservations about their other, less fussy menus.

My only complaint -- there were other cars in the train -- an open air, possibly a lounge car, and it wasn't clear if we were free to go to those or those were separate fares. We didn't think to ask and no one explained. Also would have liked to see a map of our route, since there was no narrative, to know where we were headed. Neither detracted from our overall lovely experience.

The large crowd on the loading platform was 5 deep for the length of the depot. No signs indicated boarding points or any other directions, and most people were milling around and complaining about the disorganization. When finally the two boarding points were established, the conductors were yelling inaudible instructions (due to engine noise) and boarding was very slow. The train cars are pretty ratty inside, and some of the seats are sagged and the glass some of the windows is foggy.
The ride itself is very mediocre as far as visibility of the mountains due to the tracks being low with banks on either side or heavy vegetation. A few views are good but short lived. The speed is very slow, bumpy and noisy. The "emcee" for the ride who describes points of interest over the speakers is a little loud and a lot too hammy (probably not his fault if he is reading a script?) There was constant traffic by swaying people running through the cars back and forth from a snack bar in the back of the train.
The Frostburg stop has three alternatives to spend one hour: Take a small shuttle bus to the town or walk a steep long 1/4 mile up to the town where you can try to find something to eat and get back to the train within one hour; or stand in line at a little snack shack and pay 4.00 for a hotdog; or just wait.
Same boring ride back to Frostburg, where the parking lot gate was so slow that it took almost an hour to check out everyone.
MAIN OBSERVATION: Save the 50.00 ticket price and DRIVE from Cumberland to Frostburg. The scenery is much better, there is no huge crowd in your vehicle, and you can have a leisurely lunch without the time constraints.

Paid to ride the steam engine 1309. Arrived in Cumberland and no steam engine. Was told it was taken down for maintenence. Disappointed. Our trip even got worse. Slim pickings of cheese, grapes, crackers. The chicken nuggets were cold and the steak kabobs were tough.
Trip not very scenic. Return trip the train lost power, sat there until they found the issue. Got kinda hot. Gift shop only had t-shirts with 1309 on them. I didn't get to ride the 1309. Big disappointment.
Waste of time and money.

My wife and I rode "The Frostburg Flyer" last weekend behind their beautifully restored and massive steam locomotive #1309. The whole experience was top notch and all of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Crew and Staff were courteous and helpful! Everything was on time and operated as advertised. We rode in the dome car and even with the 90+ outside air temperature, the car was comfortably cool!
This would be a spectacular trip in the Fall when the leaves are changing color - especially from the open-air car!
The only comment I would have is that they could do a better job with signage. We drove by what we thought was the location the evening before and we could not find clear delineation of where the office/boarding location was.

What an amazing trip. I'm glad we waited for the weekend to ride the steam powered train. Seeing the 1309 running is worth the price of admission alone. The conductor was very friendly and answered a ton of questions for us. He and his wife actually own two of the cars that they lease to WMSR. You can tell he cares deeply about preserving the heritage of the railroad. We bought Deluxe seats, but were free to roam about the train. Spent a bit in the open air cars, and the disclaimer is true. It is loud and dirty, but so cool!

We loved the food and more then you could eat for the price. Our waitress was so nice to get us an Anniversary Cake. The murder mystery was fun. The picturesque views from our window were beautiful. The service could not have been any better. This murder mystery dinner train ride was one of the best anniversary gifts we could have ever given to us. My husband and I had the best time.

Josh and Rick were great! They definitely went above and beyond to ensure a wonderful experience for our group. They were very accommodating and an absolute pleasure to ride with

I will forget the bus trip I took to get to this wonderful railroad with a bunch of ill-mannered old people. Cumberland, the terminus of the C & O Canal was the starting point of the historic train ride to Frostburg, amidst the magnificent Allegheny mountains. Disappointed that the train was diesel instead of steam which only runs at weekends or for special events. 10-mile ride in vintage cars made more spectacular by the autumn foliage. Select entrees are served at your seat but on my trip service was a little slow due to staff shortages. Highly recommended for train buffs, trains running on the original railroad which operated between 1852 to 1983. Little disappointed there were no steam trains to photograph at either station. Great day out.

This was my 2nd time in 2 yrs going on your Polar Express train. I have to say, this 2nd trip was not nearly as good as the first, just 2 yrs later. Although Santa was EXCELLENT, the characters seemed to be spread thin between the cars and you couldn’t hear well. The cookies were very small and not nearly as good and we didn’t get the Polar Express mugs. You would think for over $300 we would have gotten extras above everyone else and the mugs were definitely part of that.

Also, I had my heart set on purchasing the conductors watch for my grandson and was told they were sold out, in fact it was slim pickins on a lot of things.

My grandson had never been since it was my other grandchildren I had gone on your train with previously, so he didn’t notice the difference, but I did. The characters seemed rushed, so the individual attention wasn’t there, and the lack of the much really made me feel like we didn’t get our money’s worth.

We had an excellent time, but we managed our expectations. If you are on TripAdvisor, you probably do your research ahead of time. We travelled in the Lounge car and were well taken care of. We had some lovely conversations with fellow passengers even if the scenery wasn't the best (not all the leaves had turned and there were only a few places to see across a valley).

We went from Cumberland to Frostburg and back yesterday, for the first time. The weather was gorgeous, as was the scenery. We had a few quibbles, however, about the service, to wit:

We ordered our beverages and lunch while en route. The train arrived in Frostburg, and people began to get off to sightsee. We, however, stayed aboard, as our food had not yet arrived.

My wife and I may be a bit spoiled, but neither one of us has ever waited, in a diner or a restaurant, more than an hour for a sandwich. I could have produced her chicken sandwich, and my grilled cheese sandwich, sandwiches in less than five minutes. But yesterday, on the Frostburg Flyer, lunch showed up at our table (we were the last one served, for some reason, though we were not at the end of the car) about 45 minutes after our arrival in Frostburg, though we had ordered it much earlier in the trip. The very polite server -- who also said he was the manager -- explained, at that time, that he had several new employees, presumably in the kitchen, and apparently these people were not as speedy as hoped. We can't blame him, but maybe the railroad will hire another cook or two, one day.

His woes were understandable. What we and the other couple at our table failed to understand, however, is first, why we were not told, when the train arrived in Frostburg, when we might expect to see our lunch, and also how long the train would remain there, etc., and when it would be appropriate to disembark and sightsee. As it turned out, all we ever saw of Frostburg was the station. Having been in the travel industry myself, ages ago, providing this sort of information to your customers is (I had thought!) standard.

I will end by saying yes, we would, and might, do this again, but never again will we ride "Lunch Class" on the Frostburg Flyer. Speaking of "lunch," my Coke arrived a mere half an hour after I ordered it, but by the time the rest of lunch had showed up, the ice was gone and the drink was flat. These days, airlines don't give you any food at all unless you are in first class, so I guess that, at the end, we should have been thankful!

I bought a reservation for the Hands on the Throttle experience for my husband as a gift. Booking it was easy. The engineers were exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable. My husband really enjoyed being able to drive a locomotive. And I was permitted to ride along to get photos to share with others. It was a terrific experience!

Trip and ride was wonderful. Parking however, was atrocious. We arrived early then drove around for at least 30 minutes trying to find parking. The advertised parking at the Canal Street lot was full and many parking lots in the vicinity were permit only. I tried to contact WMSR by phone to ask about parking but got a recording saying the office was closed. I had to park in a reserved lot and run into the ticket station where I waited in line just to ask where we could park. They were able to direct me to a nearby lot that was free parking and we made our boarding time. They need to do a better job at directions for parking. Those of us who are not familiar with the area spend a lot of time driving around what has to be one of the worst planned city street layouts in the nation.

We did the Moonlight on the Mountain and are planning to do it again this fall or winter. They had live acoustic music and tunes, beverages and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and it's all you can eat, Chicken breast, fruits, cheeses, vegetables, shrimp scampi, rice pilaf and more . James in the dining car was super and gave us alot of information about the train and the different rides. and the price is very affordable.

We expected to see more of the Maryland countryside. Not mostly woods and backyards, on a train going 10 mph. Should have gone hiking or biking instead, if we knew the train was going to go this slow. Announcer put some historical context into sites we were seeing, but there were few and far between. Staff was friendly, they were dressed to fit the part as conductor and engineer on a classic train. Watching the train engine turn around was ok. They gave us an hour at Frostburg, but we did not really explore the town since we did not know what to expect or do. Plus, were afraid that we might miss the ride back. So, we went to the Carriage museum next to the Frostburg train depot (free for train ticket holders) and this proved to be the most interesting part of the trip.

Booking and Boarding process seamless. We transported out Bicycles to Frostburg for a ride on the GAP trail. Ran on time and everyone was helpful and friendly.

A NOT TO MISS FAMILY EVENT!!! We took our deployed soldier's son's wife and 3 little girls on the most AMAZING Christmastide train ride ever!!! The reserved seating dining car was nicely appointed with cloth napkins, carafes of Tea and Water, a full Ice Bucket with tongs, baskets of rolls and butter. Table service was extraordinary!!! Dean was AMAZING and took such great care of our family. He met every need no matter how small with a cheery smile, kind words and swiftly. Another runner was Allison and she deserves recognition as well.
The Turkey Dinner was DELICIOUS!! HUGE helpings! I regret my Grandchildren nor U could finish ours. I hated to waste it and should have asked for a take home bag. Suggestion, smaller players portions for children, perhaps a salad plate size.

