Southern Maryland Railroad

[Hessian]

The rail line was a failure: No tracks were ever laid: All the prep work was done to get the line to extend to Drum point but the tracks stopped up in Anne Arundel county. Driving up RT 2 north of Sunderland up through Friendship: In winter you can still see the cuts and fills -still waiting for the tracks to be laid.

Another RR remnant is along side RT 2/4 south of PF in the Pine grove where the garden stand is.

[acrcar23]

I use to live in the white house near the hughesville marker, if you look around good enough you can find some railroad rocks (what we call them). I would have kept some if I knew the history.

[Aa3rt]

Originally Posted by CableChick

the southern maryland railroad was chartered in june 1900 and operated until 1914 when it was acquired by the washington, potomac & chesapeake, which itself became the washington, brandywine & pt. lookout in august 1918, and was nationalized that same year (world war I) by the federal government. it remained under federal control until july 1942, when it was abandoned.

I hate to dispute you, this being my first post here, but the history of the line dates to just after the War Between the States. The Southern Maryland Railroad was incorporated in 1868 with construction beginning a short time later. Construction was begun in Brandywine (connecting with the, at that time, Baltimore & Potomac Railroad) and was built in a southeasterly direction with the intention of going all the way to Point Lookout. The line went into its first of many bankruptcies in 1886 and emerged as the Washington & Potomac Railroad. The line only ever ran as far south as Mechanicsville (sometimes listed as "Forrest Hall")*. In 1901, the line went through another bankruptcy and emerged as the Washington, Potomac & Chesapeake Railway. At the end of 1917 the line again found itself in bankruptcy and was very nearly scrapped due to the high price of scrap metal during WW1. However, farmers in the area were able to purchase the line from a salvage firm and in June of 1918 the line began running again, this time under the name of the Washington, Brandywine & Point Lookout Railroad.

In the 1930's, revenues were dropping due to increased competition from the automobile and the line probably would have been gone for good except for the intervention of WW2.

*In June of 1942, the US Navy took over the line and extended it to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. As late as the mid-1950's the Navy was still operating the line. In fact, the Navy operated an "accomodation" train that connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Brandywine until the PRR stopped passenger trains on the Pope's Creek Line in 1949. In the late 1950s/early 1960s, operation of trains on the line was turned over to the PRR. One of the primary products on the line was aviation fuel taken to the base. However, that started coming in by barge and the importance of the line dwindled. The PRR operated an occasional train to the base into the late 1960s. When train operation ceased, the line was offered for sale by the GSA but there were no takers and the line was scrapped in the mid-1970's.

The Pax River website used to have a photo of a U. S. Navy 0-6-0T steam switch engine-haven't been to the website recently, so I don't know if its still there.

The "converted truck" mentioned by Railroad was actually a gasoline powered locomotive built by the FWD (Four Wheel Drive) Corporation, based on a WW1 truck chassis.

Part of this line is still used for the trackage that runs from Brandywine to the Chalk Point Generating station.

A good website for the line that still runs to the Chalk Point and Morgantown (Charles County) generating stations can be found here:

Popes Creek Sub website

Check out the "History" section for more on the WB&Pt.L.

A couple of obscure references, if you can find them:

"Farmers' Railroad" by Frank Donovan, Jr., Railroad Magazine, March 1939
"Brake shoes aweigh!" by E. John Long, Trains Magazine, March 1953

Another article I have about self-propelled railcars shows that the WB&PtL had two such cars-the first the aforementioned FWD car, listed as having a Wisconsin 62HP gas engine, weighing in at 9 tons, with a length of 22' 2". The car/loco had 5 windows, with a capacity for 15 passengers and a baggage compartment.

The second was a Brill-White car with a 4 cylinder gas engine, with a length of 18' 9", having a capacity for 20 passengers.

I also have a copy of a builders photo of a steam locomotive lettered "Washington, Brandywine & Pt. Lookout, No. 5". The locomotive has a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1924 (construction# 58005). The locomotive had a 52" diameter boiler, 15"x20" cylinders and driving wheels 42" in diameter. The locomotive has an odd look, appearing to sit up high on such short diameter drivers.
It was sold in 1938 to the Housatonic Tunnel and Wilmington and scrapped in 1949.

