Del-Mar-Va Express

Hey everyone I have a question. When did the Pennsylvania stop running its Del-Mar-Va Express? Did this train stop in Dover? And before its cancellation, was it the last passenger train to serve Dover?

Thanks

Last run of the DEL-MAR-VA express was on January 11, 1958 from Cape Charles to Philadelphia. After that all passenger service south of Delmar was eliminated. The loss of the RPO contract was the end of this train. The train made all stops up the line including Dover.

Service from Delmar north ended on May 11, 1965.Then the state funded the Blue Diamond.
The Blue Diamond was a 6 month experiment that ended on December 31, 1965. After this nothing.

The Delmar station was demolished in 1957, after the railroad attempted to give it to the town for $1.00, the town refused. and service car service shops were torn down in Delmar by 1968, the K4 engine house still stood up into the 80's.

I live in Delmar and it was a darn shame the town declined the offer. Today, they're very disapointed of themselves. Where the station was, there is now a small railroad museum.

So, speaking of the Delmarva Peninsula: What power was employed by Pennsy on those lines? I noticed in the above post a K4 shed. What did the passenger line employ and what was the consist like? What diesel did they use? What steam? I'm going to model this line from the 50's to early 60's—any help would be appreciated.

I occasionally go the Chestertown, Maryland with my parents who live in St. Michaels. In a park by the old depot there are two old passenger cars (see picture) that I’ve wondered if they once road the line. My father told me back in the Mid-Fifties he use to pick up family friends or business associates at the train station in Salisbury. He recalled that the service and the rolling stock left a lot to be desired.

(Photo courtesy D. Hammond)

chnhrr wrote:I occasionally go the Chestertown, Maryland. In a park by the old depot there are two old passenger cars that I’ve wondered if they once road the line.

I think that "once" is the correct word, as they are Philadelphia area Reading Company Multiple Unit electric commuter cars, and Chesterton was a station on the Pennsylvania Railroad, a bitter rival!

Yes you’re right; those cars have a suburban look to them. Still I would be interested on seeing what the passenger trains looked like on Delmarva in the 1950’s. I haven’t come across anything yet. The Pennsylvania RR might have used railcars/doodlebugs at that point in time.

I don’t know how those Reading cars ended up in Chestertown. Maybe they are from a defunct excursion line.

You may want to check out the book "Eastern Shore Railroad" by Chris Dickon, available from Arcadia Publishing. The Pennsy had quite an impressive plant on Maryland's Eastern Shore. A late uncle told me of regularly travelling between Norfolk, VA and Brooklyn, NY via the PRR in the late 1940's/early 1950's when he was in the Navy.

http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/me ... ange_high=

Thanks Aa3rt

I just found out that Morning Sun Books also has a book on the line, but mostly in the 1960's.