Hanover Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The Hanover Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation
in the U.S. state
s of Maryland
and Pennsylvania
. The line runs from Baltimore, Maryland west to Hagerstown, Maryland
along several former Western Maryland Railway
(WM) lines. It meets the Baltimore Terminal Subdivision at its east end, and the Lurgan Subdivision
heads both north and west from its west end.
and Hanover, Pennsylvania
, opened in 1852 as part of the Hanover Branch Railroad
. The Gettysburg Railroad
opened a section between Hanover and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
in 1858.
The WM initially built from the end of the Northern Central Railway
's Green Spring Branch at Owings Mills to Hagerstown. Construction began in 1857. The line reached Westminster
in 1861 and Hagerstown in 1872. In 1873 the WM built its own line from Owings Mills to Fulton Junction in Baltimore. The WM designated the Baltimore-Hagerstown line as its East Subdivision.
built a line from Valley Junction (1.25 mi east of Porters) south to the Maryland state line in 1872, and the Baltimore and Hanover Railroad
continued the line south to Emory Grove, MD, connecting with the WM in 1879. In 1886 the WM acquired control of the line from Emory Grove to Hanover. It also took control of the Gettysburg Railroad. The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
had extended the line from Gettysburg west to Orrtanna, Pennsylvania
in 1885, and the Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway
opened the rest of line from Orrtanna west to Highfield in 1889, where it connected with the existing East Subdivision. The Emory Grove-Gettysburg-Highfield route became the WM's Hanover Subdivision. In addition to servicing industries and cities in Pennsylvania, the Hanover Sub provided an alternate route between Baltimore and Hagerstown, although it was 23 miles (37 km) longer than the East Sub.
The WM built a marine terminal at Port Covington in Baltimore in 1904, and built a new connecting line from the East Sub to the terminal. The 5.3 mile (8.5 km) line ran from Walbrook
Junction, west of Fulton, to Port Covington, and was designed as the WM's Tide Subdivision.
in 1973, which in turn became part of CSX in 1980. Port Covington declined in the 1970s as traffic was shifted to nearby Chessie (formerly B&O
) facilities, and the terminal was completely closed by 1988. CSX consolidated operations across the old WM subdivisions. The present CSX Hanover Subdivision consists of the old WM Hanover Sub (Highfield-Emory Grove), and portions of the East Sub (Hagerstown-Highfield and Emory Grove-Walbrook) and Tide Sub (Walbrook-Mt. Winans Yard in Baltimore). (CSX sold the remainder of the East Sub, from Emory Grove to Highfield, to the Maryland Midland Railway
in the 1980s.)
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The line runs from Baltimore, Maryland west to Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
along several former Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
(WM) lines. It meets the Baltimore Terminal Subdivision at its east end, and the Lurgan Subdivision
Lurgan Subdivision
The Lurgan Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. The line runs from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, south to Hagerstown, Maryland, and west to Cherry Run, West Virginia, along a former Western Maryland...
heads both north and west from its west end.
Initial sections
The first section of the Hanover Branch was built was between Porters, PennsylvaniaPorters Sideling, Pennsylvania
Porters Sideling is an unincorporated community located in Heidelberg Township in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. Porters Sideling is located about a mile southeast off Pennsylvania Route 116 and is about 8 miles away from Codorus State Park....
and Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
, opened in 1852 as part of the Hanover Branch Railroad
Hanover Branch Railroad
The Hanover Branch Railroad Company was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. The company was incorporated on March 16, 1847 and began operating trains in 1852...
. The Gettysburg Railroad
Gettysburg Railroad
The Gettysburg Railroad was a railway line in Pennsylvania that operated from 1858-1870 over the 17 mile main line from the terminus in Gettysburg to the 1849 Hanover Junction...
opened a section between Hanover and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
in 1858.
The WM initially built from the end of the Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
's Green Spring Branch at Owings Mills to Hagerstown. Construction began in 1857. The line reached Westminster
Westminster, Maryland
Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greater Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV...
in 1861 and Hagerstown in 1872. In 1873 the WM built its own line from Owings Mills to Fulton Junction in Baltimore. The WM designated the Baltimore-Hagerstown line as its East Subdivision.
Connections and acquisitions
The Bachman Valley RailroadBachman Valley Railroad
The Bachman Valley Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 19th century. The 13 mile line ran from Valley Junction, Pennsylvania to Ebbvale, Maryland . The railroad was built to transport iron ore to local blast furnaces...
built a line from Valley Junction (1.25 mi east of Porters) south to the Maryland state line in 1872, and the Baltimore and Hanover Railroad
Baltimore and Hanover Railroad
The Baltimore and Hanover Railroad was a railroad that operated in Maryland in the 19th century. The 20 mile main line ran from Emory Grove, Maryland north to the Pennsylvania state line near Black Rock Junction, where it connected with the Bachman Valley Railroad.The B&H was chartered by the...
continued the line south to Emory Grove, MD, connecting with the WM in 1879. In 1886 the WM acquired control of the line from Emory Grove to Hanover. It also took control of the Gettysburg Railroad. The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad was a railroad line in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The 38 mile main line ran from Orrtanna to Hanover Junction where it connected with the Northern Central Railway...
had extended the line from Gettysburg west to Orrtanna, Pennsylvania
Orrtanna, Pennsylvania
Orrtanna is a census-designated place in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 173 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Orrtanna is located at ....
in 1885, and the Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway
Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway
The Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway was a railroad that operated in Maryland and Pennsylvania in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The 59 miles main line ran from Emory Grove, Maryland to Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, with a 6 miles branch from Valley Junction, Pennsylvania to Hanover Junction,...
opened the rest of line from Orrtanna west to Highfield in 1889, where it connected with the existing East Subdivision. The Emory Grove-Gettysburg-Highfield route became the WM's Hanover Subdivision. In addition to servicing industries and cities in Pennsylvania, the Hanover Sub provided an alternate route between Baltimore and Hagerstown, although it was 23 miles (37 km) longer than the East Sub.
The WM built a marine terminal at Port Covington in Baltimore in 1904, and built a new connecting line from the East Sub to the terminal. The 5.3 mile (8.5 km) line ran from Walbrook
Walbrook, Baltimore
Walbrook is a neighborhood in West Baltimore, located along West North Avenue. Coppin State College is located in Walbrook.Several major streets, North Avenue, Windsor Mill Road, Bloomingdale Road, and Hilton Street, meet in the Walbrook area in a location known as Walbrook Junction. This area...
Junction, west of Fulton, to Port Covington, and was designed as the WM's Tide Subdivision.
Consolidation
WM was absorbed into the Chessie SystemChessie System
Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...
in 1973, which in turn became part of CSX in 1980. Port Covington declined in the 1970s as traffic was shifted to nearby Chessie (formerly B&O
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
) facilities, and the terminal was completely closed by 1988. CSX consolidated operations across the old WM subdivisions. The present CSX Hanover Subdivision consists of the old WM Hanover Sub (Highfield-Emory Grove), and portions of the East Sub (Hagerstown-Highfield and Emory Grove-Walbrook) and Tide Sub (Walbrook-Mt. Winans Yard in Baltimore). (CSX sold the remainder of the East Sub, from Emory Grove to Highfield, to the Maryland Midland Railway
Maryland Midland Railway
The Maryland Midland Railway is a Class III short-line railroad operating about 63 miles of track in central Maryland. It was originally headquartered in the former Western Maryland Railway station in Union Bridge, Maryland, however it is now located in a new facility across the street from the...
in the 1980s.)
External links
- Baltimore Railfan Guide - Map showing Baltimore-area portion of CSX Hanover Sub