The crafts were awesome!! The kids loved them. Reading of the book was darling. I had to buy that book as a keepsake! The red bows was a great idea! Making jingle bells was a hit. The Elves were fabulous and so darling! Santa and Mrs. Claus were OUTSTANDING!!! How charming, delightful, and magical for all. Visiting with them and having milk and cookies was a high light! And receiving a party bag full of toys and goodies, too!!

Conductor Jim greeted us several times and what an ambassador he is for Western Scenic!!!

THANK YOU FOR THE VERY BEST EVENT I HAVE EVER TAKEN MY GRANDCHILDREN TO!! Yesterday I took them to the Gaylord
Charlie Brown show and ICE and we were so disappointed. But today certainly made up for it.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

The scenery was great. The stop in Frostburg was great. Did not take the shuttle into town, a nice burger place right at the stop. The coal miner monument is a must see. All the employees were absolutely wonderful on the train.

I have never rode the train here until now. We rode in the dining car lunch class. The service was excellent. We were seated with another couple, and they were very nice. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The train ride was great and excellent. If you're interested in railroads or trains and near Cumberland Maryland, be sure to put the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad at the top of your list for things to do. You will not be disappointed.

We had gone here for 3 years. This year was awful. I picked the seats. Paid for them. Got confirmed that the seats were available. We got there and our seats got switched. Showed my confirmation to person on the first class car. She said no problem. I will fix it. She approached the rude woman and child. Asked them to move, and told her we wanted our seats. The rude woman said No ! The woman turned to me and said sorry. She wants those seats ! We will not be going back !! Triple check your info and don't think u will be seating together. 600.00 we paid and it wasn't worth it.

We did the dining car option on the fall foliage tour. Very well run trip. Train was on time and we were tickled when the conductor yelled "All Aboard!" . We paid a bit extra to do the dining car, which included lunch and dessert while we watched the beautiful fall scenery from Cumberland to Frostburg. We had an hour to explore Frostburg, and then it was back to the train for the ride back to Cumberland. It was fun to walk through the various train cars and imagine we were back in time. A fun experience we look forward to doing again.

There was 8 train cars,2 senior busses, no way for them to get up the hill, Need help with that. We seniors can't climb that big Hill, or the Stairs up and get back down in less than 40min.There needs to be more time given for this town. If there was some Transportation to take us up faster then we could see the quaint town of Frostburg. But EVERYBODY stayed down by the train, very crowded, and alot of very unhappy people and not a real place to Eat neither. JUST NEED A WAY FOR SENIORS TO SEE THIS SPECIAL TOWN. Wagons, trolley cars, golf carts, just some transportation for the seniors to go up this hill and come back down. The train ride was really great tree's changing color very pretty. One more Thing this train is not Handicaped accessible, The questions on the bottom is not fair neither.....

The train ride to Frostburg took about an hour and was comfortable in an air conditioned rail car. The snack bar on the train was an added little surprise. The conductor went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable. For an additional $5 each we took our bikes on the train and rode back on the trail to Cumberland. It was downhill the entire 15 miles on a well maintained gravel trail. Both the train and bike ride were fun.

Didn't live up to advertisement. We had a group of 16 on the Polar Express train ride. Three young kids, four teenagers, a couple of adult children and everyone's parents. The ride itself was okay, but it was not a ninety minute ride, we pulled out at 5:30 and returned just before 6:30. Our "Chef" was great, singing and dancing with the songs. The Conductor was great, stopped and spoke to everyone passing out tickets. Santa I was a little disappointed with, he only spoke to the small children. He skipped right over the adults (and every passenger did not receive a bell as advertised). My teenage son stopped Santa to talk to him, Santa refused to give him a bell! He gave it to his seat-mate instead. Even though my son is a teenager, he loves Christmas and was really looking forward to this event. I was a little let down.

We had a great time on the Fall Foliage ride on the dining car. The lunch was served promptly and was better than expected although my son wished the cheeseburger was better. The conductor was informative and entertaining. The cars were festive for the holidays with lights and garland. Our children really enjoyed the whole experience.

Recently friends and I drove to Cumberland, Maryland to take the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad ride to Frostburg, Maryland. We had a great time. The conductors gave us lots of interesting information on the train ride up. We had a nice one hour plus stay at Frostburg. You had enough time to get a quick bite to eat and visit the carriage museum. They also had vans taking people on the short ride to visit Frostburg. They also unhooked the train engine and used the turntable. We all really enjoyed the experience and the people who worked there were great.

I'm speechless. The experience was wonderful. Rick & Josh were awesome. Very attentive and friendly. I can't find word to describe the great time I had in the train. Food was unbelievable. Great experience in the train.

We were seated in the lunch car. We were served by a dynamic duo, Josh and Rick. They were absolutely fantastic. What a great experience. I would definitely recommend that any family or friends looking for a wonderful experience on a trip to please check out the Western Maryland Scenic Experience. The food was absolutely delicious. The dessert of cheese cake with the apple pie filling and cinnamon crumbs was simply yummy. The bathroom was clean. I was in a party of six, and there were no complaints. The lone cook served up delicious entrees. Although he was short-handed, he was able to deliver every dish in five-star quality. Again, my hat is off to Josh and Rich, along with the entire lunch. car crew.

The train trip was fantastic. Go a few minutes early to pick up a guide that highlights special interests along the way. The "shuttle" to Frostburgonly runs once so don't miss it unless you are prepared to take a lot of stairs to get there. Lots of excellent photo ops. We are definitely going again.

There wasn't much info provided when purchasing the tickets. However, Family Pizza Train sounded like a fun time for my family- me, my husband and 2 and 7 year old daughters. We waited in a half hour in hot summer weather in a line trying to board this train. As you passed through to your seat you were handed your pizza box. We made our way to bus type seating where we crammed ourselves and our kids in and awkwardly sat the pizza box in it's own seat. No plates, no napkins. Train was not clean, the windows were so dirty it was difficult to see much of anything. Perhaps though the most disappointing part was the stop at "Mountain View". There was no view- of anything. The train stopped in the middle of the woods on an area of mowed grass surrounding by Forest. There were yard games in a box for kids and families to enjoy- which was nice, but something we could have done in our own back yard with a more impressive view. This trip was o.k. and I may have done it again for maybe $25- not $106.

We enjoyed the ride to Frostburg. Note, if you plan on walking into Frostburg, it is straight up hill. The train is very clean and there is a narration during the trip.

This was part of a girls weekend trip! The food was very good! I had the filet mignon and everyone else had the chicken parmesan dinner! Everyone enjoyed their dinner. The only two complaints: old fashioned was the worse that I have ever tasted (I have had many) and the murder mystery needs a lot of work. The staff did inform us that we were the first to see the production. They need either a revamp or start over.

Fun trip with staff dancing and singing in the train car aisle. Even Santa appeared! High quality trip with engine 1309 pulling and pushing.

My son is a huge rail-fan, so he wanted to ride behind 1309, and we did. There was a new manager aboard and he was really lovely and engaged with the passengers, telling us the history. We were in a lovely car, but spent a lot of time in the dining car. They were a little short staffed in the kitchen, so the food came out a bit slowly, but considering I wasn't going anywhere the train wasn't, it was relaxing and the food was good. The train goes through some beautiful scenery and around curves, so you can see the engine while riding on it. The train was also being chased by a big cadre of railfans, so it was fun to watch them out the window. (We were those people during the second run.)

I surprised my husband with a hands on throttle (diesel) train experience! It was wonderful! He loved every minute of the trip. “Diesel David” the conductor and instructor was awesome! I even got to ride along and get photos of the trip! We saw a Bob cat and had to stop the train for a couple of deer who were lingering on the tracks! Memories of a life time and checked off my husband’s bucket list!

We took a Thursday afternoon ride on the Frostburg Flyer, with the dining car option. There was pretty scenery along the way, although as others mentioned its much better on the right side (Cumberland to Frostburg). We were expecting the train to turn around, not the engine to move from one end to the other, so we were a little disappointed that we didn't get the better view on the way back. Also, because it was a Thursday, the Carriage Museum in Frostburg was closed. But the dining experience was great, the ride was fun and scenic. We would do it again.

My husband booked this for us as an early Valentines treat. We had such a wonderful time on the ride from Cumberland to Frostburg. A bottle of wine was included in the package. We had dinner on the way to Frostburg and dessert on the way back. I had the filet mignon and my husband had the ham. Both were very good. The dessert was chocolate walnut cheesecake. They actually cook their own food on the train. It’s not catered.
While at the Frostburg Depot while waiting for the engine to be turned around they had their version of the Newlywed Game. It was a lot of fun and laughs.
There was great narration during the trip by the conductor. The staff was fantastic. It was great to meet some new and nice passengers.
We would highly recommend WMSR to anyone who enjoys trains.

