It took longer than expected, as most rail-trail projects do, but the first segment of the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland is in use and the second segment is well under way.

The first segment, a 5.2-mile section that runs north from Frostburg to the Pennsylvania border, was completed last year.

It's only a round-trip ride of 10 miles, but it's worth the drive to Frostburg, Md., especially if you're biking between Confluence and Meyersdale in Somerset County.

Take Route 40 to Frostburg or get on Interstate 68 and take the first Frostburg exit and follow the signs. Look for Domino's Pizza and go down the road beside it to the old Western Maryland Railway station. Park across from the station or go down the hill to the parking lot on the right.

The scenic trail passes through the Borden Tunnel before ending a few miles later at the Mason-Dixon Line. If, as planned, the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania is completed later this year, bicyclists and other non-motorized users of the trail will be able to continue on 11 miles to Meyersdale by way of the Big Savage Tunnel and the Keystone Viaduct.

There will be a ceremony at the state line when the trail is open to Meyersdale and Bill Atkinson has a way to mark the occasion.

"Maybe we should 'hammer' a golden spoke into the ground," said Atkinson, vice president of the AHTM's board of directors and a regional planner for the Maryland Department of Planning in Cumberland.

Atkinson said the 5.86-mile section of the trail from Frostburg to Woodcock Hollow will be completed later this year. It is closed to the public while under construction. Funding is being sought for the third section, a 9.32-mile segment that will reach Cumberland, Md. Bicyclists can get on the C&O Canal Tow Path in Cumberland and pedal to Washington, D.C.

The Frostburg-to-Cumberland section of the trail parallels the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. The train operates Thursday through Sunday. It departs 11:30 a.m. from the beautifully renovated Cumberland railroad station and arrives in Frostburg about an hour later. It departs at 2 p.m. for the return trip to Cumberland.

The railroad uses a diesel engine on Thursdays and a classic steam locomotive Fridays through Sundays. The cost is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors 60 and older and $11 for children 12 and younger. There is no charge for children on an adult's lap.

Road bikers can park their cars in Frostburg, pedal to Cumberland and return to Frostburg on the train. There is a $5 charge for putting their bikes in the baggage car.

There have been reports that this might be the railroad's final year, primarily because it is expensive to operate. The AHTM's board of directors said it continues to express its "strong and unconditional support" for the railroad.

The board said trail users will become "a new and significant market" for the railroad. For more information on the AHTM, go to www.ahtmtrail.org or call 1-301-777-2161.

And for more information on the railroad, go to www.wmsr.com or call 1-301-759-4400.

Senior winners

Bicyclists from Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania won a number of medals in the 2005 Summer National Senior Games, also known as the Senior Olympics.

In the 50 to 54 age category:

Skip Rogers of Cranberry won a gold in the 5K, 10K and a bronze in the 40K. He came in fourth in the 20K. Debra Cully of Hampton won a silver in the 5K and 10K and a bronze in the 20K. Jody Mulvihill of Tarentum won a bronze in the 10K.

In the 55 to 59 age group:

Edwin Torres of Bethel Park won a gold in the 20K and 40K. Torres, a member of the UPMC Cycling Performance Team, represented Puerto Rico in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.

Chip Kamin of Shadyside, an all-around athlete who had never participated in any "serious" bike races, won the silver in the 20K and 40K. Torres and Kamin teamed up to lead the pack by more than 30 seconds in the 20K. Neither Torres nor Kamin entered the 5K or 10K. Kathy Schreckengost of Erie won a silver in the 10K and a bronze in the 20K.

In the 70 to 74 age group, Joyce Quadri of Erie won gold in the 5K, 10K, 20K and 40K. In the 75 to 79 age category, Margaret Eckenrode of Canonsburg earned a bronze in the 5K, a silver in the 10K.

Rockwood festival

The Eighth Annual Rockwood River and Rails Festival, a celebration of the Somerset County town's heritage as a hub of transportation in the early part of the 20th century, will be today through Sunday.

Jim Shaulis will narrate a Rails and Rocks Tour along the bike trail toward Garrett. The Rockwood Fire Department will serve food all day tomorrow and Sunday. There will be a variety of food and craft vendors, entertainment and exhibits.

Seven Springs will provide shuttle bus service from designated parking areas just outside of Rockwood.

For more information, call 814-926-4236.