Delmarva's Queen Anne's/Balto, Chesapeake & Atlantic etc

Hi all

New to the Forum, transplant to Delmarva from the western shore and Baltimore. NOT new to railfanning, field researching and preservation, modelling and all that fun. At one point in Dundalk I had quite the scanner bank/antenna farm for monitoring East Balto Class One and Shortline ops. Have always been a big Ma and Pa fan as I have family from Bel Air and spent many days wandering around the old ROW and exploring.

I live in Centreville now and commute pass (over the Bay Bridge every day) the remnants of the Queen Anne's/Baltimore Eastern/Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic RR ROW (and its associated fallen flags to Denton and beyond) that ran from Love Point to Ocean City. With the aid of books and maps and the 'net I've been tracing the remnants of this line...cuts, ties, rails and ROW boxes, trestles and all that. Been doing the same for the active Maryland & Delaware line from Centreville downtown to Masseys, Chestertown, Townsend etc too.

I wanted to see if anyone else here has done any of this and/or has any info or resources to share. I've been quite surprised at some of the rail and interchange remaining around Queen Anne and the picturesque trestles...I know the line to Cordova/Easton is slated as a possible Rails-to-Trails...what a waste. Seems a prime opportunity for some clearing and historic interpretation. I'd spent several days helping clear and maintain ROW at the Ma and Pa Preservation Society at Muddy Forks some years back...distance from Balto keep me from working more often...I'm handy w/a chain saw, herbicide apps and all that and like the outdoor work.

Along those lines I'm hoping to get involved in some hands-on Group or enthusiasts for some restoration/preservation work. Don't know if anyone around here is involved in any projects...

Anyway, nice reading and learning from the Forum; hope to cross paths or get some direction here.

Pat

I was surprised when I read about how many rail lines were actually built on Delmarva, and how many were abandoned. Documenting the current status of any of these lines would take a lot of work. I snap a few pics here and there, but that's about it.

Here's a link to a study from the State of Delaware about rail-to-trail possibilities from a few years ago. It gives a quick overview of some of the ROWs in the state.
http://www.deldot.gov/information/proje ... _toc.shtml

There's a group in Parksley, VA that maintains a small outdoor museum with a few railcars and a station, but that's 125mi south of where you're at.
There's also a tourist/historic railroad trying to startup in Dorchester county on the old BC&A trackage. I don't know if its going to be anything like the Catskill Mountain Railroad, but I'd assume they'll eventually need some sort of volunteer support.

Thats about all I know about, can anyone else add?

Thanks for the link aa!

Maryland and Delaware RR no longer uses the Centreville Branch beyond Tidewater Publishing (I thing TP are no longer are served or customers due to recent sale) or even Carville Station beyond Southern States. Southern States and the adjoining Cargill still get regular service...beyond that the track is used as car storage at Tidewater for the return trips to Masseys.

Some of the rails in the Centreville Yard in Town limits have been removed as well and there has been (misguided IMHO) talk (in Town) of this end-of-line being converted to a trail if abandoned. This is a huge opportunity for a Friends of the Md and Delaware or other enthusiast group to step in! If only...!

I think THIS would be a HUGE mistake and loss (short and long term) for the Town and region and I wish there was some way to preserve this somehow for historic interpretation, RR-related activity and unique operating features for tourism (even just speeders or the like)...especially now while the rail and ROW is still in relatively good condition. Someone still applies herbicide annually to the ROW so I assume its still MDe since it has not been abandoned yet. The Town of Centreville is looking for things like this, Rail Heritage, to make the town unique and keep the small old town atmosphere and attract people.

Like I said, I am playing catch-up somewhat here on Delmarva railfan-wise and maybe I am the misguided one...or maybe not. I have heard of the Hurlock to Preston enthusiast group and am following this closely. Maybe MDe needs some help keeping the unused yard and end of line in Centreville from becoming an eyesore and folks wanting to toss it? Who knows...

PKelly wrote: Maryland and Delaware RR no longer uses the Centreville Branch beyond Tidewater Publishing (I thing TP are no longer are served or customers due to recent sale) or even Carville Station beyond Southern States. Southern States and the adjoining Cargill still get regular service...beyond that the track is used as car storage at Tidewater for the return trips to Massey.

Some of the rails in the Centreville Yard in Town limits have been removed as well and there has been (misguided IMHO) talk (in Town) of this end-of-line being converted to a trail if abandoned. This is a huge opportunity for a Friends of the Md and Delaware or other enthusiast group to step in! If only...!

I think THIS would be a HUGE mistake and loss (short and long term) for the Town and region and I wish there was some way to preserve this somehow for historic interpretation, RR-related activity and unique operating features for tourism (even just speeders or the like)...especially now while the rail and ROW is still in relatively good condition. Someone still applies herbicide annually to the ROW so I assume its still MDe since it has not been abandoned yet. The Town of Centreville is looking for things like this, Rail Heritage, to make the town unique and keep the small old town atmosphere and attract people.

Like I said, I am playing catch-up somewhat here on Delmarva railfan-wise and maybe I am the misguided one...or maybe not. I have heard of the Hurlock to Preston enthusiast group and am following this closely. Maybe MDe needs some help keeping the unused yard and end of line in Centreville from becoming an eyesore and folks wanting to toss it? Who knows...