We went with a group of 9 and were excited to enjoy some time in Frostburg during our layover. We were counting on the free shuttle that was advertised for an 87 year old in our group-- the only issue...no shuttle is provided! We didn't find this out until we arrived in Frostburg and learned that the only options for getting there was a steep road or a large amount of stairs, neither of which our group member was physically capable of doing. When I inquired about this, I was given a shrug and an apology. If you are counting on a shuttle- don't. They need to update their website to reflect what is currently available.

Five hours of our life we won’t get back. One of the conductors had a ill tempered demeanor, the PA system on the train did not work so passengers had little idea what they were looking at. The scenic part of their name is misleading as there was not much to look at and the mid-way stop at Frostburg is wholly dissapointing. There are plenty of other train excursion trips in WV, VA, and MD- - take anyone of them instead.

Very pleasant experience and a nice way to see the beauty of western MD. The train takes 1.5 hours each way to/from Frostburg and there’s some nice scenery although a lot of the would-be vistas are obscured by trees. The best part is probably going through the Narrows right at the beginning. There’s not much of anything to do in Frostburg but it’s a pleasant place to stroll through. Honestly if you have the strength I’d recommend just biking the trail that runs parallel to the train and you can get the same scenery although that’s nothing against the train itself.

We really enjoyed the Frostburg Flyer trip.
My only suggestion is wash the windows! Even on a sunny day you cannot see clearly.

Nice, pleasant and relaxing ride. Very crowed Cumberland train station A bit of a distance from mens to ladies room. Conductor introduced himself but gave little or no information about the train or journey. As mentioned by another traveler, train is not handicap friendly. However, there is an elevator at the train station that is not the easiest to find.

I only gave this the highest rating because as a rail fan this was a great experience. If you like trains this trip is recommended. We took the four hour experience of the frostburg flyer which moved very slowly both up and down hill but if your a rail fan, the longer ride the better. At frostburg we got to see the locomotive go onto the round table and continue to the other end of the train. Food choices are limited but you can get a good burger or hot dog at the depot. We never got to see the town because we're rail fans and spent the time at the depot before slogging back. The crew did a fine job. The engineer gave my grandson a nice tour of the diesel locomotive. If your not a rail fan then this might not be for you. The time at the depot in frostburg is limited but a local restaurant provides roundtrip shuttle service to the town if your prefer to skip the train turn around watching. I guess if you want to explore frostburg you should drive. The only negative I have to report is the Western Maryland railroad is not ada compliant which makes it extremely difficult for elderly and handicap persons to embark and disembark the train. There is a ramp and an elevator and ample handicap parking at the historic Cumberland station. The Amtrak station located in downtown is very disappointing station like waiting at a bus stop. Unfortunately Amtrak and the Western Maryland station are located on separate lines. Maybe more people would take the Amtrak if they had a better station and more than a once daily train in either direction. For rail fans a good place to watch freight and container trains.

We visited on a weekday, lured by news of the return of the steam engine and the pictures of the steam engine on the website. Read the small print, the steam engine only runs on weekends. The shuttle into Frostburg, also weekends only. With all that said we did take the Frostburg Flyer and we still enjoyed a train ride into the mountains. Train platform and ticket office on the second floor of the building. We bought coach seats which also allowed us to ride in the open air car which we did. Be aware, even on the diesel ride there were ashes all over so they must be everywhere when the steam is in operation. There are signs to make sure you are aware. We enjoyed the trip, there was enough for us at the station layover area without climbing the steep steps to Frostburg. Enjoyed seeing the engine on the turntable. Trip was a little shorter than advertised, even with them doing brake training on the way back down the mountain. Open air car offered lots of legroom which was amazing. Had to pay to park at the station but the price was low and reasonable, lot isn’t huge but it was convenient. We would do the trip again to get to see the steam train on all the advertising.

This trip was a standard round trip between Cumberland and Frostburg. No special events, dates, etc. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable train ride with some good narration. The old steam locomotive (no. 734) is out of service, but the diesel locomotive provides a good ride. The snack bar on the train is reasonably priced with good service, and the passenger car interior was comfortable, despite the cold February weather outside. The train goes slowly (perhaps 15 MPH?), so there's a bit more time to view the passing scenery. The train wasn't crowded, probably because it's off-season now. Overall, a worthwhile experience.

I just went on the Polar Express train ride with my daughter and I was extremely disappointed and will not ever do it again. What I read on the website and my ticket were things that did NOT happen on this experience.

1. The ticket said there would be a performance on the platform 15 mins. before departure and that NEVER happened.

2. Website said there would be singing and dancing on the train and that NEVER happened.

3. Santa and his 1 elf barreled down the train aisle and quickly handed my daughter a bell before charging up the aisle to leave again.

4. I paid for a 1.5 train ride and it was only 1 hour.

I was shocked that our experience was not what was advertised. I drove 3.5 hours and stayed in a hotel for the experience described on their website and that didn't happen.

I do not recommend this train ride and will never be back. For the price you hardly got anything.

On October 3, 2022, one of my lifelong dreams came true through the Hand on the Throttle Experience, and I got to drive a steam locomotive: Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1309 — the largest operating coal-fired steam locomotive of its type in the world!

This was a lifelong dream of mine come true. After more than two decades of riding behind both WM 734 and WM 1309, being able to operate 1309 under the excellent supervision of the WMSR Crew from the Cumberland Station, through the Narrows, and stopping just short of Helmstetter's Curve (all while laying on the New York Central six-chime passenger whistle) was an experience that I'm struggling to define accurately with words. The WMSR Crew did some very special and unexpected things for me on that trip that I'll never forget. It was emotional. It was epic. It was surreal. It was everything you wanted it to be and more.

I'd like to give a special and sincere thanks to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Mr. Wesley Heinz, the WMSR staff, and especially the WMSR Crew for making this experience not only possible, but for creating something that went above and beyond all expectations.

If you are on the fence about doing it, trust me. It's worth every penny, and more. Jump in with two feet, because the only disappointment you'll feel is the regret of not doing it soon.

Had a great experience on the Polar Express. The staff made it really fun for the kids and the train was beautiful. Price was a bit much but I understand that it goes to upkeep of the train. Seeing their North Pole at night was cool but the rest of the ride at night was pretty dark, so that's a trade off.

Woke up at 4:30 (Washington DC) to drive out and do the hands-on the throttle, where you literally get to drive a train (8:30am), it was so freaking cool! (Well worth the price they charge) After that we had 2 hours to kill so we went to breakfast in Cumberland and then wandered around town for an hour. We got back to the station with 30 minutes until the train departed. We bought our tickets online and got them in the station, boarded and found a seat. Once the train starts you see awesome views leaving Cumberland of the mountains towering above the train and the town, as the train keeps going uphill you go into the forest and then come out to an awesome view of the mountains, there are about 7 or 8 views like this, they also play 20s/30s music over the car speakers. Simply breathtaking. You even go through a tunnel at one point. Once you get to Frostburg you deboard for an hour and watch the train flip on a turntable, once that is done you can go to one of the museums by the train depot, the gift shop (which has exclusive stuff not found in the Cumberland station). On the return trip back down you get the same awesome views from a different angle and you see some stuff you may have not seen before. I actually fell asleep on the way back due to the relaxing shaking of the train and the 20s music. Once the train got back we went to the gift shop and got some shirts and a few other things. Great day all around.

A few things you should know:

1.The right side is the best side to sit on.

2. As of the writing of my review, the railroads steam locomotive (734) is out of service and a brand new locomotive (1309) which is currently being restored and should be done sometime later this year or early next year, because of this there are only diesel locomotives for right now, some people seemed unaware of this.

3. Regarding the diesel locomotives: I got to drive one of the 2 gp30s the railroad owns, the other gp30 is currently out of service so the railroad is leasing an f40ph which is shown above. Some people in other reviews complained about it being out of place which is true but people should know that it is only temporary and does not take away from the experience at all.

4. people also said the staff was rude, I found that this could not have been further from the truth, everyone involved was fantastic!

5. Onstar directs you to the wrong side of the train tracks, you need to go to the railway station, when we went there was railroad crossing work being done so we had to take the long detour back around.

6. Parking is super cheap at the station $1 per hour!

7. Also just a fun fact: One of the cars on the train set we rode was an old Ringling brothers car

If you go, do two things for yourself: (1) Find a day the train will not likely be sold out. Many non-dining seats face each other on some cars with only a foot of room between. (2) Spend overnight in Cumberland and take the walking tour of the town, particularly the spruced-up old downtown. You won't run out of things to do. Otherwise, know that we've seen better scenery on a train ride and had longer scenic train trips, but this one's okay. Know also that Frostburg's downtown is a LONG slog up a steep hill from the train depot. But look, everyone's pleasant and they want you to have fun. For the best seats, cue up an hour early by entering the ramp till you get to the chain barrier (That's where you'll board, and I don't know why it's so hard for them to tell you that plainly). Oh, and wait 20 minutes into the trip back -- they may announce cheap ($1) hot dogs are now on sale. They've loosened their policy on bringing food aboard, but be a good guy, don't make a mess!

