BALTIMORE AND OHIO

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE TO BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

This page will cover the former Baltimore and Ohio mainline from the Wilmington, Delaware yard to the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland.

Beginning at the east end of the Willsmere yard, more specifically Elsmere Junction.  The former Reading Company branch down from Reading, PA crossed the B & O here on its way to downtown Wilmington.  The is/was a diamond crossing here and a tower at one time.  The Reading line was commonly known as the Wilmington and Northern. 

  We left off from the previous page with train number 90 arriving at the east end of the yard.  Here, the engineer is waiting on instructions from the dispatcher and waiting for a signal.

  The 4143 has made some set-outs and is now putting his train back together.

  With a thunderous roar, this pair of EMD's accelerates eastbound toward Philadelphia.  Note the track and the small signal on the right.  This was the interchange track used by the Reading to reach the B & O yard.  The junction is just behind the bridge.  For anyone interested, click here to view the Reading W & N page.

  A few interesting things are in this shot.  Aside from the C & O SD40, you can see the actual diamonds.  This series of photos was taken on August 28, 1976.  Conrail was in its infancy, but judging by the rust on the former Reading track, it appears like this line was an early casualty.  Also note what appears to be another connecting track in the far right.  That hopper is on a siding, but it appears that there is plenty of room there for another connection.  My thanks to my good friend Gary Madden for this shot.  The highway is four lanes and there was no way of getting to both sides of the bridge to get this going away shot.  The crossing makes this shot worth the effort.

  4109 makes a stop in the yard with train number 87.  July 25, 1976.

     In early CSX days, this mixed bag of power works the yard with train number 377.  April 2, 1989.
  Those green units lettered for the D & H are former Reading GP39's.

  This neat little building at the very west end of the yard was known as "WJ" cabin.  1989.

    Train 87 has left the yard on the way to Baltimore and flying through the town of Ogletown, Delaware.

  The B & O office/station at Newark, DE.  Newark here is pronounced New-Ark, unlike Newark, NJ.

  The B & O GP40 painted up in gold for EMD's 50th anniversary powers an excursion through Elk Mills, Maryland.  4-30-1983.

GP40-2 4249 brings a pike size trailer train east through Cherry Hill, MD on October 12, 1980.  This is the background
image for this particular page. 

  SD40-2 7618 and a GP9 are waiting at the end of the Perryville, MD siding for a local before returning lite back to Baltimore.  They brought a hopper train to the Conrail interchange.

  Here is the local with four cars and a caboose pulled by a rather elderly GP7, 5614.  October 24, 1980.

  A view at sunrise on a chilly December morning of the old concrete marker for the massive Susquehanna bridge.  12-28-1975.

    GP38 3816 leads an eastbound over the very long bridge on November 21, 1976.

  A few years later in 1981, 4314 is also eastbound coming off the bridge.  This is the Perryville, MD side.

     A C & O SD40 and an older GP40 bring an eastbound down the steep grade and out onto the bridge
on February 28, 1976.

  GP 40 4024 brings another eastbound down the hill and over one of the highway crossings leading from I-95 to the town
of Havre De Grace, MD.  This town is pronounced Haver-Dee-Graw.  July 18, 1976.

  The B & O depot in Aberdeen, MD on October 24, 1980. 

  An out-of-service old roundtop B & O box sits by the station. 

  A heavy eastbound with WM lettered GP40-2 4364 leading passes the station.

  Here are 6509 and 7618 bringing that empty hopper train to the Conrail interchange.  10-24-80.

There are a number of other interesting locations along the B & O main, but as luck would have it, no trains came along during any of my visits.

  GP9 6486 with just a caboose passes through Bayview Jct. on the east side of Baltimore.  Baltimore was the B & O's home town and its lines spread throughout the city like a spider web.  The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Western Maryland were here as well, but it was very much a B & O town.  Being a very industrial city made for a lot of revenue traffic.

    A modest engine servicing facility was here to avoid having to run the engines around town and through the Howard Street tunnel to reach the main service area on the south side of town.

  These little SW-1's were well suited to the Baltimore area terminal trackage.  With many tight curves into industrial sidings,
these units served their purpose well.  August 28, 1976.

  GP40 3732 is eastbound having come around the downtown area and has now arrived at Bayview yard. 2-7-1977.

  An early CSX re-painted GP40 at Bayview on October 3, 1992.

The next page will cover the entire Baltimore area and will be rather extensive.

Back to the B & O home page, click here.