Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway (WB&A), now defunct, was an American
railroad of central Maryland
and Washington, DC built in the 19th and 20th century. The WB&A absorbed two older railroads, the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad
and the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line, and added its own electric streetcar line between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
It was built by a group of Cleveland, Ohio
, electric railway entrepreneur
s to serve as a high-speed, showpiece line using the most advanced technology of the time. It served Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, MD and Annapolis, MD for 27 years, but the Great Depression
and the rise of the automobile
marked the end of the WB&A. Passenger service ceased in 1935 and only the Baltimore & Annapolis portion continued to operate. Parts of the right-of-way
are now used for light rail
, rail trails and roads.
in Washington. After 1910 the line reached the heart of downtown on 15th Street near the Treasury. Additional single-track service ran from Annapolis Junction
on the B&O, crossed the WB&A main line at a spot just east of Odenton, and headed east to Annapolis via Millersville and Crownsville.
The line built by the WB&A, later called the Main Line, ran from Baltimore to Odenton through Bowie, Glenn Dale Hospital, and Glenarden to Fairmont Heights where it met with the Chesapeake Beach Railway
just outside the Washington, D.C., at Chesapeake Junction
. From there, it continued to Deanwood
on the Washington Railway and Electric Company
's Seat Pleasant Line, running parallel to the Chesapeake Beach Railroad tracks and across the Benning Road Bridge into downtown Washington.
Once onto their own right-of-way, the WB&A’s expresses regularly hit 60 mph, but street running in the terminal cities slowed their overall time
. A typical B&O express made the trip in 50 minutes, but the best the WB&A could do was an hour
and 20 minutes. Offsetting these handicaps were its cleanliness, lower fares, half-hourly express service, and better-located downtown
terminals.
along the Main Line.
In September 1917, as the U.S. entered World War I
, George Bishop, the WB&A’s well-connected president, persuaded the U.S. Army to acquire land owned by the railroad and open a training facility. Camp Meade
was established in the area roughly bounded by the B&O Washington Branch on the west, the Pennsylvania Railroad on the east, and the South Shore Line of the WB&A to the south. The installation was supposed to be a temporary facility, used only for the duration of the war (it is still in use today). The WB&A saw record traffic during this time as a result of freight and passenger service to the camp. In 1918, the railroad was running as many as 84 special trains a day.
, the extension of the law failed to pass by one vote and the line went into receivership. The line remained in operation for four more years until operation officially ceased on August 20, 1935. The WB&A was sold at public auction with scrap dealers buying most of the rolling stock. Over time, the rails were hauled away, though by the beginning of World War II some remained and at least one post-War home in the area used old rails in lieu of I-beams. The right of way within Washington, D.C. came under the ownership of Capital Transit Company. At some point after 1945, the tracks in D.C. were removed.
The right of way of the North Shore Line and some equipment was bought by the Bondholders Protective Society, who then formed the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad Company, which continued to operate rail passenger service between Baltimore and Annapolis until 1950 and freight service into the 1970s.
Stations on the South Shore Line (Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad)
Stations on the North Shore Line (Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad of central Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Washington, DC built in the 19th and 20th century. The WB&A absorbed two older railroads, the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad
Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad
The Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad, later the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, once provided rail service to Annapolis, Maryland and was one of the earliest railroads in the U.S. It later merged into the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway and was finally abandoned...
and the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line, and added its own electric streetcar line between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It was built by a group of Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, electric railway entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s to serve as a high-speed, showpiece line using the most advanced technology of the time. It served Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, MD and Annapolis, MD for 27 years, but the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the rise of the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
marked the end of the WB&A. Passenger service ceased in 1935 and only the Baltimore & Annapolis portion continued to operate. Parts of the right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
are now used for light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, rail trails and roads.
