Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad (PB&W) was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania
, Delaware
, Maryland
and the District of Columbia in the 20th century was a key component of the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR) system. Its 131 mile (211 km) main line ran from Philadelphia to Washington. The PB&W main line is currently known as a portion of the Northeast Corridor
, owned by Amtrak
. On April 2, 1956, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
was merged into the PB&W by the corporate parent of both lines, the Pennsylvania Railroad. This expanded the "official" reach of the PB&W into several additional states
, though from a marketing standpoint the result of this combination was transparent to most railroad customers and to the overall general public.
and the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in 1902. All three lines were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR). In 1907 the PB&W became a co-owner of the new Washington Terminal Company
, which operated Washington Union Station
.
As of 1916, the total track length of the system was 717 miles (1,153.9 km), including 9 miles (14.5 km) of trackage rights
.
the main line between New York
and Washington using overhead lines
. Electrification of the PB&W portion was completed in 1935.
. Under the new law, Congress
authorized sale of the PB&W right-of-way between Philadelphia and Washington, and related assets (such as the Washington Terminal Company), to Amtrak
. Other PB&W assets, including almost all of the PCC&StL (Pan Handle), were sold to the newly-formed Consolidated Rail Corporation
(Conrail).
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...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, 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 the District of Columbia in the 20th century was a key component of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR) system. Its 131 mile (211 km) main line ran from Philadelphia to Washington. The PB&W main line is currently known as a portion of the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
, owned by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. On April 2, 1956, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route , was a railroad forming part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania across the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia...
was merged into the PB&W by the corporate parent of both lines, the Pennsylvania Railroad. This expanded the "official" reach of the PB&W into several additional states
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...
, though from a marketing standpoint the result of this combination was transparent to most railroad customers and to the overall general public.
History
The railroad was formed from a merger of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore RailroadPhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
and the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in 1902. All three lines were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR). In 1907 the PB&W became a co-owner of the new Washington Terminal Company
Washington Terminal Company
The Washington Terminal Company was a corporation created in Washington, D.C. to provide support to railroads using Washington's Union Station. The company was established in 1901 and was jointly owned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad. The...
, which operated Washington Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
.
Acquisitions
The PB&W acquired the following railroad companies:- 1906: South Chester Railroad
- 1913: Baltimore and Sparrow's Point Railroad
- 1916: Philadelphia and Baltimore Central RailroadPhiladelphia and Baltimore Central RailroadThe Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, Columbia and Port Deposit Railway, Elkton and Middletown Railroad - 1956: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis RailroadPittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis RailroadThe Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route , was a railroad forming part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania across the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia...
(Pan Handle Route)
As of 1916, the total track length of the system was 717 miles (1,153.9 km), including 9 miles (14.5 km) of trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
.
Improvements
In 1928 the PRR began a program to electrifyRailway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
the main line between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Washington using overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
. Electrification of the PB&W portion was completed in 1935.
Dissolution
In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad and its long-time rival New York Central merged to form the Penn Central Railroad. The PB&W remained a separate legal entity, controlled and operated by the new company. The Penn Central declared bankruptcy in 1970 but continued to operate trains until 1976, when the company's railroad assets were sold under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform ActRailroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act
The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, often called the "4R Act," is a United States federal law that established the basic outlines of regulatory reform in the railroad industry and provided transitional operating funds following the 1970 bankruptcy of Penn Central...
. Under the new law, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized sale of the PB&W right-of-way between Philadelphia and Washington, and related assets (such as the Washington Terminal Company), to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. Other PB&W assets, including almost all of the PCC&StL (Pan Handle), were sold to the newly-formed Consolidated Rail Corporation
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
(Conrail).
See also
- List of defunct Pennsylvania railroads
- List of Delaware railroads
- List of defunct Maryland railroads
- List of Washington, D.C. railroads