For a history of the Chesapeake Beach Railway, and the stillborn Drum Point extension:

"Otto Mears Goes East-The Chesapeake Beach Railway" by Ames W. Williams
(Copies may still be available at the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, near the "Rod & Reel Restaurant")

Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum website

If you're inclinded to walk the Wye in Brandywine, where the line through La Plata connects with the Chalk Point line, you can still make out where the water tower stood. The concrete footers and stand (water) pipe are still in place. Best to do so in the early spring before the snakes, ticks and vegetation overtake the area.

There is a gentleman named Paul Rogers who used to work at Pax River (now retired) who has collected an extensive amout of information on the WB&Pt.L if anyone knows how to contact him.

[BuddyLee (Premo)]

Here you go guys...a little more information.

Point Lookout/St. Mary's County Railroad

[CableChick (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Aa3rt

I hate to dispute you, this being my first post here, but the history of the line dates to just after the War Between the States. The Southern Maryland Railroad was incorporated in 1868 with construction beginning a short time later. Construction was begun in Brandywine (connecting with the, at that time, Baltimore & Potomac Railroad) and was built in a southeasterly direction with the intention of going all the way to Point Lookout. The line went into its first of many bankruptcies in 1886 and emerged as the Washington & Potomac Railroad. The line only ever ran as far south as Mechanicsville (sometimes listed as "Forrest Hall")*. In 1901, the line went through another bankruptcy and emerged as the Washington, Potomac & Chesapeake Railway. At the end of 1917 the line again found itself in bankruptcy and was very nearly scrapped due to the high price of scrap metal during WW1. However, farmers in the area were able to purchase the line from a salvage firm and in June of 1918 the line began running again, this time under the name of the Washington, Brandywine & Point Lookout Railroad.

In the 1930's, revenues were dropping due to increased competition from the automobile and the line probably would have been gone for good except for the intervention of WW2.

*In June of 1942, the US Navy took over the line and extended it to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. As late as the mid-1950's the Navy was still operating the line. In fact, the Navy operated an "accomodation" train that connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Brandywine until the PRR stopped passenger trains on the Pope's Creek Line in 1949. In the late 1950s/early 1960s, operation of trains on the line was turned over to the PRR. One of the primary products on the line was aviation fuel taken to the base. However, that started coming in by barge and the importance of the line dwindled. The PRR operated an occasional train to the base into the late 1960s. When train operation ceased, the line was offered for sale by the GSA but there were no takers and the line was scrapped in the mid-1970's.

The Pax River website used to have a photo of a U. S. Navy 0-6-0T steam switch engine-haven't been to the website recently, so I don't know if its still there.

The "converted truck" mentioned by Railroad was actually a gasoline powered locomotive built by the FWD (Four Wheel Drive) Corporation, based on a WW1 truck chassis.

Part of this line is still used for the trackage that runs from Brandywine to the Chalk Point Generating station.

A good website for the line that still runs to the Chalk Point and Morgantown (Charles County) generating stations can be found here:

Popes Creek Sub website

Check out the "History" section for more on the WB&Pt.L.

A couple of obscure references, if you can find them:

"Farmers' Railroad" by Frank Donovan, Jr., Railroad Magazine, March 1939
"Brake shoes aweigh!" by E. John Long, Trains Magazine, March 1953

Another article I have about self-propelled railcars shows that the WB&PtL had two such cars-the first the aforementioned FWD car, listed as having a Wisconsin 62HP gas engine, weighing in at 9 tons, with a length of 22' 2". The car/loco had 5 windows, with a capacity for 15 passengers and a baggage compartment.

The second was a Brill-White car with a 4 cylinder gas engine, with a length of 18' 9", having a capacity for 20 passengers.

I also have a copy of a builders photo of a steam locomotive lettered "Washington, Brandywine & Pt. Lookout, No. 5". The locomotive has a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1924 (construction# 58005). The locomotive had a 52" diameter boiler, 15"x20" cylinders and driving wheels 42" in diameter. The locomotive has an odd look, appearing to sit up high on such short diameter drivers.
It was sold in 1938 to the Housatonic Tunnel and Wilmington and scrapped in 1949.