Origins
The WB&A was originally incorporated in 1888 as The Potomac and Severn Electric Railway. On April 10, 1900, it changed its name to the Washington and Annapolis Electric Railway and finally, on April 8, 1902, to the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. In 1903 the WB&A purchased the Annapolis, Washington & Baltimore Railroad (AW&B) - formerly the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad - which was closed, electrified and reopened. At the same time an almost straight double-track route was laid out parallel to the B&O and Pennsylvania railroads, but located slightly to the east in less populated territory. On February 7, 1908 service began running from Liberty Street in Baltimore to its terminal at 15th and H Streets NEH Street (Washington, D.C.)
H Street is an east-west street in Washington, D.C.. It is also used as an alternate name for the Near Northeast neighborhood, as H Street is the neighborhood's main commercial strip.-History:...
in Washington. After 1910 the line reached the heart of downtown on 15th Street near the Treasury. Additional single-track service ran from Annapolis Junction
Annapolis Junction, Maryland
Annapolis Junction is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland, United States.-Demographics:The ZIP Code for Annapolis Junction is 20701. 2000 Census for 20701*Population 40*Median age 31.5 years*Single family homes 6...
on the B&O, crossed the WB&A main line at a spot just east of Odenton, and headed east to Annapolis via Millersville and Crownsville.
The line built by the WB&A, later called the Main Line, ran from Baltimore to Odenton through Bowie, Glenn Dale Hospital, and Glenarden to Fairmont Heights where it met with the Chesapeake Beach Railway
Chesapeake Beach Railway
The Chesapeake Beach Railway , now defunct, was an American railroad of southern Maryland and Washington, DC built in the 19th century. The CBR ran 27.629 miles from Washington, D.C. on tracks formerly owned by the Southern Maryland Railroad and then on its own single track through Maryland farm...
just outside the Washington, D.C., at Chesapeake Junction
Seat Pleasant, Maryland
Seat Pleasant is an incorporated city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States immediately east of Washington D.C. The population was 4,885 at the 2000 census. Two state highways run through it — Maryland Route 704 and Maryland Route 214...
. From there, it continued to Deanwood
Deanwood
Deanwood is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., bounded by Eastern Avenue to the northeast, Kenilworth Avenue to the northwest, and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue to the south....
on the Washington Railway and Electric Company
Washington Railway and Electric Company
The Washington Railway and Electric Company was the larger of the two major street railway companies in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, until 1933. At that time, it was merged with its main competitor, the Capital Traction Company, to form the Capital Transit Company...
's Seat Pleasant Line, running parallel to the Chesapeake Beach Railroad tracks and across the Benning Road Bridge into downtown Washington.
Once onto their own right-of-way, the WB&A’s expresses regularly hit 60 mph, but street running in the terminal cities slowed their overall time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
. A typical B&O express made the trip in 50 minutes, but the best the WB&A could do was an hour
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
and 20 minutes. Offsetting these handicaps were its cleanliness, lower fares, half-hourly express service, and better-located downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
terminals.
Business Along the Route
Always looking for new sources of business, the railroad, in 1914, convinced the Southern Maryland Agricultural Fair Association to establish Bowie Race TrackBowie Race Track
The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. Opened October 1, 1914 by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Society, the racetrack was a major attraction in the area, serving the now defunct WB&A Railroad that drew passengers from New York,...
along the Main Line.
In September 1917, as the U.S. entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, George Bishop, the WB&A’s well-connected president, persuaded the U.S. Army to acquire land owned by the railroad and open a training facility. Camp Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...
was established in the area roughly bounded by the B&O Washington Branch on the west, the Pennsylvania Railroad on the east, and the South Shore Line of the WB&A to the south. The installation was supposed to be a temporary facility, used only for the duration of the war (it is still in use today). The WB&A saw record traffic during this time as a result of freight and passenger service to the camp. In 1918, the railroad was running as many as 84 special trains a day.
