Histories:

History of the Columbia & Port Deposit Railroad

Line Guide:

Sunnyside Yard-New York Penn Station
New York Penn Station to Philadelphia 30th Street Station
Philadelphia 30th Street Station to Potomac Yard
Enola Yard to Perryville
Philadelphia 30th Street Station to Harrisburg

More lines to come soon!

Departments:

Discussion List
Links

Pennsy
Under The Wires

Line Guide:
Philadelphia 30th Street
Station to Potomac Yard

Railfan guide to this line.
Towers and interlockings along this line.
Branches that connect to this line.
Timetable

More to be added soon!

Special thanks to Chris Ruhl and Jeff Kirchner for the interlocking info below.

Towers and interlockings along this line:

*Means Tower is still standing but is in-active. 
**Means tower is still standing and active.
+Means tower is in-active and has been demolished.

*ARSENAL-Connection with SEPTA commuter rail line to Media (formerly the PRR West Chester line).

*BRILL-BRILL tower was closed when SEPTA built a line that diverged from the NEC here to the airport; at that time, the interlocking was re-named PHIL.

*BALDWIN-Crossovers

(?)HOOK-Crossovers. Does anyone know more about this interlocking?

+LAMOKIN-Was the diverging point for the Chester Creek branch (abandoned) which followed its namesake creek until it joined the West Chester branch. A small MU yard once existed here. The tower sat on the west side of the tracks.

(?)HOLLY-Crossovers.

Bellevue, Delaware: *BELL Tower-strongarm machine removed about 1984 and replaced with GRS type home made pushbutton machine for Bell and Holly Interlockings.   Out of service 1988.

Wilmington, Delaware: *WILMINGTON Tower-Located on 2nd floor of Wilmington Station 4 panel US&S CTC machine with wings on both sides.  Controlled Landlith, Brandy, Wine, Yard and Ragan Interlockings.  I don't know if the machine is still in the station or not.  Out of service May 19, 1988

Newark, Delaware: *DAVIS Tower-Model 14 US&S machine for Davis.  US&S CTC machine for Iron Hill.  Out of service 1988.

Perryville, Maryland: *PERRY Tower-Model 14 US&S machine for Perry, Quarry, and Minnick Interlockings.  US&S CTC machine for Short Lane, Oak, Grace, and Principio Interlockings.  Closed July 14, 1988


Edgewood, Maryland: *EDGEWOOD Tower  (Wood)-US&S Model 14 machine for Edgewood, Magnolia, and Gunpow Interlockings.  US&S CTC machine for Bush Interlocking & moveable bridge.  Closed May 19, 1988.

Bay View, Maryland: *BAY Tower-US&S model 14 machine for Bay, North Point, and Canton Jct. Interlockings.  US&S CTC
machine for River Interlocking.   Not sure of the out of service date.
It was the last tower to survive.  Probably sometime in 1990 or 91.

Baltimore, Maryland: +UNION JCT. Tower-US&S Model 14 machine for Union Jct. Interlocking.  Closed March 21, 1987.  I was the last Operator on duty there.  Torn down within the following month to allow for reconfiguration of Paul Interlocking and control was transferred to B&P Jct.

Baltimore, Maryland:  *B&P JCT. Tower---------top story removed in 1997 to allow for Baltimore City Light Rail Transit Track to pass for access into Penn Station. Very similar in appearance and setup as Union Jct. The first floor remains. US&S Model 14 machine for B&P and Fulton Interlocking.  Machine replaced with homemade GRS type pushbutton panels for control of Paul (Union Jct.), Charles (B&PJct.), Fulton, and Bridge Interlockings.  US&S CTC machine for Winans placed in tower at the closing of Gwynn. Out of service July 14, 1988.

Baltimore, Maryland: *GWYNN Tower-Out of service in 1987. Could be late '86, I'm not sure anymore. US&S Model 14 machine for Gwynn Interlocking.  US&S CTC machine for Winans Interlocking.  When tower was closed the Winans machine was removed and placed in B&P Jct. where control of that interlocking was transferred

Odenton, Maryland: *ODENTON Tower-Was standing when I last saw it a few years ago.  It was a one story cinder block structure heated by a caboose stove housing a Model 14 machine for Odenton and Vern Interlockings and Panel Blocking devices.  Also had a small Power Board for Catenary Plate control. Years before it controlled Anderson Interlocking which was removed from service when #4 track was removed between ANDERSON and BOWIE. Out of service soon after GWYNN.  Odenton and Vern Interlockings removed and replaced by Grove Interlocking.

