Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-03-03
INTERESTING RAILROAD STORY

A recent news item from Washing
ton City gives the following interesting
bit OF news:
Extension of the Western MARYLAND
nalIroaa from lis yards at Cherry
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 10 Point
Of Rocks, Md, thence over new track
TO Leesourg Va, and over the tracks
of the Washington and Old Dominion
Railroad 10 Alexandria. Va, is con
templated in a proposal submitted in
formally TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission on Saturday
The proposal as explained by Colin
n: Livingstone, an officer of 10th the
western Maryland and the Washing
ton and Old Dominion companies, in
wolves expenditure Of considerable
amount OF money, the extent of which
has not yet been finally determined.
Among the considerations involved
IN eNtenson of the road to Alexandria
are ieasage OF the tracks OF the Balti-
more and Ohio from Cherry Run,
through Harper's Ferry to Point OF
ROCKS; building OF steel double track
bridge across the Potomac river AT
Point of Rccks and construction of an
entirely new double-track roadbed
from the new bridge to junction with
the Washington and Old Dominion
railway at LeeSburg, Va. Tracks of
the Washington and Old Dominion line
will be used, it is proposed, from Lees
burg south TO Alexandria.
The new line will pass west and
south of Falls Church Va, however. di-
verting from the tracks of the Wash
ington and Old Dominion immediately
south of Vienna Va.
II was also explained that property
OF the Virginia Shipbuilding Corpor-
alton at Alexandria would be con-
verted into general terminus and
freight yard. making Alexandria the
extreme southern limit of the West
ern Maryland Railroad.
Negotiations are now under way, il
was explained, with the b. & O. Rail
road to secure use of It's trackage from
Cherry Run to Point of Rocks. In
case these negotiations are not sue
cessfu,ly concluded, the Western
Maryland is understood to contem-
plate building spur line from its
yards in Hagerstown to connect with
the new line at Point of Rocks. The
proposed extension will be the first i'm
provements bringing freight into Alex.
andria from the north without going
through Washington.
There are those who do not believe
there is much prospect of such a plan
being conSummated. Ii is highly i'm
probable that the b. & o. would allow
another railroad to use its tracks
though Harper's Ferry, for it has long
claimed that its two tracks there are
Innt kN -.
traffic. The narrow neck il occupies,
with river on one side and mountain on
the other, prevents the construction Of
third track, so long desired, and we
regard 1t as most unlikely that ad-
ditional traffic from competing
railroad would be taken on.
The proposal comes doubtless from
the same source that projected a new
line from Western Maryland connec-
tions in Berkeley county through
Jefferson county across into Loudoun
county six or eight years ago. Ex-
tenslve surveys were made. il will be
recalled, one Of them passing through
Shepherdstown. The insuperable dif-
ficulties presented at Harper's Ferry
caused this survey to be abandoned,
and later il was announced that a new
route, crossing the Shenandoah river
and running north OF Charles Town,
had been adopted. The entire matter
was dropped, however, and nothing
has been heard from the project for
several years. II is not likely that any
important new construction will be un-
dertaken in the near future, for all
railroads are having all they can do
to keep their heads above water and are
exercising the strictest economy.