WESTERN MARYLAND

RAILROAD BRIDGE &

TUNNEL PHOTO

UPDATE

I have some more information about the photo I uploaded a few days ago to "Robert's Photos" at www.RobertDyer.net.

Using a map in the newest issue of Trains magazine, I have a better idea of what the 2 tracks are in this photo. I believe the upper track is the former WM route from Hagerstown to Baltimore, now owned by CSX. This is the track that WM engine 202 (see my Hagerstown Railroad Museum photo set for shots of train 202) traveled daily for 40 years.

The lower track may be former WM (now also CSX) route from Hagerstown to Brunswick, MD.

According to Trains magazine, in 1973 these routes were owned by the Chessie System. (C&O bought B&O, then became Chessie System, and later CSX). The Baltimore route passes through Emory Grove, MD, and carried 1-4.9 million gross tons in 1973. It operated under Centralized Traffic Control in that year, and had a fork going to Hanover and York, PA.

The Brunswick route carried less than 1 million gross tons of traffic in 1973. It was classified as "Dark Territory," in terms of train control.

Fascinating information, but I still may have it all wrong if those aren't the routes in my photo. So post a comment on that photo if you know what we're looking at in City Park in downtown Hagerstown.