Grove, Maryland: *GROVE "Tower"-I use this term loosely because the tower was a  green construction office trailer set next to the Grove relay house. It used the standard issue GRS pushbutton panel to control the Interlocking.  This interlocking had Amtrak's first 75 mph crossovers installed. Tower closed June 25, 1988.


Bowie, Maryland: *BOWIE Tower-Closed sometime in mid 1988.  Tower has been purchased by the Bowie Historical Society and was moved a short distance to the north onto town owned property.  It is being restored. Model 14 US&S machine for Bowie Interlocking and Panel Blocking devices for same.  Years before, it also had a rather large Power board.  It was removed before my time.

Landover, Maryland: (*)LANDOVER Tower-GRS strongarm & pistol grip machine for Landover Interlocking. Panel Blocking Device Board for LANDOVER.   Small, homemade CTC panel to control Lanham Interlocking. Both machines removed from service in 1987 and replaced with Homemade GRS type pushbutton panels for Landover and Carroll Interlockings.  Tower closed about the same time as BOWIE.

In addition, Catenary Sectionalization Control Boards were located at BELL,
DAVIS, PERRYVILLE, EDGEWOOD, BAY, GWYNN, ODENTON, and LANDOVER.  Most of the CTC machines also had Sectionalization control with the exception of RIVER.

Wahington, DC: (?)K Tower-Located at the north end of the platforms in Union Station.  This is via the Landover Line (I am still researching so please check back often): ANACOSTIA, VIRGINIA, 14th STREET, and SOUTH END. Note that as of April 30, 1967, 14th STREET was remote controlled from VIRGINIA; and SOUTH END was remote controlled from AF tower (Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac RR tower).
Click here to see an Amtrak employee TT of the Washington Terminal.

I am not an expert on the Philadelphia-Washington-Potomac yard section of the
railroad. If anyone would like to contribute info I would be very grateful. You
would get full credit on this web page as a volunteer contributer.

Branches that connect to this line:

Media line: Formerly the PRR West Chester branch; currently SEPTA's Media commuter rail line. The branch diverged from the NEC at ARSENAL and continued through Media and West Chester to Norristown. But the wires only went as far as West Chester. Media was the real terminus of the line; trains from Philly terminated here and passengers could board connecting MU trains to West Chester. At the moment SEPTA only runs as far as Elwyn (the stop after Media) with passengers not having to change trains at Media. The West Chester RR (a tourist line started in 1998) runs service on the ex-SEPTA, nee-PRR tracks, in the West Chester area.

note: There was an active tower in Media until SEPTA remoted it from BROAD
tower in 1995. MEDIA tower is now used as a crew lounge.

Shellpot Branch: Diverges from NEC at BELL, main use was (and still is) to allow freight trains to bypass the Wilmington passenger station. The branch also acted as an access point to Edgemoor yard. The branch rejoins the NEC at RAGAN.

Delmarva Secondary: I do not know much about this line. If anyone would like to contribute info I would be very grateful. You would get full credit.

Port Road branch: Also known as the Columbia & Port Desposit Branch. Diverges from NEC at PERRY and continues to Enola yard. This was a freight-only line and is still used as a major freight artery by CR. This line will soon have a whole line guide devoted to it; more info will be listed in that.

Popes Creek Secondary: A PRR freight branch, still used by CR. The Popes Creek branch diverges from the NEC at BOWIE in the form of a wye.

Landover line: Allows CR freights to bypass the Washington Union Station
terminal trackage. Diverges from NEC at LANDOVER. The line has a connection with
CSXT at BENNING. The two freight roads then share the same track to ANACOSTIA
JCT. At Anacostia, there is a connection with Amtrak's line used by southbound passenger trains coming out of Union Station.

This site last updated November 7, 1999.










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