The Polar Express departed Frostburg, Maryland Dec 10th at 5:30. A more appropriate name would be “The Polar Depressed”. They did have hot chocolate and cookies available prior to boarding the train (not on board). Aboard our car, there was one employee that walked back and forth as he held up the Polar Express Book. He had on some sort of plastic face mask that looked like a non rebreather oxygen mask filled with condensation. Likely, that was the reason the door to our car was open the entire time which made it cold. He gave us the QR code for the Christmas Carols they would be singing. However, there was no singing nor any other form of entertainment in our car. After 30 minutes of nothing but darkness out the train window we arrived at “The North Pole” which appeared to be inflatables or a similar type display illuminated with Christmas lights. Most of us missed this as it wasn’t announced and only visible from one side of the train (unless you were standing and leaning over the families on that side of the train). We picked up Santa and he passed out a bell as he walked through the car not even stopping to talk to the kids. We also had two other actors walk through our car; the “hobo” actually volunteered to do a photo for those interested. I would never ever do any type of train excursion with the Western Maryland Railroad again even if they paid me to do it.

We have experienced the Polar Express in Elkins, WV and it was absolutely phenomenal!! Singing dancing joking and gorgeous light displays. Don’t waste your time or money. #polarexpress #westernmaryland

AMAZING! We had a 14, 11 and 4 yr old and 6 adults. The show was fantastic. They read the story, had characters, served cookies (nut free) & cocoa. Lots of singing and dancing. We even picked up Santa and his elves. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Well doing some Summertime small town tourist attractions, the wife and I decided to give this a whirl..maybe I set myself up for a little disappointment by setting bar to high..but their were times it just wasn't very scenic because everything was right on top of you. The Times that their was more space it was more breathtaking to take in but probably a Fall Foliage time would've been more scenic...

Very nice attraction. The station was clean and the people friendly. The gift shop had very little and no snacks available. When boarding the train they only used one boarding platform, meaning everyone had to board through the same car even when your car was three or more cars away, very slow. Same procedure at the Frostburg station.
The train ride was very nice and the scenery was quite nice.
All in all it was worth the trip, especially to see the newly restored 1309 2-6-6-2 Baldwin Locomotive.

There is very little to see on the train. The mountain is blocked by heavy brush and trees. So, all you see really is bushes as you slowly go along the track. The car we were in smelled of urine due to the bathroom being in the back of the car. The conductor named lots of places to eat but almost nothing was open in Frostburg. Nothing to do there at all. Another reviewer has said that but that was in the winter so I thought more places would be open in the summer - in fact, they told us about an Italian restaurant and the place was boarded up like it had been closed for months.
This is not worth $50 a person to ride the train unless you just want to ride a train. I’d say take metro in DC and you’ll see more and get to go someplace or ride the LIRR or another train in a city for much less money land get same experience of a train ride.

We decided to celebrate our anniversary with a train ride. Employees were friendly and welcoming. Service on board was great! The meal was so good. And of course the mountain views on the ride to frostburg were breathtaking.

As you arrive at the depot you obtain you tickets from the office which was very fast. Your seats are reserved so no need to get in line when boarding. Upon being seated our salad was awaiting us. Our server arrived and took our drink order and asked how we wanted our steaks cooked. There was tea, water, and ice on the table when we arrived. After traveling maybe 30 minutes our meal arrived. We all thought the filet's were cooked to perfection, A baked potato, asparagus, onions and peppers were also on the plate. For desert there was a chocolate mousse pie. The waite staff was wonderful and attentive and the food was delicious. At the half way point we were told we could get off and watch the engine get turned around however by the time we were off the engine had accomplished that task. All in all we had a great time would recommend this trip for adults. The mystery was funny, actors did a fine job.

On the second leg of our vintage railroad experiences, after a trip on the Potomac Eagle we anticipated a ride on the amazing Western Maryland 1309. The station in Cumberland is beautiful and very interesting with its original memorabilia, historic pictures, well equipped gift shop, and restrooms. But when we heard the inimitable whistle of the 1309 and saw her high above the plaza below, we were thrilled. The engine is a Mallet from WW2 era and is a steam breathing monster of an engine that was the last of the Baldwin engines to be built. It's 2-6-6-2 articulated drive system is magnificent even for those who aren't big rail fans. We sat in the open car for the first half of the trip, even though posters clearly stated, "You WILL get cinders and smoke in your eyes, hair, on your clothes." And yet, they were right...but we don't regret the experience. On the return voyage from Frostburg most of our party stayed cool and cinder free in the a/c a few cars away from the engine. The mountainous route was beautiful and the powerful engine had no problem pulling the string of cars. A lovely Mennonite family from Flintstone, WV with their three delightful children kept things lively all the way home (suspenders and straw hats and all!) In Frostburg we enjoyed big burgers near the station (a little pricey but very good!) and then took a free tram ride up the hill to downtown Frostburg. It was a great adventure, the second journey of our weekend...and we enjoyed it thoroughly!

The dinner train was a wonderful experience! The staff is very friendly and the food was excellent!! I recommend riding the WSMR and the dinner train as well all the other events they offer!!

When you offer a scenic ride with a 1.5 hr. layover in Frostburg that's what I expect to get. If you think a tree root covered rock wall or looking through trees to try and see the landscape is scenic you need to check out the meaning of the word. You also promised a 1.5 hr. layover in Frostburg. That didn't happen. What did happen was a 1/2 hour stop mid way. From what I heard from your employees the train was late not only Sunday but Saturday too. By the time we got on the shuttle and found a restaurant that was open we had 10 minutes to eat our food then race back to the shuttle or run 4 blocks back to the train. You can't seriously think this is possible for older folks or those with small children. What a waste of $100 per couple. Never again.

This is a great adventure. Scenery is beautiful. WMSR staff are friendly and helpful. Train cars are clean and there is plenty of seating. Would suggest to pack a picnic lunch for arrival in Frostburg. Only 1 small food place with very long lines, very little seating. Although you can walk up to the town of Frostburg the walk is uphill. This would be a great opportunity for food trucks to park at the depot.

Wonderful place for an awesome train ride for friends and couples! Went to this place last summer and was an awesome experience!!

We loved the views and the lunch car service was lovely and relaxing. The attendants were friendly and helpful. This was a perfect outing for our son who is on the spectrum and loves trains.

Nice experience! The open air car should be put in back of train. Too much ashes thrown in on passengers. Ashes got in our eyes, ears, hair, clothes, and shoes. Conductor very pleasant.

Took the Fall Foliage trip. One hour UP; one hour wandering; one hour BACK. Grandchildren bored. It did bring back memories from my youth.....But not really worth the cost.

Unorganized chaos while boarding. There were signs but people weren't paying attention and bombarding the train. The conductor had to repeat himself several times for patrons to get in the correct line. It was like herding cattle. 

There's nothing to look at. I thought there would be lights/decorations. There's lights at the "North Pole" but you can only see them if you're on the right side of the train.  Also, there is no heat so the windows were fogged up. So you wouldn't be able to see anything if there were lights to see. The activities on the train were mediocre. During the story, someone walks by with a book showing the photos, the hot chocolate was gross, and the Santa experience was meh. Luckily my son enjoyed himself so that's all that matters at the end of the day but I would recommend to not have high expectations for the experience. 

Had a wonderful time riding the train from Cumberland to Frostburg, then riding our bikes back down the mountain. Booking, check-in and loading the bikes was very easy. Lots of parking at the station. The conductors and people who load and unload the bikes could not have been more patient and helpful.
Train ride was beautiful, comfortable and fun.

The cafe car was great! The food was tasty. And our server Dan P. was great. My daughters order had tomatoes accidentally put on it and Dan realized it before her and fixed it quickly. Very personable and friendly!!

Very nice trip thru the mountains of MD-- you can learn about the climbing up hill for trains. Very scenic spot thru the trees. Stop in Frostburg includes the free to ticket holders carriage collection museum! Highly recommend as very interesting! Shuttle to downtown available. Need to get off and immediately go to front of train and watch them turn the engine around on the turntable!! We had the open car which is lovely.. It did rain thru a small section up the mountain but we were fine in the covered car.
The Depot in Cumberland was closed.. no canal museum open but the welcome center guy was outside with information- Covid related closures with no one wanting to come back- museum across street closed as well. We arrived a day early to do the canal oriented items but were disappointed all closed. Call Ahead! Scenic Train was great! arrive 30 minutes before to get your prepaid tickets picked up.

The trip was excellent. We did the dinner train ride and it went well. The staff was very professional and attentive to the passengers. The food was above average and tasty but could have been a little warmer. The weather was poor so we were unable to take in the scenery. I am already making plans with family and friends to go again.

We came to Cumberland to do something different for our anniversary. We took the frost burg train which was really a nice experience. It’s about an hour and a half to Frostburg then you have time there to have a little lunch and walk around before you return to Cumberland.

This place is a joke. They recently fired their long standing executive director who had turned this RR around. Brought in a bunch of out of towners to run it now. Not a way to run a local attraction. I will not be returning and I recommend that you do not either.

We took the Polar Express train yesterday. It was a wonderful experience. We had 6 adults and a 3 year old and the adults had as much fun as the 3 year old. They do an awesome job and it is like the Polar Express with hot chocolate and cookies along with the movie songs. We all said this will be an annual tradition

We took our daughter and granddaughter, who is 6. It was our granddaughter's first train ride. We all enjoyed ourselves so much. We ate at a Japanese restaurant in Frostburg during our layover there. We took lots of pictures and overall, just enjoyed a very, relaxing day together.

