West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-11-12
THE MAGNOLIA CUTOFF
An Improvement on the Baltimore d
Ohio Railroad in tho Esstern Part
ofthis State Costing MiIIIons-Work
10 Great Engineering Feat

pleted $4,000, 900 eleven-mile cutoff
that ranks among the great engineering
feats OF American rsilroading.
The Magnolia cutoff improvement, be-
tween Orleans Road and Little Cacapon.
w. Va, work upon which started in Nav
OF last year (l9l3), accomplshes Tor the
Is. D. two distinct economic advan-
tages 1t effects saving OF 5.S miles in
the length and SS7 degrees OF curvature
oil the eastbound tracks and does away
with sharp grade at Hansrote, which
has required the use Of pusher engines
Tor eastbound traffic climbing the noun
tains at that point. Secondly, il com
pletely equips the Il. x o. as a three
track and four-track system east of Cum
berland, Md, to Martinsburg. w. Va,
| and, in conjunction with extensive track
additions on the mountain divisions, ef.
iected during the last three years, pro.
vides ample facilities to care tor the
almost indefinite future.
Factors OF economic operation were
directly responsible for the Magnolia cut
OIL Improvement being undertaken by
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. En-.
braced in general economic study of its
operation is the plan eventually to over
come the high operating costs IN noun
famous country by revising it's line,
reducing grades, eliminating curvature.
and doing away with helper engine service
on that section of the line eastward from
Cumberland, Md.
The plan contemplates four-track
system of 105 miles. from Cumberland to
Brunswick, the point OF intersection of
the Cumberland and Baltimore divisions.
In fact, the ultimate plan is to continue
the fonr-track line to the seaboard at
Baltimore. with the construction of third
and fourth tracks from Brunswick to
Washington Junction, Nd, where two
two-track lines converge toward Balti-
more, one by way of Washington. the
other through Frederick county. So,
when 1t was determined to the Magnolia
Improvement, the railroad began to
open the neck of the bottle"
The east end of the Cumberland di
vision of the Baltimore x Ohio Railroad
is known far and wide in railroad circles
as the most congested stretch OF railroad
line in the United States. Two main
lines, one from Chicago, the other from
st. Louis, converge at Cumberland, with
the bulk oil their tonnage gathered from
innumerable sub main and branch lines
Most OF this business is for seaboard
movement to Washington, Baltimore.
| Philadelphia, New York, or New Eng
land. The question of keeping the trains
moving with sufficient regularity to avoid
blockades has long been one OF moment
and problem calling for the most eff.
cient operating methods.
The daily average train movement over
the line is eighty-five trains of all classes,
consisting of fast and local passenger
trains, local and pick up trains, and
numerous work trains and contractors
equipment, and of this there is an aver.
age OF seventy freight trains daily.
Another factor in the operation of the
line under conditions prevailing before
the improvements were undertaken was
the diversity of traffic, both with respect
70 volume and class OF business, and
many incidents occur which tend to bring
ON an abnormal movement of one grade
OF other of traffic.
While 1t has not been fully decided
how the new line shall be used, il is gem
orally believed that the two new tracks
will be devoted to eastbound trains, and
the old line turned over exclusively to
westbound trains, this being the original
idea when the line was surveyed.
So quietly has work progressed npon
the cutoff that traffic upon the old tracks
hes not been at all interrupted, and. by
day and by night, the passengers on
local and limited trains have been swept
past the scene of the big improvement
Tor the most part unmindful of the task
the engineers have forged to a successful
conclusion.
The greater part Of the excavating has
been done through solid rock. The stones
OF the embankment, at rIver approaches.
have been protected by concrete retain.
ing walls, and the slopes along the hill
sides terraced to obviate all danger from
slides or falling rock.
Diverging from the eastbound side Of
the old three-track line west of Orleans
Road, the cutoff line rises on a 4 per cent
compensated grade tor 1900 feet to a
point where it crosses the old line at
grade. From that point it continues to
rise on the same grade through the ridge
at Doe Gully, where the tunnel of bygone
days has been converted into an open cut.
Briefly described, the improvement be
gins at Orleans Road. -Four new tracks
have been constructed, with gradients
slightly less than those OF the present
tracks, through the summit Of Doe Gully.
removing the present tunnel and lower
ing the grade at the summit about ten
feet. From Doe Gully the old track has
been maintained for the westbound move
ment to Paw Paw. The new tracks have
been constructed along the hillside above
the older roadbed 10 a point lust east Of
HansrOte, where they diverge 10 the left.
passing through the ridge Just east Of
Magnolia, crossing the present tracks
overhead and the Potomac river at Mag.
nolia, cut through The ridge on the west
side Of the river, and again crossing the
present tracks at Kessler's Curve. over
bead. The line then follows the hillside
above the old tracks 10 a point just vest
Of Paw Paw, where they again diverge 10
the left passing through the ridge south
Of the old Paw Paw tunnel by short
tunnel. and through the high ground Just
south Of Paw Paw in an open cut, and
coming out on the bank Of the river lust
above tho nrn.nnf lracka Ernrn 49,