For a history of the Chesapeake Beach Railway, and the stillborn Drum Point extension:

"Otto Mears Goes East-The Chesapeake Beach Railway" by Ames W. Williams
(Copies may still be available at the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, near the "Rod & Reel Restaurant")

Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum website

If you're inclinded to walk the Wye in Brandywine, where the line through La Plata connects with the Chalk Point line, you can still make out where the water tower stood. The concrete footers and stand (water) pipe are still in place. Best to do so in the early spring before the snakes, ticks and vegetation overtake the area.

There is a gentleman named Paul Rogers who used to work at Pax River (now retired) who has collected an extensive amout of information on the WB&Pt.L if anyone knows how to contact him.

Who are you?

[KlineKR]

I have a completely intact mile post (MP40) from the St Mary's county rail road. It's out of the ground and in good condition. Is it worth anything to anyone?

[Hessian]

a) Historica society...
b) Chesapeake RR museum...
c) RR club in Calvert

Get a photo of where it came out from,..add a map--it adds value & documentation.
Did it "need" to get pulled? (ie in the way of a home improvement?)

[KlineKR]

I don't know where it was originally located. It's now laying in the woods on the edge of a beach where I found it.

[Aa3rt]

I'm glad to see this topic revived-this was a fascinating, although admittedly obscure railroad.

Some more information I've uncovered since my first post in November of last year:

When the Washington, Brandywine and Point Lookout Railroad came under Navy control in 1942, the line underwent another name change-this time to "Brandywine and Cedar Point Railroad". The line remained under Navy control from 1942-1954. In 1954, operation of the line was turned over to the Pennsylvania Railroad, although the line remained under Navy ownership. The PRR operated the line from 1954-1966 when it was no longer needed by the Navy. At that time it was taken over by the Lagenfelder Construction Company who salvaged the line when the General Services Administration (GSA) couldn't find a buyer/operator for the line. Lagenfelder owned the line from 1966-1975 with the line actually being scrapped in the early 1970's.

An aside-Lagenfelder also scrapped the portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad that ran from Faulkner to Pope's Creek in Charles County.

I was able to contact Paul Rogers, who has extensively researched this line. Recently Paul sent me a listing of stations, sidings and shippers from along the WB&PtL. The following comes from Paul's research:

"Stations, Sidings & Shippers

(Before 1942)

Brandywine..........engine terminal, coaling facilities, fuel, outgoing freight, interchange with the PRR Pope's Creek Line

Gallant Green.......freight (incoming/outgoing), US Mail, fuel oil, gasoline (AMOCO)

Hughesville..........tobacco warehouses, freight (in/out), US Mail, farm machinery

New Market.........freight, tobacco warehouses, produce, tomato cannery

Charlotte Hall.......passenger stop (boarding school), fuel oil, gasoline, wood products

Mechanicsville......passenger stop, freight, US Mail, produce, hardware

Laurel Grove........passenger stop, produce

Forrest Hall.........passenger stop, REA*, US Mail (original end-of-the-line),
fuel (AMOCO)

*REA=Railway Express Agency, the precursor to all those package delivery services (UPS, FedEx, et al)

(After 1942-U.S. Navy operation)

Hillville...............freight, wood products, fuel
Hollywood..........passenger flag stop, freight, hardware, farm machinery, fuel
California...........passenger flag stop, wood products plant, produce
USN Pax River....passenger traffic (military), freight, US Mail, fuel, machinery, building materials

(After 1954-Pennsylvania Railroad operation)

Lexington Park (and points south)...miscellaneous freight, some new automobiles for dealers

The US Government Railroad did make deliveries to stops on the original route after they took over operations. When the USN excessed the line in 1954 and the PRR took over operations, they too, delivered and took away freight shipments and occasionally carried a passenger car (USN) or caboose (also USN) for special movements to/from the Brandywine Junction which became a DOD Warehouse and shipping point until it was destroyed by fire. The Brandywine terminal was US Government property and was maintained by Public Works personnel from Pax River. The terminal was turned over to the USAF just before it burned."

Paul does say that this list may not be complete, particularly with the stops in Charles County.

[valentino]

[quote=Aa3rt]
Hollywood..........passenger flag stop, freight, hardware, farm machinery, fuel
QUOTE]

Anyone know where I could find pictures of all of these things, maybe not the exact Hollywood stop, but at least period correct flag stops and whatever else may have been needed at a stop.