My husband and I with another couple went to the murder mystery show. The actors were great and the overall experience was fun. But my food was horrible! I ordered the vegetarian lasagna and it was just aweful. My salad was not fresh and only served 1 dressing. The croutons were rocks. Stouffers frozen lasagna has more flavor than that, plus the food made my stomach upset so most of the rest of the evening for me was very uncomfortable since there was only 1 working restroom. With the cost being $120/ meal...you just expect more. The others in my party said their meals were ok,but they had ordered meat and fish..
Since we had drove 2 hours to get there, I made the best of it and the overall experience of the show and the ride was fun, but not sure I would recommend for the cost and I would stay far away from the salad and the veggie lasagna!

great for the kids. the Christmas songs were my favorite part.
The train decorations were very festive
The staff were great. Very polite and professional.

First and foremost… the train trip was insanely overpriced for what we received. What was advertised was so much different than what we were told it would be. We thought we would be served hors devours and drinks (once again, that’s what was advertised for the upgraded tickets) yeah, no. You are to get everything yourself. Fatty, grisly ham, hot turkey chunks, soggy crackers, cauliflower and broccoli that was hot and smelled of flatulence and hot chunks of cheese. They have concessions (for free) but you have to walk across train cars to get them. Idk about you but moving train, no security and walking between the cars… that’s a no from me dawg. Complementary champagne shot and then coke products were free, water was dirty Dasani bottled water was also free. Drink drinks… $10 each for basically ice and a shot of liquor.
Secondly, there was little to NO scenery!! You saw rocks and trees… almost the entire trip. It was slow and absolutely the most boring 4 hours of my life.
Lastly… nowhere was it mentioned that there would be an hour and a half layover! You get taken from Cumberland to Frostburg and have to sit there for them to move the engine from one end of the train to the other. It took maybe 20 minutes? Not only that… the train station was at the bottom of a monstrous hill that would have to be climbed in order to do anything. How does this work if the person was disabled?! Or elderly?! It doesn’t. They’re stuck down there. All of this should be specified in the advertising. 4 tickets cost almost $450… not to mention having to sit thru the rocks and trees for scenery… I needed a drink for the way back so I didn’t fall asleep.
Oh!!! Also, if you’re still reading this, one of the workers there was absolutely RUDE to my mother who accompanied me on the trip. The complementary champagne that we received… she wasn’t quite finished with it and he came by to collect the glasses. He gets mine and goes to reach for hers. She says she’s not quite finished yet and he has the audacity to tell her “well you need to hurry up and finish it.” Then walked off with an attitude. Excuse me? I know I didn’t just pay $450 for someone to talk to my Mom like that. This is not ok!!

My adult daughter and I booked the Frostburg Flyer for the roughly 3.5 hour trip. We chose to purchase the dining car which was very fancy with white tablecloth and glassware. And superb service. Not knowing what to expect from train food we chose the safety of turkey wraps and they were excellent but seeing some of the hot dishes that came out I will get something hot next time. Everything was above my expectations and I would like to do this again maybe on a couples outing.

We took the moonshine train ride. It was amazing. The dinner was delicious and the service was fantastic. We went to Frostburg and got off the train for a little while. There was a bonfire, music, and corn hole. On the way back we had dessert. The owner of the distillery was on the train with us and he was so awesome to talk to. I highly recommend taking this ride. We will definitely do it again, maybe the fall foliage ride.

I was disappointed with the train ride. It was not scenic. Trees blocked the view. I had expected a lot more. I don’t think switching from a steam train to a diesel made a difference. There was no view. However, the staff on the train were terrific. They gave great service and the food was good.

Not really scenic, dinner takes awhile to be served, lights/candles don't work at some tables. Servers friendly and train ride is slow for those who suffer from motion sickness.

Wish they had non child car, noisey kids running around car. Was no senery just trees, but I’m glad I went

We took the Frostberg Flyer and chose the Pub Car ticket. This was perfect for us because we got to sit at a table and order wine / drinks and snacks if we wanted them. Well worth the upgrade from general seating. We went in November when there was still color and the views were wonderful. The train ride exceeded my expectations.

What to expect for the experience between the two train rides was not clear. We knew we had an hour. It seems there might have been a shuttle.. or not. The shuttle is a private operation and evidently is there sometimes and not at other times. Luckily the shuttle (free) was there when we arrived in Frostberg because the very LONG walk uphill and climb of 88 stairs to access the roadway was more than we could have managed. Once in Frostberg we ate at the hotel ... which was fine, but that's all the time you had... no time for shopping and the hotel restaurant was not interested in being quick.

So I would recommend planning for what you'll do in the one hour in between noting that it's significant and challenging walking if you don't have access to the suttle.

The only other reason I didn't rate this 5 stars was that at the end of the ride - - like a full quarter to an hour, the commentator read an advertising document noting everything there was to do in Cumberland .... EVERYTHING. A few interesting mentions would have been helpful, but it got on my nerves after about 7 minutes or so. Definitely distracting when one is trying to experience the end of the mountain Maryland views.

The staff was wonderful and helpful. We had a great time and would consider going again.

The steam engine is magnificent! The cars were very clean and warm. The staff on the train were great at their jobs. There was confusion on where to have us board for our car. We were placed in 2 different lines.The big thing was the lack of parking. I would suggest arriving hours earlier and having lunch in town or plan to drop off part of your party and then parking. Town was decorated nicely for Christmas

The dinner train reservation process is a total joke. The online system never worked every time I tried to use it so I had to call to make a reservation - that’s fine. However, I called and very directly described that I needed this to be disability friendly. This was a Christmas gift for my father who walks with a cane. I double checked that he could easily get on the train and that we needed a table with chairs - a booth will not work. Then, we take a 2 hour ride and make hotel reservations to get to the train and finally arrive and am presented with a booth table that won’t work. I let them know there is an issue and they leave the handicapped person standing (not very disability friendly) for 10-15 mins and the train getting ready to leave. And no solution in site. Are we supposed to wait for the train to leave and not have a place to sit? We go to leave the train and they said they were going to switch tables but that we could get off the train and refund our money. But you have to wonder if they really planned to fix it or not?? Totally not disability friendly no matter what they say. Not sure how they get away with not being ADA compliant. If your not ADA friendly just say so. Total waste of time - very disappointing. So much for a Christmas present…

We came at the very last minute; we originally had no intention of taking the train, but then decided to go if there was room. There were a few no shows, and we were able to ride. We're very glad we did, as the train is very relaxing. We've been traveling for decades, but it's rare when we come across train rides. Although it's a little pricey, it's worth it. The cars are clean and the staff friendly. Free parking is available; it'll take a few minutes to walk to the station, but definitely worthwhile.

We had great fun!!! Highly recommend. The train staff were talented and gave it their all. The young kids loved the ride.

Family outing on the Polar Express Railroad! Everyone friendly, well timed, keep children entertained. Visit from Santa. Get tickets early

They stuffed so many people on each car, there was no room to breathe. Easily remedied by losing a few tables. Most people aren’t skinny as sticks. Crab cakes were 90% filler...not good, salad was limp, baked potato was cold, but the dessert was excellent. The play wasn’t fun because we couldn’t hear most of it and the actors were too busy posing for pictures. Train ride was fun, though.

We took a "murder mystery" dinner tour with friends to celebrate birthdays. Four people for a price of just over $500. For that price, we enjoyed an average dinner (crab cakes were 50% dry filler much like cornbread dressing) and terrible service - perhaps because only one of us drinks alcohol. It was extremely noticeable to us all that the tables ordering bottles of wine or bubbly received much better service. We were patently ignored: ice bucket went empty, water and tea carafes were not refilled, and we had to flag down our waiter to be served the coffee that other tables had at least 15 minutes earlier. This poor service totally ruined my birthday experience! The only plus was a good performance by the cast and being there with wonderful friends. Next time, we'll celebrate with a trip to the Allenberry in PA - much better all ways around!

Very friendly staff and the train was comfortable and moved at a good pace. We sat in the Open Air car…. The closed cars were very cold…. The town Frostburg where the train stops has very little for shopping…. Only a few places to eat. We ate at the Gunter hotel which is where a shuttle bus will let you out at if you don’t want to walk up the hill into the town.

My friend Grant and I rode the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad two times in late August. The first trip I took was in June 2010 along with me and my friend's cab ride on #734 in June 2013. On my third visit, Grant rode in the cab of their articulated locomotive #1309 Friday while I rode first class and I rode in the cab Saturday, with dome class on the return trip to Cumberland. Sunday brought us an amazing chase from the depot up the mountain to Frostburg. For those who love steam and especially wanting the experience of what it's like from the engineer and fireman's view, the steam locomotive cab ride on Maryland Thunder is definitely worth it.

A very fun station to walk around and spend a few hours. THe GAP trail is nearby with plenty of parking and lots to see in this old historical station

The trip was magical! You can turn the seats so that you can sit facing your friends and family. There were fun activities throughout the journey to the "North Pole." We got a great picture with Mr. & Mrs. Clause. My child enjoyed the gift bag from Santa and it kept him entertained during the train ride back.

