Visit the WSRR Museum
Please stop by and visit the Walkersville Southern Railroad Museum while you're here to ride the train. It is located
across the street and on the other side of the tracks from the passenger station, in the large brick building.
Visitors to the museum will be treated to many educational displays and an operating model railroad (HO scale) known
as the "Monocacy Valley Railroad." George Wireman, who is the Senior Conductor of the Walkersville Southern Railroad, built
the layout. If you look closely, you will notice that one of the trains running on the layout is an authentic model of the
WSRR excursion train.
New to the museum is the Childrens' Corner, featuring a wooden train shelf layout where younger visitors can get hands-on
railroading time making up and running Thomas the Tank Engine and other trains over the rails. Also in the corner, are train
books and craft activities for children of all ages.
In another area of the Museum, visitors will be able to view artifacts and documents of the PRR Frederick Secondary on loan
from long time Track Foreman Leslie Lind. Also on display are a 1903 locomotive demonstrator and the front of a Baldwin
Switcher locomotive from the 1940's and the very unusual looking velocipede, which was built in the late 1800's.
The museum is very active in preserving, archiving and displaying historical data, photographs and multimedia on the WSRR
and predecessor and local railroads. Audio/Video and photographic displays and historical albums provide a variety of
information to the museum visitor. Individuals with specific research needs are encouraged to contact the museum director.
Some historical background is available from Engelbrecht's Diary, which states, "Thursday 29, 1869. Frederick and Pennsylvania
Railroad broke ground for the Frederick and Pennsylvania line near Woodsboro." With the arrival of the Frederick and Pennsylvania
Railroad in 1872 new prosperity was brought to the area, hauling farmers' supplies in and farm produce out. With this new
prosperity, the town of Walkersville became incorporated in 1892. By the early 20th century the area grew into an industrial
center that included a cannery, an ice factory, a bakery and a clothing factory.
The brick building that houses the museum was part of the Glade Valley Milling Co. property. This building was the Ice Plant
and had freezer lockers for people to store their food. They also produced ice that was delivered around town. When the Frederick
and Pennsylvania Railroad cut back on their freight operations, it brought about the demise of this busy industrial center. The
brick building located down the lane from the Museum was the old Cannery.