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(B&O Railroad Co.)
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and was the first common carrier railroad. The line was established due to the fact that the city of Baltimore, Maryland wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal that served New York City. At the time, another canal being was proposed by Pennsylvania, which would have connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
This railroad was located entirely in the state of Maryland with an original line from the port of Baltimore west to Sandy Hook. At this point to continue westward, it had to cross into Virginia and now, West Virginia over the Potomac River. Adjacent to the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. From there it passed through Virginia from Harpers Ferry to a point just west of the junction of Patterson Creek and the North Branch Potomac River where it crossed back into Maryland to reach Cumberland. From there it was extended to the Ohio River at Wheeling and a few years later also to Parkersburg, West Virginia.
The line is now part of the CSX Transportation Company network. And includes the oldest operational railroad bridge in the United States. The Baltimore and Ohio line also included the Leiper Railroad. The first permanent horse drawn railroad in the United States.
In later years, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company advertising carried the motto. "Part of the B. and O.'s Railroad's life had come from being one of the four featured railroads on the United States version of the board game "Monopoly."" It was the only railroad on the board, which did not serve Atlantic City, New Jersey, directly.
When CSX established the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum as a separate entity from the corporation. Some of the former Baltimore and Ohio Mount Clare Shops in Baltimore. Including the Mount Clare Roundhouse. Were donated to the museum, while the rest of the property was sold. The Baltimore and Ohio Warehouse at the Camden Yards rail junction in Baltimore, now dominates the view over the right-field wall at the Baltimore Orioles' current home. Oriole Park at Camden Yards Baltimore.
At the end of 1970, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad operated 5,552 miles of road. And 10,449 miles of track, not including SIRT or the Reading and its subsidiaries.
(Paul Strubeck)