My wife booked ride on the Train for my birthday. We got the lunch and beverage deal. Really was a scenic ride and the meal was very good.

Love taking my grandkids on the east train. I isn't as good as it used to be but it is still fun. Ride was way too short and the kids searched for eggs in tall grass next to the track so the younger kids really lost out.

Our family of four, including 2 young children, drove 2.5 hours from Alexandria, VA on the day after Thanksgiving to take the "Polar Express," which was billed as a 90-minute scenic train ride to the "North Pole" featuring a cameo appearance by Santa Claus. Though the train itself was a charming throwback to the 40s, the ride lasted barely an hour -- NOT the 90 minutes that we purchased tickets for. We were also supposed to be served cookies and hot chocolate on board, but that never happened. Meanwhile, the actors -- Santa, his elf, and a dancing chef(?) -- basically phoned in their performances (the "elf" was a crotchety older lady who seemed more interested in finding the ladies room than in entertaining the kids). When we pulled into the station at 2:28 pm (vs the 3pm listed on our receipt), we and the families behind us were aghast. That was it?! No explanation was given and we all disembarked feeling like we were the victims of false advertising. Don't waste your money on this. Your kids will be disappointed, and you'll leave feeling like you've been robbed.

Perfectly timed and well received! The food was excellent, the Mystery was fun and the train ride made it perfect!

Took my wife on the dinner train for her birthday dinner. it was very enjoyable we both had a good experience. the food was good and our server was pleasant we had a few drinks from the bar and they were very good. after dinner we got to wonder around the train and experience the lounge car and the dome in the car with a 360 view. we do recommend sitting on the right side as the views were best from that side of the train. their is also lots to do in the area you can make a weekend getaway and experience what western Maryland has to offer

My husband and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary by taking one of the 3 hour train ride tours. Our seats were in the dining car (which I absolutely adored!) and included a luncheon on the ride from Cumberland to Frostburg, MD and dessert on the ride back. Very enjoyable trip. The scenery was lovey, the meal was delicious, and the staff was friendly. I highly recommend this for a quick little couple's excursion.

In one word: FANTASTIC
Everything was as advertised and better. On time, great staff, easy to participate, nice snacks both ways. And we met some really nice folks on the train. Even a brief stop so the train staff (even our conductor, Connor, wielded a chainsaw carried on the train for such events). It was just more time to see the scenery and visit.
Stop at Frostburg was wonderful. Even a shuttle up, way up, to the town center. And the Thrasher Carriage Museum was a real gem. Beautiful and unique carriages of all types and sizes.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity.
Oh, and Cumberland is pretty cool too.

This was a fun getaway for our family. The scenery was gorgeous in the fall, and the staff gave us an informative and interesting talk during the ride. Overall, it was a grand day out!

The station got very crowded when passengers started to arrive for their scheduled departure. The crowd size got worse when the train returned to the station from its previous trip and its passengers were getting off. So, prepare to stand since there are very few places to sit, and expect to wait in line for the restroom. Once on the train we were entertained by actors serving hot chocolate and dancing and preparing the children for Santa's arrival. At the North Pole if you are not sitting on the left side of the train you will not really see any of the North Pole. I got a glimpse of reindeer antlers, and the north pole building. This year first class was sold out for the time slot we wanted so we selected a table of four. There were only three of us so it was expensive at $107 each. Only First class passengers were given a souvenir mug and I did not realize the table class would only received a flat, round, red colored ornament to share, stamped with the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad logo. The actors did a nice job on the train to entertain the passenger serving hot chocolate, and singing and dancing. We realize the great expense of keeping these trains running and although the trip had a few issues for us, it was worth it to see the smile and delight on our grandchild's face.

Don't waste your money! We (2 seniors) paid $120 pp for the dome train car. The train left on time at 11:30 am, however stopped at Cash Valley 5 miles away and we sat still on the track for quite awhile, with no explanation. Only to find out when we arrived back at home, that there's a scheduled Frostburg to Cash Valley Rail (10 mile bike excursion, that leaves Frostburg at 12:00, heading towards our train, on the same track) (Train obviously knows about this daily excursion). Finally got to Frostburg, the scheduled shuttle bus wasn't there to take passengers up a very steep hill (88 steps and straight up hill) making it impossible for some of the people to even go into Frostburg town, quite a few stayed on the train. Everyone in our train car was asked what they wanted to drink, (not telling anyone of any additional charges) and continued to serve drinks up and back on the train, then about 5 minutes before the scheduled arrival back at Cumberland Depot, brought a bill around for everyone to pay for these overpriced drinks. We fortunately hadn't ordered anything, but others were shocked to have a big drink bill, after the already overcharged price for the train.

Great clear day brisk whether, company and the sunshine. Tickets in hand. All aboard! Comfortable seats in the open air car. Not so great for shooting photos due to the narrow windows and frame. I did manage to get couple of good photos. All in all the trip is and was worth taking in the old train cars. Only thing missing was the steam from the front of the train. At the turn around point the café lines were long so I advise you to take some snacks and drinks in a backpack. There are other food options with a little walking. Watching the train turnabout is enjoyable great photo opportunity to get shot of engine from all angles. This is the second time and it was still enjoyable for the two of us.

Rode the Tracks and Yaks down the mountain from Frostburg with a return trip by Western Maryland train back up the mountain. A long, terrific day. We chose the open air car-cinders, smoke and all-just for the experience. I noticed a lot of travelers were disappointed they couldn't see the scenery, but since I'm from the Mountain State, the beauty of the trees and wildflowers were just fine. We had a great time waving to walkers and bikers along the trail. There was one young conductor/engineer in training who was very attentive. I'd do this again in a heartbeat.

I booked our excursion over the phone and this was a good experience. We picked up our tickets at the station. I said we would rent bicycles from CTC to ride back and was told there was a $5.00 fee per bicycle to carry them on the train. I said OK, thanks. We got our bikes and brought them back to the platform in plenty of time before loading. That's when things started to go awry. I asked someone official looking where to take the bikes for loading and he said, "Take them down to the end." So we walked them down to the end of the train and no one was there. I left my husband there and ran back. Just then a man in uniform came out and I asked him about the bikes. He said I had to go back to the ticket office, pay the money and get my tickets validated before he would load them. I was exhausted by the time all that was done. Just a little more info at the ticket office would have been helpful. Also, a sign posted outside on the platform for staging the bicycles would be helpful. The person loading our bikes was argumentative, but somewhat softened when he saw the trouble we went to trying to do the right thing. Eventually, we got on the train. The ride back was spectacular!! I recommend cycling back. It was an easy ride and the scenery was beautiful! Just remember, get your tickets validated and pay $5 per bike at the ticket office. Take your bikes to the end of the brick walkway, not the end of the train for loading.

Drove from Philly to take a train ride. Everyone made our experience great. We enjoyed the views along the way. Loved the fact that there was a shuttle bus to take us to town and back to train although it’s not a very far walk but I have trouble walking, so it made everything easier. We will definitely take the ride again once in the area again.

The train excursion, lunch, service & the layover were all great. The parking situation is confusing. We were on a Sunday excursion & heard several different opinions on whether it was necessary to pay on Sundays. Some explanation on your website would be helpful.

Beware! This tour does not live up to its advertising! We drove two hours to take this trip celebrating our anniversary. We purchased assigned seats in advance to be sure we had a comfortable viewing position. We saved our appetites for the concessions and a meal at the other end of the trip. We had hoped to have some good mountain views and informative narrative during the tour. We had hoped to spend some time on each end of the tour visiting the local shops and restaurants. The reality is that this tour was a severe disappointment! There were no assigned seats. The seats we thought we had reserved were given to others. The facilities on the train had an intense smell of urine. The employees at check in barely acknowledged us and offered no information or communication regarding the tour. There were not concessions made available on this tour. The little narrative given during the tour was snarky and rude offering very little information. The views were blocked by overgrowth and barely visible. There were no real opportunities for photography. The restrooms and shops at both depots were filthy and quite neglected! The staff chose to blast loud rock music in poor taste throughout the train on both legs of the trip. There was no one to address any concerns to. Written requests for refunds were ignored. The towns on each end of the tour were delapitated, closed or unfriendly. This was a miserable experience and I hope no one else has to suffer through it. Also note it is outrageously over priced!

This is not my first time riding the WMSR, but it was the first time behind the grand articulated 1309! It was a trip not to be missed. There was plenty of opportunity, both before leaving Cumberland and at the Frostburg layover, to get up close and personal with the locomotive. We rode in the open-air car both ways. As they say, it was loud, it was sooty, and we got dirty -- but it was great! I wouldn't have traded it for the world.
I did have some difficulty finding the station (I was approaching from the west; other visits were from the east), and the parking situation was confusing. It was one of those set-ups where a smartphone was necessary (I don't have one); but later I learned that parking was free that day (Father's Day). These little quirks were the ONLY reason I didn't give the trip five stars -- otherwise it was splendid!

Get here early as it is very popular and you will not want to miss a ride of your life here. g paths for people and bikes.It is available at a reasonable price and train is in good working order. Train staff are friendly and willing to answer questions about the train along with questions about the area as well. It is a scenic route and even goes along walking paths for both people and bikes. It will not disapoint you at all as you go along route that passes thru numerous small towns. It is family friendly and well worth your time for an educational but relaxing day outting.

