Evening star., 1949-12-31
Letters to The Star
Recollections of Old Rail Lines Between
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis


Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
To the Editor of The Star: !
Referring to the interesting article by
George Kennedy in the December 20 issue
of The Star regarding the abandonment OF
the old Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Rail
way This line now uses the Camden Station
of the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad in Balti-
more, which is the oldest railroad station
in the world still in use on main line
being constructed in 1882 The trolley line
uses about IS feet of the main line OF the
Baltimore g. Ohio railroad (between Wash
ington and Jersey City and is and was the
only interurban line in America that ever
did this
Steam locomotives were used at intervals
to haul cadets to and from Annapolis IN
Pullman cars over this line up to about
10 years ago when the roadbed became too
unsafe for the heavy trains. When the
locomotive came to Annapolis school teach
ers would take their pupils down to see 1t,
many never having seen steam engine IN
their lives before.
About 1925 the old Washington, Baltimore
g. Annapolis electric line took over the
present Baltimore & Annapolis. then known
as the Maryland Short Line. the line cutting
in at Linthicum just outside Of Baltimore
and trackage to the Camden station being
no longer used. The photographs atop these
cars were changed over to trolley poles 50
they could come into the city of Baltimore.
The Washington, Baltimore 81 Annapolis
line was opened in February, 1908. being a
double track line from Baltimore to Seat
Pleasant, where the line used the old
Washington Railway g. Electric tracks to
Fifteenth and H streets NE, later to Fiji
teenth street and New York avenue. the
ticket Offices being in the Bond Building.
Later the line was terminated at their own
off-street station where the Greyhound bus
station is located.
Cars Needed Extra Track.
From Seat Pleasant to Fifteenth and H
streets N e. there were at first two overhead
wires (only line in Washington so eqaipped'
which necesstated two trolley poles atop
city cars and w. B. & A. cars using this line.
From Fifteenth and H streets NE. to their
downtown terminals the third rail conduit
was used. In Baltimore part of their line
was through Scott McHenry. Portland.
Greene to Lombard street, Mhere connection
was made with the United Railway & Elec-
trio line of Baltimore (now Baltimore
Transit to their terminal at Park. Liberty
and near Lexington streets. AS the Balti-
more city line is wide gagged, an extra rail
was needed for the w. B. 6s A. cars. Later
Howard streets for both freight and passen-
gers (now Red Star bus terminaD and the
line turned off Greene at Pratt street and
used single-track freight spur of the B.
& o. for couple of blocks. Regular freight
cars were hauled over this line in Baltimore
and many persons. especially children, were
killed or injured hopping on and of the cars
as they numbered through the streets.
Also old wooden open platform cars Of
the Chesapeake Beach Railroad were rented
during the races at Bowie and ran between
Fifteenth and H streets N. E. and the track.
CThis terminal had become the freight
station when the line continued downtownJ
Sometimes a train with as many as eight
cars would arrive at Fifteenth and H streets
NE, where it was broken up into two-car
trains for its trip downtown. This was
because of law prohibiting more than two
cars in one train. In Baltimore no such law
existed and the eight-car trains would run
intact into the station there. When the
trains consisted Of more than one car. a
brakeman was needed to open and shut the
doors, to put up or pull down the extra
trolley pole at Seat Pleasant. keep the old
coal stoves In order in winter. etc.
Lots of Business in Wartime.
Later on articulated cars were used on
the Washington Baltimore run. A great
source of revenue during World War was
Camp. now Fort, Meade on the Annapolis
Junction (B. & o. to Annapolis branch.
Thousands of GIs used this line, mostly
from the camp to Baltimore: and the COM
pany purchased a number OF old elevated
cars from New York and converted them
into interurban coaches which were drawn
by electric freight motors used as loco
motives. Persons going to Annapolis from
Washington on the electric line changed at
Naval Academy Junction and took train
coming from Baltimore. Persons residing in
Baltimore had the choice Of two lines or
routes to Annapolis-one the present Balti-
more & Annapolis via Glen Burnie and the
other via Naval Academy Junction. There
were two stations in Annapolis.
Freight and repair shops with substation
were located at Naval Academy Junction.
The main line was abandoned in September,
1885, and service was suspended temporarily
on the Annapolis line, later resuming and
running again into Camden Station. Incl
dentally one of the old motors is now used
on the Potomac Edison line running from
Frederick to Thurmont, a distance of II
miles.
III Baltimore at the old W. B. 6s A. station
signs painted on the walls or sides Of the
freight station still read: "Fast Freight
Service to Washington. Annapolis, ETC."
incidentally when the Baltimore & Annap-
oils abandons passenger service on this line,
Annapolis will be the second capital city
without passenger rail service, Santa Fe.
New Mexico, having had no regular rail
passenger service for years.
HERMAN H. DIERS.
Replies to Identification Of Expediency
With Natural Law" 49,.
To the Editor Of The Star:
After reading william H. Reynolds letter
of December 26. in which he took exception
to the remarks of Voice in the wilderness, !"
am now convinced that all New Dealers.
so-called liberals" and Fair Dealers have
been rationalizing SO much that they are
completely confused in their thinking. !
feel that this is true because they attack
every problem subjectively rather than OBJ
jectively Instead of searching for the truth