Western Maryland Scenic Railroad: Cumberland's Fall 2026 Schedule

As of October 12, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's own calendar shows the late-October Frostburg Flyer mostly as a weekday train. From October 13 through October 30, nearly every bookable Flyer seat leaves Cumberland at 11:30 a.m. on a Monday through Friday. On weekends the railroad switches to one-hour pumpkin runs to Bone Cave.

That changes how anyone who lives near Canal Street should plan a fall ride. If you want the full 4.5-hour climb to Frostburg while the leaves are turning, look at a weekday, and expect diesel power. The Flyer page says it plainly: "Steam Saturdays & Sundays, Diesel Weekdays."

What the Calendar Shows for the Rest of the Season

The WMSR train schedule lists only what can still be booked. Some earlier dates, like the weekend of October 10 and 11, are marked "not available," which may mean they sold out. Here is what's open from today through Halloween.

Seats are already running low. On October 15, First Class showed one spot left. On October 20, Lunch Class and Dome Class each showed one. October 28 had five Lunch Class seats left.

Why the Weekday Ride Is the Foliage Ride

The Flyer is the only train on the calendar that covers the whole line. It leaves Cumberland, runs through the Narrows, rounds Helmstetter's Curve, climbs almost 1,000 feet and passes through the 916-foot Brush Tunnel in a little over an hour. Then you get a 90-minute layover in Frostburg before heading back down. WMSR says the Flyer runs May through October.

The weekday schedule also gives you the widest choice of seats. Posted Flyer fares:

• Coach: $45 adults, $40 children 12 and under, open seating, with the Trackside Treats concession bar on board
• Open Air: $50 for all ages, rain or shine, roofed cars with open sides from waist to ceiling
• Lunch Class: $110 adults, $105 children, one made-to-order entrée, gratuity not included
• First Class: 21 and older, in the Frostburg Lounge car right behind the locomotive, with hors d'oeuvres and a champagne toast

In the second half of October, Open Air is the class to pick for the mountainsides. WMSR says the class is especially popular with photographers. And since tickets are rain or shine, a cold weekday morning is something to dress for.

Weekends Shrink to Bone Cave and Back

The weekend schedule looks different. The Pumpkin Patch Limited is a one-hour round trip from the historic Western Maryland Railway Station downtown to Bone Cave. Tickets are $14 for any age and include a pumpkin. Before boarding there are games and light refreshments at the station. At the patch, riders pick a pumpkin and stickers to decorate it, and costumes are encouraged.

As of today, these departures still show seats:

1. Saturday, Oct. 17: 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. with one spot left, and 4 p.m.
2. Sunday, Oct. 18: 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. with five spots left, and 4 p.m.
3. Saturday, Oct. 24: 9:30 a.m., noon with six spots left, and 4 p.m.
4. Sunday, Oct. 25: 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For family plans this is the short, cheap ride, and for the price it runs right through nap time. Wheelchairs can be accommodated only in Standard Coach at the Cumberland Depot, 13 Canal Street, and there's no accessible way off the train at Bone Cave. WMSR asks riders to call the ticket office before booking, and says staff will bring a pumpkin to anyone who can't get off.

Steam Is Running in 2026, Mostly on Dates Already Taken

No. 1309 isn't gone. The locomotive missed the 2024 season for planned maintenance. Trains reported that it made test runs on May 8, 2025, with service starting May 9. In a later story, Trains reported that it pulled four Cumberland to Frostburg trips on January 3 and 4, 2026.

WMSR says 1309 is scheduled for the Flyer on most 2026 weekends. The late-October weekends, though, are booked with pumpkin trains, and the October 25 Dome Class seat is the only weekend Flyer seat still listed. If hearing that whistle echo off the Narrows is what you're after, that one listing is the opening left this month.

The railroad's other steam engine, No. 734, is still a long-term project. In January 2025, Trains reported that shop foreman Dan Ferden described a full rebuild and said its return to steam was still years away. Visitors at this year's Maryland Railfest, held September 18 through 20, could see the work on shop tours. The same weekend debuted a new Ridgeley Rocket excursion to Knobmount Yard, the return of GP30 No. 501 after a major rewiring, and caboose No. 1906, restored with Local Development Council funding.

Friday Nights, Then a Quiet Stretch

The two remaining Friday trains are the after-dark options for adults. The Murder Mystery Dinner Train runs October 16 and is booked by phone. The LOL Limited comedy train runs October 23. Neither page posts a fare.

After October 30, the public schedule stops. Halloween shows only a caboose charter, and the next public service on WMSR's page is The Polar Express, from November 20 through December 24, 2026. Visit Maryland's event listing ends it a day earlier, on December 23. The railroad's own page is the one to plan around.

Polar Express fares on WMSR's page start at $40 for Coach and $90 for First Class. Table seating runs $153 for a two-top and $305 for a four-top, and the Paducah Club costs $110 for lounge seating or $375 for a four-top. Each excursion adds a $5 Heritage Fee. Since WMSR says the Flyer runs May through October, the weekday Flyers this month are the last full-line Flyer trips of the 2026 season.

The Frostburg End Has Changed Too

The 90-minute layover now lands you somewhere with more going on across from the depot. According to a profile from Allegany County's Department of Economic and Community Development, Tracks and Yaks, the rail-bike company based at the Frostburg depot, bought the historic Tunnel Hotel across the street. The property has eight rooms and a small campground. The county profile describes a new outdoor deck and a wood-fired pizza oven as underway, and founder Adam Forshee said then that the project was "on pace now to have it done by July 4th."

The same profile says Tracks and Yaks partners with WMSR on combined rail-bike and train trips between Frostburg and Cumberland, which drew more than 5,000 riders the year before. The company also counts county residents as a large share of its customers. "The Allegany County locals are actually one of our largest customer bases," Forshee told the county's economic development office. The profile adds that a winter rail-bike experience called "Mountain Christmas Light Delight," with an illuminated tunnel, brought about 5,000 more visitors to Frostburg in a season that's usually slow.

If you'd like a hand fitting a weekday train ride into a fall that's already full, or you just want to talk through what's changing around Canal Street and the Frostburg depot, Homes by Pamela Terry is happy to help. Pamela keeps up with this corridor's calendar the same way she keeps up with its streets, and she's glad to share what she knows. Work With Pamela.