We had a fantastic time. The whole experience was great from reservations all the way through. Thank you. USS America CV-66 Vets.

Took a group of 14 people to the Train Ride from Cumberland to Frostburg.
They train ride was fine and the weather was beautiful! However, boarding the train was a mess. Only two places to board with one person at each boarding area. There were no signs directly folks on where to board. There has to be a better way.

Spectacular excursion to view fall foliage from an open car on a vintage train pulled by the largest operating steam engine in the USA. 4 1/2 hour trip included lunch stop in Frostburg.
Historic western Maryland has many other attractions such as bike trail riding.

There are some spectacular vistas but they are few and far between. The underbrush needs to be cut back so you can see. I upgraded my ticket to ride in the engine cab and glad I did. You get a whole different perspective. The engineer Mike and his brakeman Kevin were informative and fun to talk with. I give that part a 5 STARS. Little longer at Frostburg station would be welcome as it would give a chance to see a bit of the town. The station is cute but not much to do there.

This is such a lovely train ride. Totally family oriented, loads of train activities for the whole year. It is very clean, comfy, and has nice snack bar or meal train. The narrator gives a marvelous history of the journey and even in the rain, it's a nice ride. The cars are cozy in bad weather. They also have nice gift shops. I've gone on this train several times with my family and have loved it each and every time.

After going to the Polar Express in Elkins, WV, for several years, I was excited to find the Polar Express a little closer to home in Cumberland. However, the experience was disappointing. In Elkins, we had musical performances, elves that provided the kids constant fun including magic, and unlimited yummy hot chocolate. Western MD Scenic RR should learn from Elkins. This was a barebones Polar Express experience. The cocoa was watered down and not refilled, the elves didn't do much but walk the aisles jingling bells, and the entertainment was just recorded music over the speakers. It felt as if Cumberland was doing the bare minimum for the Polar Express. We understand that we were spoiled by the superb rendition of the Polar Express in Elkins, but if Elkins could do it then I certainly think Cumberland has the thespian community to take the Polar Express over the top. They also need to consider better timing of the trains too. It was utter confusion on the platform as no one was using a microphone or megaphone to direct folks to the right doors, and we waited nearly a half hour to board. Possibly adding a half hour between trains would allow the train to turn over without the kids watching the elves clean the tables and watch the hot chocolate being carried on board.

Ok so asking questions inside only gives very vaque answers...Sunday was a fully loaded train therefore we lined up outside where we were told to go ("at the ramp") ONE HOUR ahead of boarding which put us at front of line to obtain the seating at right side of train (the better spots)....WHAT A JOKE ..there were steps next to ramp and people came from all directions lining up at the ramp.The person in charge gave directions at boarding time and motioned for one area to come forward which put everyone else that had been waiting at the ramp mixed up in the jumble...there were no designated directions of the lines nor the fact that you could have boarded at others car stated anywhere!! The people at the ticket desk were friendly but overwhelmed the very nice girl in the coffee shop seemed to be more on the ball of directions, Long story short the people that had been waiting the longest ended up shuffling to other cars to board. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ! We spent alot of money on this getaway and were disappointed at the beginning. When boarding we were told that if we rode in certain cars we would not hear any announcements which were important as to the fact there was a shuttle to take you up the hill to the town of Frostburg which we did not know about??? (sat in wrong car???) You think the guy that walked thru our car could have told us? NOPE. Nice ride but seriously would never recommend this trip to anyone. Oh and apparently the pay parking lot had issues at end of day and no one could leave until someone held the gate up..dont have to use this lot by the way...

With no kids, we wanted to experience the train ride.

Fun to watch children gather eggs. ..meet the Easter bunny (why was there a large bear in costume?)...dip in a tub for a trinket toy...& snack on sugar cookies / fruit box upon return.

Train clean-can buy hot dogs & snacks. Motors slowly so no one got motion sickness.

Conductor 'in uniform' & gals had on bunny ears. Cute.

Go, even if you don't have kids w/you as there are plenty to enjoy-from afar--no diapers nor cranky toddlers experiencing pre-nap time.

I would like to start by saying that I contemplated writing this for weeks. At the end of the day I couldn’t just sit by without letting my experience be known. My husband surprised me with tickets to this little train for our anniversary in May. I thought, “yes! He made some effort in our relationship.” Then we got on the train. First it was dirty. The waiters and waitresses were dressed sloppy. My husband got a warm welcome. I got a condescending smile. Then we sat down. Our waitress, who I won’t name because I have more class than she does, was very touchy to my husband. When she first came to our table, she put her little hand on my husbands arm. She looked down and smiled widely at him. He smiled back of course cause he’s not a rude guy. She smirked at me, knowing she was getting to me. Then we figured we’d get a free bottle of champagne as friends of ours rode the train before and got one but they said they don’t do that any more. What do they do now? They flirt with husbands. They cause a couple to have to go to therapy. The only way I can see this going is divorce. Knowing that some little tramp in badly pressed clothes can distract my man while I’m dressed to the nines is beyond me. Goodbye scenic train. The memories made were not worth it. (Watch out for the older blonde lady she can’t be trusted)

It was my first trip to WMSR since Mountain Thunder (734) ran the rails. After the long wait for the 1309 it was well worth it. We road the open air car to get the full experience. It was a good day.

Where is the Steam Engine, 1309 has not been see on the tracks since Early spring ? I have friends who want to ride with this big Steam engine and cannot find out when it will be running again. When ?

Two of us did the Lunch Car. It was fun, enjoyable, and relaxing. There were two reasons why am not rating it a 5. We purchased seats near the window but when we picked up the tickets at the station, only the table number was marked. Sure enough people were sitting in our seats. Thankfully the waitress took care of the issues, but it made it uncomfortable. Second, they charge a fee. So the price is more then they advertise. The price should be the price. Do not add tackey fees. Food was good and you spend just about the right amount of time in Frostburg. So, if your party will be 3 or 4 people, then it is a good trip.

Such a fantastic experience! The WMSR provided the perfect setting for our book club meeting. The food, atmosphere, and service was impeccable. Special shout out to our bartender Rick! He really made the evening unforgettable! Awesome guy! This is such a special adventure in mountain maryland and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone local or visiting as a must do experience. The people involved with the railroad here are so special and I truly appreciate their passion for what they do.

Take this train ride and experience what train travel used to be. Sure - it's much slower than flying, but you actually get to relax and see the beautiful countryside glide by. Splurge and ride in the dome car for the height of luxury.

This review just focuses on the Old Western Train Station which house a few office including the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad office. To my disappointment to find out that the train runs only on weekend (when it listed as daily in map and information I got from the rest area. Anyway, just to see the building that was built in 1913 duing the heyday of American railroad power. Currently (based on the information), the train station is the remaining depot in Cumberland. The display of the station name, the rail cars and the platform give visitor the feeling of the good old days of traveling by train.

The trip was very enjoyable, Josh & Rick are a tag team powerhouse. The guided info during the lunch class was excellent as was the lunch. The champagne 🍾 was a nice touch as we’re celebrating our 29th anniversary and came up with the idea to come only days ago. Would’ve loved to have done the murder mystery dinner but there was only one ticket available. Loved the apple caramel cheesecake dessert, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping was brilliant.
Thanks
W &Q

5 members of our club made the trip from Carlisle PA to Cumberland. Train ride, narration and staff - friendly and helpful. Bonuses were the C&O Visitors center in the train station), nearby railroad museum and Queen City Creamery ice cream cafe. If you are a rail fan you will not want to miss the train turntable in operation at Frostburg at the end of the first leg of the Western Scenic RR trip.

Sat in the area with tables. Small but diverse menu. Excellent easy ticket purchase on line and check in seamless. Nice gift shop in station. Our waiter was great on the train. Frostburg end of line has a cute main street, shops, coffee. If you get food here remember you only have 90 minutes. Another gift shop at this station as well. Not a ton of scenery on the ride, as you travel within the trees, but a nice relaxing trip. Worth the money.

Great experience. I enjoyed spending quality time with family. My 3 yr old niece wouldn't leave the window the whole 3 hr trip. Friendly and helpful staff.

staff was friendly and helpful. the ride and stop over at Frostburg were exciting. carriage musuem and turntable of the engine were two sights to see.

After reading Riley Sager’s With A Vengeance, our book club took our meeting to the next level by taking the Sunset ride on the on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad! Everyone we encountered went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience! The staff were amazingly helpful and friendly, the food was delicious and the service exceptional! The private car for our group set the tone for creating an exceptional evening with friends!

Our family consisted of nine adults and three children two years old. In addition to the ride, we enjoyed our stopping over at Frostburg. We watched them turn the engine around and then went up into town for a coffee and a snack. I can't wait until they can get coal-fired locomotive back in service.

This trip ended up being a great trip. We had bought tickets for the Deluxe car because it was air conditioned. The conductor was great. We received water and snacks. Our trip to Frostburg was nice, we ate lunch at the hotel and got back on the train. This time the air conditioner broke in that car. The conductor then let us upgrade to other air conditioned cars. We sat in the dome car, which was really, really great. We were also given drinks of our choice. The workers on the train were awesome. Would definitely take this tour again in the dome car.