Hi there. I am relatively new to this forum and don't check in here too often. I work for the MDDE as a conductor on the Massey and Federalsburg routes and also live in Centreville. You are correct, Tidewater does not currently receive or route cars out of there. The spur is maintained just in case. We still own the boxcars that they had used. Two of which have been used as spacers up north here recently. There is a runaround right next to Tidewater which is as far as we go. During grain season, the RR may park extra empties down this line past the runaround. It all depends on the needs of Perdue.

I too would like to bring the locomotive in to town as close as possible, but there simply is little reason without any customers. I think it could be good PR for the RR. I have dreamed of parking the locomotive next to the high school and ringing the 5 chime should a touchdown be scored! Nothing like the real thing.

Let me make it clear that the RR does not own the track. The state of Maryland owns it. The RR maintains it to the best of its abilities. We clear the line of downed trees frequently. There has been talk of the rails being pulled up west of the first farmer's crossing west of the runaround. Time (and taxpayer money) will tell.

Thanks for posting RG. When we moved here in Town ~ 8-9 years ago the railroad sometimes brought a loco into Town for special events...Santa, July 4th etc...no rides (I know insurance and all that!) just kids see the train...I remember hearing the horn and running around the corner to see the old red GP. It also ran "one"! loaded covered hopper in spring that someone discharged lime or something similiar ag...the last customer in Town I guess. I wish they could still run something into Town (but I know the RR is a business), and the Town/RR/State (whoever) take advantage of the remaining RR infrastructure as part of its heritage, maayyybbee some touristy-type stuff like they do at Sudlersville up the line ...they are trying like heck to build attraction such as this with the Wharf project etc. Properly maintained (if nothing else just keep the area tidy...I know they still do weed control up to there but there's a bit more that could be done) the old yard and ROW building at Railroad Ave could be an asset to Town vs an eyesore and signal of decay and folks in town with chronic no foresight ripping everything up and putting in a trail (!!?)...the new bank there was build in a rr station motif so its a natural for a bit more TLC at the end of the line. Just thinking off the top of my head ya know...its nice to wish I used to do some rr volunteering up at the preserved Ma and Pa section in Muddy Creek Forks and helped replace ties, clear storm damage (trees, limbs) etc along the RoW so its just something I see some potential somehow or regardless how small scale of in effort for Town. I sometime hike down the ROW from Town to just short of Tidewater...its very relaxing and a walk back in time...and like the Town's motto, maybe a future too.

Thanks again for posting.

Pat in Town @ Centreville Heights

As someone who has been going down to DelMarVa on vacation for 29 of my 35 years, I'd love to see more rail freight service on the Peninsula, be it DCL, MDDE, NS or BC. Not only do I want to see these lines prosper, but I want to see much less truck traffic on the I-95, 13, 113 and Coastal Highway.

Spartan Phalanx wrote:As someone who has been going down to DelMarVa on vacation for 29 of my 35 years, I'd love to see more rail freight service on the Peninsula, be it DCL, MDDE, NS or BC. Not only do I want to see these lines prosper, but I want to see much less truck traffic on the I-95, 13, 113 and Coastal Highway.

With diesel costing +/- $4 a gallon these days, you may just get what you wish for! Railroading is still an extremely economical and viable alternative to trucking (just don't mention it to the truckers and/or their unions).

We're all familiar with Rt 50 being nickname The Ocean Gateway. During my research and learning about the railroad from Love Point (originally Queenstown Harbor...passengers originating by steamboat on the Bay's western shore/Baltimore) connections to the Delaware Coast, and later to Ocean City it was ironic that railroads were the Original Ocean Gateway. This is something I ponder every day as I commute from Annapolis to Centreville, parallel to a good stretch of abandoned but still intact ROW along Rt 50 from the Bay Bridge to Queenstown (and beyond!).

"PKelly"
We're all familiar with Rt 50 being nickname The Ocean Gateway.

Actually it not a nickname, MD US-50 between eastern shore of the bay on Kent Island to Ocean City is officially known as Ocean Gateway. I used to rent a house on MD US-50, the mailing address was Ocean Gateway. The only section not called Ocean Gateway is the section of MD US-50 in Cambridge, in Cambridge it is named Sunburst Highway. Business MD US-50 through Salisbury is named Salisbury Parkway.

I guess I shoulda known that. I've only been riding the danged thing for 40+ years and now live next to it so there's no excuses!:P

Guess I didn't realize it was in stone. One day it'll become the William Donald Schaefer Ocean Gateway...in English

"PKelly"
One day it'll become the William Donald Schaefer Ocean Gateway...in English.

Even though Donald Schaefer is largely responsible for getting the last remaining segments of US-50 on the Eastern Shore upgraded to 4 lanes and converting the segment between the William Preston Lane Bridge and Queenstown from a surface arterial to a controlled access freeway it not likely that his name will be attached to the road. People over here on the Eastern Shore have a long memory. Donald Schaefer once made the following remark to an Eastern Shore lawmaker in the winter of 1991 "How's that shithouse of an Eastern Shore".