Weverton, MD 3/5/2012 - Taken from the public road crossing at Weverton as the train drifts away, a pair of SD-40-2s trail behind 150 loaded coal hoppers on U-827. It is somewhat uncommon to see helpers on an eastbound coal movement coming into Brunswick, MD. The helpers were likely added at Cherry Run to assist the heavy coal train over the grades along North Mountain. A single track "low grade" line splits away from the double track mainline between Cherry Run and West Cumbo (near Martinsburg, WV), and that low grade is usually enough to allow coal trains to make it to Brunswick without assistance. The train is drifting slowly through the Weverton interlocking into the Brunswick yard's number 4 track, where it will tie up before a replacement crew will carry the train--helpers and all--east towards Baltimore. In recent weeks, several HLCX SD-40-2s of various heritages have been seen in the area, to include the leading helper on this train--HLCX 8157.
