
1962-1968 was my peak railfanning period; I was enrolled in a parochial school that sat less than 100 yards from the WM's "Old Mainline" here in town. Nearly all of the trains were westbound, as the eastbounds typically ran over the "Dutch Line" from Highfield to Glyndon along the southern edge of Pennsylvania. Consists were either mixed freights out of Baltimore or really long strings of empty hoppers heading back to the West Virginia or western Pennsylvania coal fields. Nearly always EMDs up front with RS-3's shoving from the back. Parr's Ridge was the highest elevation to be overcome between Baltimore and Catoctin, so we usually got a pretty good show as they crested the ridge right next to the school building.
Anyway, seeing stuff in the "Circus" scheme was a rarity as it didn't get introduced until the end of the 1960s. More typically, F7s and GP9s in chalky black paint, "Speed-Lettered"; I don't recall ever seeing anything with a "Fireball" on it. The other thing frequently heard is that the WM kept their gear in pristine condition, a notion I would refute. Most of the equipment we saw was drop-dead filthy, and Sarge's caboose is a good look.
A nice model to my eye, one that brings back a few memories.