Train ride was ok but Santa did nottake pictures with children which was very upsetting. We paid lot of money and long ride to get pics of Santa with grsndchild. Not pleased with they promised would be able to take pics and talk with sSanta. I wont do again and would not refer to anyone

I would like to preface this review with the fact that there are only 2 outcomes of this train ride experience. The first is your 3 years old, moms packed your lunch and you’re having the time of your life on a real live locomotive! The second is, you can’t find available parking in the entire town of Cumberland except for a spot under an over pass behind a liquor store. You finally board and realize this train never exceeds 15mph. However, it’s a beautiful view!

We met in Cumberland for our annual college roommate get together and took the train ride. It was extremely enjoyable, relaxing, clean, friendly, and accommodating. It is definitely great for ALL ages!

We took the shuttle into town and grabbed lunch at the cafe and coffee at a cute converted church and leisurely walked back down the hill to get to the train for the return trip.

We had a very nice train ride during the winter flyer season. We came in April, so it wasn't too cold and you could still see alot because the trees hadn't bloomed. We broke the upper dome car and the it was so nice being up there, seats were comfortable and when we went it wasn't crowded, there were a total of 35 people on our whole train. The staff was so friendly and great, the conductor talked to us often and the steward gave us some nice history, While this is not the most scenic train we have ever been on it was a very good time and enjoyable, see below for some helpful tips.

1) IF you're staying overnight Stay @ the Fairfield Inn, it's nothing fancy and not the cleanest but its location to the train can't be beat there is a path right to the hotel.

2) We bought tickets for the upper dome and I highly recommend this. When looking at the seat map on your computer choose seats on the left side /station side of the train for the best views.

3 )If you book the dome car, you get $20 in dining credit, we asked our steward if we could use it on drinks and he said yes, but then we were charged at the end but not the full price, so I am not sure what happened, just beware.

4) When arriving in Frostburg, the hill to the town is very steep, walk to the right of the station towards the turn table and take the steps up, seemed easier but this will be a bit of a struggle for some on the hill.

5) If you take the afternoon train some of the places in town will be closed such as the ice cream shop. I would recommend going to the hotel and then having some dessert at the toasted goat.

The good things...

The staff
The flora & fauna

Things needing improvement...
The train narration
The train cleanliness
The destination activities (EVERYTHING IN FROSTBURG WAS CLOSED) There was very little to do.
The availability of an activity without climbing the hill
The train restroom (it malfunctioned and no options were communicated. I found a bathroom for a young boy I did not know that was in extreme distress!)
The billing (I paid extra for first class seats only to find out upon arrival that they downgraded me to coach with only a promise of a refund.)

This trip was mediocre compared to those we’ve taken in the past. We drove 2 1/2 hours to take a party of six people. I was underwhelmed and unimpressed. We will not return.

We had a great time on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. The foliage was sparse, because of the windy storm the previous night, but the color that remained was beautiful. We enjoyed the information and banter provided by the tour guide. Frostburg was disappointing. There were few things to do or see there.

The food was sub-par, but edible. The next time we will probably pack a lunch and sit in the general seating section. Our server was inattentive and a bit gruff. The other server was friendly and efficient. Overall, we had a very good time and would go again.

I purchased dome tickets for the Frostburg Flyer had to reschedule once, because steam was taken out of service in September. The train itself was an amazing site and the seats were comfortable, however for the price we paid for the dome seats, I was disappointed because the glass above us was broken and hasn't been fixed so we couldn't see out of the dome, not a lot of appetizers and 90 minutes is not enough time to find a place to eat and get back to train. Also, didn't realize that the steam engine didn't take us back so our view as quite limited we couldn't really see anything. Not sure we will do it again.

The train ride was great. We found the location without any issues and enjoyed the ride up. We rented bicycles Tracks and Yaks and did the bicycle trail back from Frostburg to Cumberland. It was an easy ride (15 miles) most of it downhill. It was a great day. Highly recommend the trip!

This is a silly trip that takes a very long time. If your children are obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine, then by all means subject yourself to this mind numbing experience. The train has not been cleaned well in quite some time. It provides an intimate view of the lawn chairs and garbage cans populating the back yards of the fine folk of Allegany County. Once in a while there is a pretty little meadow or mountain view. And then there is the announcer who tries to be witty with his misogynistic "jokes" about his wife being not too bright, but at least she is pretty. On arrival in Frostburg, you will be walking the Mt. Everest of Maryland to reach the lovely main street. You will then climb further to reach any food or shopping. Have your EKG done before the trip as a precaution. Half the riders wisely avoided the hike. The reverse trip down the mountain was agonizingly slow but we were serenaded by a snoring man who apparently fell asleep out of self-defense, God love him. He should have brought his CPAP machine, but probably couldn't plug it in on that sad old train.

We had a great time. Riding the train was very relaxing. We went just after the trees had their color, but it was still very enjoyable looking out the window and watching nature go by.

I had a Dome seat. Terrible. Absolutely awful. Waste of time and money. Cheap. Dirty. Safe to say none of the windows—side and ceiling—have been cleaned in the past ten years. Since the seating is on some type of platform, you sit at a cramped table with your knees in your chest. Views were underwhelming. As soon as we reached Frostburg, I called an Uber and spent $30 just to get back to Cumberland and avoid the return train ride. No doubt one of the worst attractions I've ever experienced. I'm 60.

It was a wonderful trip! The staff is excellent - professional, friendly and fun. We were in the dome car, which was very cool. The breakfast was huge and delicious. We had absolutely no complaints!

WE had a very nice time on the Maryland Railroad! The train left and arrived on time, the ride was very colorful, the open air car was nice for great pictures! WE arrived in Frostburg on Tuesday - most shops were closed. However, we had a nice old fashioned lunch - almost like eating at Woolworth's back in the day! Everyone was very nice! It was easy to communicate to the staff. Also, a shuttle bus takes you to the town of Frostburg or you can hike the very steep hill! We had plenty of time in town to visit! This is well suited for all ages.

The trip itself was beautiful. The train went past farms and pretty countryside views, and even though it was the end of the season, the fall colors were still spectacular. The conductor was a lot of fun to talk to and we enjoyed seeing him dressed in an old-fashioned conductor's uniform complete with cap. The train itself was old (not in an awesome restored antique way, but in an uncomfortable, dirty and smelly way). When we arrived in Frostburg, the line for the ladies' bathroom took at least twenty minutes, but those who weren't stuck in line were able to see the engine do a 360 degree turn in the roundhouse. There is also a carriage museum that was pretty fun and interesting to walk around before our return trip. The admission to the carriage museum is included with the train trip. Unfortunately, this trip boards at 11 and we returned at 3:30, so unless you pay for the overpriced dining car first class trip ($45 for a kids hot dog meal?!), you have to either eat lunch super early/late, skip a meal, or find a way to feed yourself and your family. There is a snack bar on the train that sells hot dogs and chips, and a pizza place about ten minutes walk away from the Frostburg station, but not a lot of food options if you have senstitivities or allergies (gluten esp.) Our train-loving boys (11 and 9) really enjoyed the trip and will be talking about this for years.

I took my wife on the frostburg fall flyer ride for the first time. Thanks to the many trip advisor friends who said to get there early to park in the small lot across the street , I did just that. The wait for the train flew by, waiting in the old time station added to the whole experience ,as does the old time ticket they give you at will call ( defidently do that...why pay extra to print a ticket at home instead when you get a cool ticket at will call at no extra charge?). The train is as long as necessary so you know you will get a seat. Hot tip.....sit on the right side of forward motion for the best views ...my wife had concerns of cliff type views that would be scary...there aren't any. But lots of pretty scenery and beautiful mountain views. We didn't go with the dining option. I felt like we went for a romantic train ride not to be focused on eating. It was annoying with people getting up an down constantly to go to the snack bar...seriously people ...eat a hot dog when your not missing what you came to see!
Ok ...a few words about frostburg...a lot of fellow travelers comment about the huge hill up out of the train station to Main Street ....yes it's a tuff climb but doable for people remotely healthy....except....once you get there....ok no offense to frostburg....but ..there's nothing there. A liquor store ...a tattoo place...few dive bars....insurance agency...oh and guess what? All UP HILL! Best to hang at the train. I didn't go in the museum at the train station...I should have. It had to be better than climbing a mountain to nowhere.
Totally worth doing it for the ride though. And the narrator was cool too.
Oh remember the small parking lot? Totally jammed leaving..and the automated kiosk broke. So thanks to the coolest dude in Cumberland that day that held the gate up so we all could get out!

After calling ahead and being told that they are handicapped friendly, myself and two friends booked three tickets for October 12th and is the lunch excursion. Well when we got to the train two of us had walkers that we could barely get through the card with since they put us all the way in the last train car. In some areas we had to pick up the walkers to get through. There were workers on the train but no one offered to help. It was really depressing since we had so looked forward to this trip. I hope in the future handicapped patrons don't have the trouble we had.

This was very disappointing. No scenic view at all, couldn’t see through the trees and brush. Advertising is very misleading. Paid $440 for Lunch Class and got put in something totally different than photo. I would not recommend this to anyone.