Expansion
With the business seemingly successful the WB&A purchased the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line in 1921. It became known as the North Shore Line and the Annapolis to Odenton line as the South Shore Line. At this time, the B&A gave up the terminus at Camden Station and started using the WB&A terminal on Liberty Street (between Lexington and Fayette) in Baltimore. Prior to 1921 the WB&A and B&A had run on separate, parallel tracks from Linthicum to Baltimore. But on March 16, 1921, a crossover connected the two parallel tracks at Linthicum, operations ceased on the B&O track, and a new terminal was built at Howard and Lombard Streets. The WB&A now consisted of 81 miles of track and the only practical way to get from Washington, D.C., to Annapolis.Decline
Around the time of the purchase of the ASL, the Defense Highway was built providing an alternative route into Annapolis. As a result gross receipts for the railroad began to decline. The railroad only survived because of a law exempting it from taxes. In January 1931, during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the extension of the law failed to pass by one vote and the line went into receivership. The line remained in operation for four more years until operation officially ceased on August 20, 1935. The WB&A was sold at public auction with scrap dealers buying most of the rolling stock. Over time, the rails were hauled away, though by the beginning of World War II some remained and at least one post-War home in the area used old rails in lieu of I-beams. The right of way within Washington, D.C. came under the ownership of Capital Transit Company. At some point after 1945, the tracks in D.C. were removed.
The right of way of the North Shore Line and some equipment was bought by the Bondholders Protective Society, who then formed the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad Company, which continued to operate rail passenger service between Baltimore and Annapolis until 1950 and freight service into the 1970s.
Accidents
On June 5, 1908, two of WB&A's single-car trains collided at Camp Parole, Maryland. Nine people died as a result of the crash, including Railroad Policeman J.G. Schriner. The trains were ferrying riders to and from the United States Naval Academy for graduation ceremonies at the time of the accident.Stations on the Main Line
- Baltimore
- WestportWestport, BaltimoreWestport is a neighborhood in south Baltimore, Maryland. It borders the Middle Branch River on the east, Cherry Hill and Lansdowne to the south, Hollins Ferry Road to the west, and Interstate 95 to the north...
- English Consul (Magnolia Avenue)
- RosemontRosemont, MarylandRosemont is a village in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 273 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosemont is located at ....
- Baltimore Highlands (between Georgia and Illinois Avenues, across from the Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line Railroad station)
- PumphreyPumphrey, MarylandPumphrey is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,317 at the 2000 census.-History:According to the 1878 survey of Anne Arundel County prepared by G. M...
- North Linthicum
- LinthicumLinthicum, MarylandLinthicum is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,539 at the 2000 census. It is the approximate location of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport...
: Junction with North Shore LineBaltimore and Annapolis RailroadThe Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad, now defunct, was an American railroad of central Maryland built in the 19th century. The railroad, the second to serve Annapolis, ran between Annapolis and Clifford along the north shore of the Severn River... - Downs
- Wellham
- Kelly
- McPherson (WB&A Rd)
- Elmhurst
- Delmont
- Clark
- Severn Run
- Naval Academy: Junction with South Shore LineAnnapolis and Elk Ridge RailroadThe Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad, later the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, once provided rail service to Annapolis, Maryland and was one of the earliest railroads in the U.S. It later merged into the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway and was finally abandoned...
- Waugh Chapel (Waugh Chapel Rd)
- Francis
- Bragers (Bragers Rd)
- Conway (Conway Rd)
- Meyers (Meyers Station Rd)
- BowieBowie, MarylandBowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
- Lloyd
- High Bridge
- Hillmeade
- Bell
- Randle
- Lincoln
- Vista
- Cherry Grove
- McCarthy
- Ardmore
- Glenarden
- Dodge Park
- East Columbia Park
- Huntsville
- Gregory
- District Line where the WB&A entered Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and the trains transferred to tracks interior to the city line. - White House Station at 15th St and H St, NE
- 1st and H St, NE
- Treasury Building
Stations on the South Shore Line (Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad)
Stations on the North Shore Line (Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad)
Surviving Landmarks
- The WB&A Terminal in Baltimore, now a bank at North Liberty Street and Marion Street
- The Scott Street substation on the NE corner of Scott and Ostend Streets
- The Westport tunnel, its southern portal is visible just north of the B-W Parkway's Annapolis Road exit.
