Published: March 14, 2009 10:10 pm      

Ticket sales up as scenic railroad gears up for season

CUMBERLAND — Spring is near and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad board is gearing up for the 2009 season.

Barb Buehl, Allegany County tourism director, told board members during their Thursday meeting that the season will officially kick off April 1 with advertising and updated them on events already scheduled.

The board is working with DelFest, scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, to carry entertainers to Frostburg, where they would then perform. The Civil War Railroad Days, set for the last weekend in July, would include re-enactors at the Western Maryland Railway Station giving a living history of everyday life. Buehl also mentioned Canal Fest/Rail Fest is scheduled for the last weekend in September and the train will again participate in Cumberland Goes to War, but for only one weekend.

Buehl discussed possible theme ideas for this season, including a pumpkin train for Halloween, a wine train and a circus train.

“It’s going to be hard,” Buehl said of this year, “but we just have to get on a roll and find out what works. So I think it’s going to be good.”

Frank Fowler, scenic railroad general superintendent, updated the board on February’s financial situation, which showed the railroad was off to a good start.

Ticket sales earned $5,200 revenue. Group sales were also up, bringing in approximately $39,000 in February. But merchandise sales were down, which was to be expected. Fowler said contract work was 7.1 percent above budget, bringing in $22,840, and the railroad still has contracts with three different locations that will help bring more revenue in during the coming months.

“It looks like we’re off to a good start for the first months,” said Ray Morriss, president of the board, “but I think we’ll really see how things go in the next couple months.”

The railroad has changed the group sale credit policy. Instead of a flexible 15 percent deposit within 30 days of booking, the board has elected a 10 percent deposit within the 30 days.

“We decided to make a new policy and enforce it across the board,” Buehl said. “That whole deposit needs to be put down, but it is lowered to 10 percent deposit within that 30 days.”

Buehl said there has only been one objection to the change, but the board agreed that the change was the correct decision.

The next meeting will be April 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the third-floor conference room of the station.

Contact Tess Hill at thill@times-news.com.