Northbound CSX train on the Capital Subdivision at St. DenisThe Thomas Viaduct, built in 1835 over the Patapsco River, was the largest bridge in the United States at that time. It still carries the Capital Subdivision today and is the world's oldest multiple arched stone railroad bridge.
Between Elkridge and Laurel (BAA 21.7), the Capital Subdivision's rail alignment forms the border between Howard and Anne Arundel counties, having been built before Howard County was created from western Anne Arundel County in 1844.
MARC Train's Camden Line, descended from B&O commuter service between Baltimore and Washington, operates over the entire length of the main line.
Historyedit
The Thomas Viaduct about 20 years after its construction in 1835
In 1831 the Maryland General Assembly authorized the B&O to build a branch from their main line within 8 miles (13 km) of Baltimore, to Washington.[4] As this line would take much business from the parallel turnpikes, especially the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike, the charter specifically allowed those companies to subscribe to the stock of the railroad. Construction began in July 1833, and the line opened on August 25, 1835, splitting from the B&O main line at Relay, roughly 7 miles (11 km) from Baltimore.[5]: 157
Notable structural features on the original line include the Thomas Viaduct, the first multi-span masonryrailroad bridge in the United States, and the largest bridge in the country when it was completed in 1835; and the earliest example of an irontruss bridge designed by Wendel Bollman and installed at Savage.[5]: 361 [6]
The first B&O passenger station (1835–1851) was located west of the Capitol, at 2nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. In 1851 the New Jersey Avenue Station was built at a point slightly north of the Capitol, on New Jersey Avenue NW, in the area now called Union Station Plaza. Trains reached that location via the current location of West Virginia Avenue, street-running trackage on I Street NE and Delaware Avenue, and private right-of-way just south of the current location of Louisiana Avenue. When the Washington Terminal Company opened the new Union Station in 1907, that alignment was changed to the current routing, partially using the former location of Delaware Avenue.
^Chapter 158 of the 1830 Session Laws of Maryland, February 22, 1831.
^ abDilts, James D. (1996). The Great Road: The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio, the Nation's First Railroad, 1828-1853. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN978-0-8047-2629-0.
^Note: the present-day Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge, located on a railroad spur in Savage, was originally built for an unknown location on the Old Main Line, and relocated to Savage in 1877.
Harwood, Jr., Herbert H. (1979). Impossible Challenge: The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Maryland. Baltimore, MD: Barnard, Roberts. ISBN0-934118-17-5.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Capital Subdivision.
Mileposts from
Washington Branch Milestone Pictures
- Photos and stories about JD Tower
January 01, 1970
capital, subdivision, railroad, line, owned, operated, transportation, state, maryland, district, columbia, line, runs, from, near, baltimore, maryland, southwest, washington, along, former, baltimore, ohio, rail, road, washington, branch, subdivision, alexand. The Capital Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U S state of Maryland and the District of Columbia The line runs from near Baltimore Maryland southwest to Washington D C along the former Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road B amp O Washington Branch 1 The subdivision s Alexandria Extension provides a connection to Virginia and points south 2 3 Northbound CSX train on the Capital Subdivision at St Denis The Thomas Viaduct built in 1835 over the Patapsco River was the largest bridge in the United States at that time It still carries the Capital Subdivision today and is the world s oldest multiple arched stone railroad bridge Contents 1 Route description 2 History 2 1 Washington depots 2 2 Acquisition 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksRoute description editvteCapital Subdivision Legend MP nbsp Baltimore Terminal Subdivision nbsp nbsp nbsp 5 8 HX Tower nbsp nbsp nbsp to Old Main Line Subdivision nbsp nbsp nbsp 6 7 Northeast Corridor nbsp 6 8 St Denis nbsp nbsp nbsp 9 0 Relay nbsp nbsp nbsp Thomas Viaduct Patapsco River nbsp nbsp I 895 nbsp 9 6 Elk Ridge nbsp 11 6 Hanover nbsp 13 4 Dorsey nbsp nbsp 15 8 Jessup nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Waterloo Industrial Track nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Columbia Industrial Track nbsp Jessup Yard nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 16 6 Annapolis Junction Annapolis amp Elk Ridge RR nbsp 17 6 Fort Meade Junction nbsp 18 1 Savage nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Corridor Industrial Track nbsp nbsp nbsp Savage Industrial Track nbsp nbsp 20 9 Laurel Race Track nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Patuxent River nbsp 21 