Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160
Encyclopedia
Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 is a historic section of the Western Maryland Railway
in Allegany County, Maryland
and in Morgan County, West Virginia
. It is an abandoned 34 miles (54.7 km) section of the right-of-way between milepost 126 at the intersection of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
(C&O) and Long Ridge Road, Woodmont
, and milepost 160 just west of Maryland Route 51
, North Branch
. It closely parallels the Potomac River
and the C&O Canal running along the north bank of the river. Seven miles of the right-of-way are in West Virginia near Paw Paw
, and include tunnels through three mountainous intervening fingers of land on the Maryland side. (See Indigo Tunnel
, Kessler Tunnel
, Stickpile Tunnel
.)
The Western Maryland completed construction and opened the rail line for traffic between Hagerstown
and Cumberland
in 1906. The track and most ties were removed in 1975 shortly after the line's abandonment.
The National Park Service
acquired the property in 1980 for the C&O Canal National Historical Park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981. Towns it is listed in include North Branch
and Woodmont, Maryland
, and Jerome, West Virginia
.
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
in Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...
and in Morgan County, West Virginia
Morgan County, West Virginia
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, it's population was 17,541. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. It is an abandoned 34 miles (54.7 km) section of the right-of-way between milepost 126 at the intersection of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
(C&O) and Long Ridge Road, Woodmont
Woodmont, Washington County, Maryland
Woodmont is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
, and milepost 160 just west of Maryland Route 51
Maryland Route 51
Maryland Route 51 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Oldtown Road, the state highway runs from an interchange with Interstate 68 in Cumberland east to the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River, where the highway continues east as West...
, North Branch
North Branch, Maryland
North Branch is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. The Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981....
. It closely parallels the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and the C&O Canal running along the north bank of the river. Seven miles of the right-of-way are in West Virginia near Paw Paw
Paw Paw, West Virginia
Paw Paw is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 524 at the 2000 census. The town is known for the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel. Paw Paw was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Morgan County on April 8, 1891 and named for the pawpaw, a wild fruit which formerly grew in...
, and include tunnels through three mountainous intervening fingers of land on the Maryland side. (See Indigo Tunnel
Indigo Tunnel
Indigo Tunnel is an abandoned railroad tunnel in Allegany County, Maryland, located about east of Little Orleans. Built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1904, Indigo was the company's longest tunnel. It was part of a major WM project to extend its rail system from Hagerstown west to Cumberland...
, Kessler Tunnel
Kessler Tunnel
Kessler Tunnel is an abandoned railroad tunnel in Allegany County, Maryland, located about east-northeast of Oldtown. It was built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1906. It was constructed with concrete arch portals and the roof has wood planking...
, Stickpile Tunnel
Stickpile Tunnel
Stickpile Tunnel, also known as Greenridge Tunnel, is an abandoned railroad tunnel in Allegany County, Maryland, located about southwest of Little Orleans. It was built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1906...
.)
The Western Maryland completed construction and opened the rail line for traffic between Hagerstown
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
and Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
in 1906. The track and most ties were removed in 1975 shortly after the line's abandonment.
The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
acquired the property in 1980 for the C&O Canal National Historical Park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1981. Towns it is listed in include North Branch
North Branch, Maryland
North Branch is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. The Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981....
and Woodmont, Maryland
Woodmont, Washington County, Maryland
Woodmont is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
, and Jerome, West Virginia
Jerome, West Virginia
Jerome is an uninhabited community along the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad main line in Morgan County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located entirely within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Potomac River...
.
External links
- Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160, Allegany County, including photo from 1981, at Maryland Historical Trust