Chestertown, MD area - railroad status/history

I went on a roadtrip down 213 into Chestertown, MD this weekend. Going over the C&D canal bridge there looks like an old ROW or tow path along the canal. Is there an old railbed down there?

In Kennedysville there is a live railroad with hoppers parked on sidings. Where does this line come from and terminate? What is the heritage and frequency of use?

In Chestertown there appears to be an ABA track across Morg???Avenue (perpedicualr to High Street). I saw another crossing across High Street with inactivated, highway style bell and flasher signals. Track here looks OOS. Going further toward the water I found the line to be ABA, rail lifted, ties still in the ballast and an old station in town. There's also a business just east of the depot with a red caboose and what looked like 2 green MP54 MU trailers from the RDG or PRR. Looks like the RR at one time went all the way to dockside.

What is the current status and some history of the railroad in this section of Maryland's Eastern shores?

If you go to

http://terraserver-usa.com/

you'll be able to pull up a 1973 topo map of the line running into Chestertown. The history of Delmarva railroading is best covered by John Hayman's "Rails Along the Chesapeake," published in 1979 by Marvadel Publishers.

BlockLine_4111 wrote:In Kennedysville there is a live railroad with hoppers parked on sidings. Where does this line come from and terminate? What is the heritage and frequency of use?

In Chestertown there appears to be an ABA track across Morg???Avenue (perpendicular to High Street). I saw another crossing across High Street with inactivated, highway style bell and flasher signals. Track here looks OOS. Going further toward the water I found the line to be ABA, rail lifted, ties still in the ballast and an old station in town. There's also a business just east of the depot with a red caboose and what looked like 2 green MP54 MU trailers from the RDG or PRR.

The Maryland and Delaware RR, the shortline that I work for, took over this line from PRR/PC/Conrail in the early 1980's, although the state of MD actually owns the track. The line ends for the MDDE now in Worton, MD, not far from Chestertown. There haven't been any rail customers in Chestertown for some time now, although I wish that would change. It would be nice to go in to town near the waterfront (a man can wish).

Anyway, to answer your question, the MDDE picks its freight up in Townsend, DE, and goes west to Worton with it, with a half dozen customers along the way. There is a switch in Massey, with that line going all the way to Centreville. Similarly, no trains go in to the town of Centreville. The last customer is in Carville. The Chestertown line is busier with at least three trips a week during M-F, and that will probably increase as the biggest customer has steadily increased demands for switches. The Centreville line sees about a train a week right now, with more during grain and fertilizer seasons.

I was told by an engineer for the MDDE that back in the day the PRR train would run all the way to Rock Hall to pick up servicemen. Take them where, I don't know, but that must have been an interesting time!

"BlockLine_4111"
I went on a roadtrip down 213 into Chestertown, MD this weekend. Going over the C&D canal bridge there looks like an old ROW or tow path along the canal. Is there an old railbed down there?

The path along side the canal is a hiker biker path maintenance road. It is accessible at several points along the canal. I driven on it. It was never a railroad right of way.

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C & D Canal)

From roadstothefuture.com

According to Rails Along the Chesapeake, I don't think the rails ever made it to Rock Hall. There were plans and aborted attempts to get there and I think they almost made it but think they fell short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ra ... _Peninsula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County_Rail_Road

Discusses original plans of the line from Worton/Parsons/Nicholson to Rock Hall (never reached), then revised plans to Tolchester Beach (never reached as well).