3 Laurel nbsp nbsp 24 9 Muirkirk nbsp nbsp 25 8 Ammendale nbsp 26 9 Beltsville nbsp nbsp Greenbelt Yard nbsp nbsp nbsp I 495Capital Beltway nbsp nbsp 29 0 Greenbelt nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 30 0 Berwyn nbsp nbsp 31 4 College Park nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp to Branch Avenue nbsp 32 4 Riverdale nbsp nbsp nbsp 32 7 Riverdale Park Junction nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Alexandria Extension nbsp nbsp nbsp 33 6 JD Tower nbsp 33 7 Hyattsville nbsp 34 8 Brentwood nbsp nbsp nbsp Northeast Corridor nbsp Ivy City Yard nbsp nbsp 37 0 F Tower nbsp nbsp nbsp Metropolitan Subdivision nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp to Glenmont nbsp nbsp nbsp 37 7 C Tower nbsp nbsp nbsp NoMa Gallaudet U nbsp K Tower nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 38 7 Washington Union Station nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp to Shady Grove nbsp RF amp P Subdivision via First Street Tunnel nbsp flag stopThe northeast end of the line is at Halethorpe Maryland BAA 5 8 just north of the historic Thomas Viaduct where it meets the Baltimore Terminal Subdivision and the Old Main Line Subdivision Its southwest end is at the yard north of Union Station at a junction with the Metropolitan Subdivision and Amtrak s Northeast Corridor Between Elkridge and Laurel BAA 21 7 the Capital Subdivision s rail alignment forms the border between Howard and Anne Arundel counties having been built before Howard County was created from western Anne Arundel County in 1844 MARC Train s Camden Line descended from B amp O commuter service between Baltimore and Washington operates over the entire length of the main line History edit nbsp The Thomas Viaduct about 20 years after its construction in 1835 In 1831 the Maryland General Assembly authorized the B amp O to build a branch from their main line within 8 miles 13 km of Baltimore to Washington 4 As this line would take much business from the parallel turnpikes especially the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike the charter specifically allowed those companies to subscribe to the stock of the railroad Construction began in July 1833 and the line opened on August 25 1835 splitting from the B amp O main line at Relay roughly 7 miles 11 km from Baltimore 5 157 Notable structural features on the original line include the Thomas Viaduct the first multi span masonry railroad bridge in the United States and the largest bridge in the country when it was completed in 1835 and the earliest example of an iron truss bridge designed by Wendel Bollman and installed at Savage 5 361 6 Washington depots edit nbsp Union Station in Washington D C The first B amp O passenger station 1835 1851 was located west of the Capitol at 2nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW In 1851 the New Jersey Avenue Station was built at a point slightly north of the Capitol on New Jersey Avenue NW in the area now called Union Station Plaza Trains reached that location via the current location of West Virginia Avenue street running trackage on I Street NE and Delaware Avenue and private right of way just south of the current location of Louisiana Avenue When the Washington Terminal Company opened the new Union Station in 1907 that alignment was changed to the current routing partially using the former location of Delaware Avenue Acquisition edit The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway acquired control of the B amp O in 1962 and the B amp O and C amp O both became a subsidiaries of the Chessie System in 1973 Along with the Western Maryland Railway In 1980 the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System to form CSX Corporation In 1987 the CSX Corporation merged the B amp O into the C amp O then later that same year merged the C amp O into CSX Transportation CSXT 7 which now owns the line See also editList of CSX Transportation linesReferences edit CSX Timetables Capitol sic Subdivision WS Capital Sub the RadioReference Wiki http www multimodalways org docs railroads companies CSX CSX 20ETTs CSX 20Baltimore 20Div 20ETT 20 234 201 1 2005 pdf CSX Baltimore Division Timetable Chapter 158 of the 1830 Session Laws of Maryland February 22 1831 a b Dilts James D 1996 The Great Road The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio the Nation s First Railroad 1828 1853 Palo Alto CA Stanford University Press ISBN 978 0 8047 2629 0 Note the present day Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge located on a railroad spur in Savage was originally built for an unknown location on the Old Main Line and relocated to Savage in 1877 History Harwood Jr Herbert H 1979 Impossible Challenge The Baltimore amp Ohio Railroad in Maryland Baltimore MD Barnard Roberts ISBN 0 934118 17 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Capital Subdivision Mileposts from CSX Transportation Timetables Washington Branch Milestone Pictures JDTower org Photos and stories about JD Tower Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Capital Subdivision amp oldid 1179615662, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