- The Hunt Valley-Glen Burnie line of Baltimore's light rail system uses the rail's right-of-way from Baltimore Highlands through North Linthicum to a point north of Maple Road and again from south of Linthicum to BWI AirportBaltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall AirportBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is an international airport serving the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. It is commonly called BWI, BWI Airport or BWI Marshall, BWI being an initialism for "Baltimore/Washington International" and the...
(at other times it uses the Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad's parallel right-of-way). - Linthicum railroad station
- WB&A Boulevard in SevernSevern, MarylandSevern is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 35,076 at the 2000 census, which is a 30 percent increase over the 24,499 population of 1990...
was built on the right-of-way. - A section of Railroad track exists in Odenton, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
starting from a location inside Crossroads Business Park and crossing Maryland Route 175Maryland Route 175-Annapolis Road:MD 175 begins at MD 3, just south of the latter's northern terminus at Interstate 97, known as Annapolis Road. It runs west as a two-lane suburban highway, passing through local neighborhoods and south of Arundel High School before widening into a four-lane suburban arterial south...
as a railroad crossing. The tracks turn right and cross Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170 is a roughly 13-mile-long road in Anne Arundel County.-Route description:MD 170 begins at the intersection of MD 175 Annapolis Road and Piney Orchard Parkway, in Odenton. It runs north towards Severn, interchanging with MD 32 northwest of the town...
as another railroad crossing. The track continues and merges onto Amtrak'sAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Northeast CorridorNortheast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
which, at the time was part of Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. - At the northeast corner of the location where the track listed above crosses Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170 is a roughly 13-mile-long road in Anne Arundel County.-Route description:MD 170 begins at the intersection of MD 175 Annapolis Road and Piney Orchard Parkway, in Odenton. It runs north towards Severn, interchanging with MD 32 northwest of the town...
(Telegraph Road) is a brick building that once housed the WB&A operations headquarters. The Baltimore-Washington main line and Fort Meade-Annapolis (South Shore) branch crossed at this location, known as "Naval Academy Junction." The interlocking tower that controlled this crossing comprised the second floor. Commercial office tenants occupy the building today. - The "Naval Academy Junction" shops were located approximately one mile north of "Naval Academy Junction," on the east side of Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170 is a roughly 13-mile-long road in Anne Arundel County.-Route description:MD 170 begins at the intersection of MD 175 Annapolis Road and Piney Orchard Parkway, in Odenton. It runs north towards Severn, interchanging with MD 32 northwest of the town...
. The brick shop buildings have been subsumed into a larger building complex that has housed a number of manufacturing companies, including Nevamar Plastics. The electrical power plant for this section of the WB&A overhead still stands, and is visible from Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170Maryland Route 170 is a roughly 13-mile-long road in Anne Arundel County.-Route description:MD 170 begins at the intersection of MD 175 Annapolis Road and Piney Orchard Parkway, in Odenton. It runs north towards Severn, interchanging with MD 32 northwest of the town...
. - Two portions of the WB&A TrailWashington, Baltimore and Annapolis TrailThe Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail is a long discontinuous rail trail from Lanham to Odenton in Maryland. Despite its name, it does not actually connect with Washington, D.C., Annapolis or Baltimore; its name is taken from the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway, from...
, one in and around OdentonOdenton, MarylandOdenton is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,534 at the 2000 census. The town is named after former Governor of Maryland, Oden Bowie. It is bordered by Gambrills to the east, Severn to the north, Fort Meade to the west, and Crofton to...
and another 5.8-mile section from the Patuxent RiverPatuxent RiverThe Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
to Glenn Dale run on the old right-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
of the Main Line. Anne Arundel County plans to connect those trails in the next few years. - The Race Track Spur, connecting the Penn line at Lemons Bridge to the WB&A and to the Bowie Race Track, now serves as an ATV trail
- Martin Luther King Jr. Highway was built on the right-of-way.
- A freight motor, Washington Baltimore & Annapolis #1, is maintained at the Western Railway MuseumWestern Railway MuseumThe Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of theSacramento Northern Railway...
in Rio Vista, CaliforniaRio Vista, CaliforniaRio Vista is a city located in the eastern end of Solano County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento River Delta region. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census....
.