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B&O Old Main Line Mile By Mile B&O Old Main Line Mile By Mile
Baltimore to Harper's Ferry

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Below is a list of photos at mileposts along the B&O (now CSX) Old Main Line (OML) in Maryland. The main purpose of this list is to illustrate terrain changes as the OML heads west from Baltimore. Many of these photos do not appear in the OML tour because they show nothing of particular historical note.

The photo links are named by approximate compass direction of their view. Unless otherwise noted, the trackside mile marker sign or post can be seen within the photo. The signs come in various shapes and sizes, but are typically black digits on a white reflective background, as in the picture at left. The RM column indicates a location with an old-style "rail milepost", believed to date to around 1910.

Over time I hope to fill data missing from the table. Any comments? EMail me.

MILE PHOTO(S) RM? ADC MAP COMMENTS
0 west, east Ba 42 J 1 mile 0 (unmarked) was 0.1 miles behind (west) of B&O Museum
1 north (DD); east (DH) Ba 42 G 2
Ba 42 F 3
first B&O mile marker, 1 mile from back of museum;
present-day CSX marker 1 is measured from unknown spot
2 (no photo) Ba 42 F 4 within Claremont Yard
3 west, east Ba 42 F 6 marker seen right of center in west view
4 east (DH) Y Ba 42 E 8 only 2.6 miles west of present-day CSX marker 1
5 north (DH), west (DH) Y Ba 42 C 10 CSX 7623
6 west, east Ba 42 A 11 CSX 7296
actual distance to mile 7 is 1.32 miles
this discrepancy began in 1860s due to opening of Camden Cutoff
7 west, north Ba 41 H 12 OML mile 7 = Capital Subdivision mile 9
OML marker 7 was not present at time of west view photo
8 west, east (DH) Y Ba 41 E 11 S sign indicates "measured mile"
9 west (DH) Y Ba 41 C 10
10 west (DH), south Y Ba 41 B 8 the old style "mile marker on a rail" likely dates to around 1910
11 west (DH) Y Ho 13 A 12
12 south, west (DH) Ho 12 H 11 marker at left of CPL signals in south photo from 2000
13 north (DH) Y Ho 12 G 9 north (west) of Ellicott City
14 north (DH) n Ho 12 H 7 width is from past double track, and now sewer line
15 north (DH) Ho 12 J 4 Union Dam Tunnel
16 north (DH) Y Ho 12 G 3
17 east, west Ho 12 F 1 CSX 321
18 east (DH), west Ho 12 D 0 the bridge across the Patapsco River at Daniels lies just west
19 east, west Y Ba 31 K 8 CSX 7559 about to enter Dorsey Tunnel
20 east, west (DH) Ho 6 J 13 Davis Tunnel
21 south (DH), north (DH) Ho 6 H 12 a scenic spot
22 east (DH) Y Ho 6 E 11 signal in distance
23 north, east Y Ho 6 D 9 surviving "mile markers on a rail" become more common further west
24 west, east Y Ho 6 C 7 east of Marriottsville
25 west, east Ho 5 K 7 Henryton Tunnel; Patapsco River bridge in east view's foreground
26 north Y Ca 35 G 6 west of Henryton
27 west, north Y Ca 35 E 5 Gorsuch Switch (a mine siding) had been located here
28 west, north Y Ca 35 B 5
29 north Y Ca 34 K 4 west of Sykesville
30 north (DH) Y Ca 34 G 4 near Gaither
31 west Y Ca 34 E 5 some old rail markers are whitewashed, unknown why
32 east (DH) Y Ca 34 C 6 speed 30 mph
33 east (DH), west Ca 33 K 5 Patapsco River very close to tracks here
34 east (DH), west Y Ca 33 G 4 east of Woodbine
35 west Ca 33 E 4
36 east, west Y Ca 33 B 3 east end of Mt. Airy Cutoff, 10 miles of new right of way opened 1902
37 east (DH), west (DH) Y Ho 2 K 4 west of Watersville
38 west Ho 2 G 5
39 east, north, west Y Ca 32 E 4 visible from I-70 east of Mt. Airy if you know where to look
40 west (DH) Ca 32 B 4 Mt. Airy Tunnel
41 west Fr 41 K 2 green line traces OML's original route; Mt. Airy Loop on right
42 west Fr 41 G 2
43 west, east (DH) Fr 41 D 1 unusually wide area here, unsure why
44 west Fr 32 B 13
45 west, east, in 1977 n Fr 31 K 13 great railfan house (no longer extant); Chessie Steam Special in 1977
46 west, east n Fr 40 G 1 east of Monrovia; CPLs shortly before replacement in 2004
47 west Fr 40 D 1
48 west, north Y Fr 40 B 1
49 west Y Fr 39 K 3 farm grade crossing ahead
50 east Fr 39 H 2 Reich's Ford Road grade crossing in the foreground
51 west, south Y Fr 39 E 2 CSX 712 at Bush Creek; mile marker in front of coal car in distance
52 west, east Fr 39 C 4
53 west, east Y Fr 39 B 2 3 generations of markers; had been Reels Mill Yard
54 west (DH) Fr 38 J 1 Monocacy River bridge
  br 1 north (DH), south (DH) Fr 29 J 11 Frederick Branch, Monocacy Station
  br 2 north (DH), south (DH) Fr 29 J 9 Frederick Branch, Yards
  br 3 north (DH), south (DH) Fr 29 G 7 Frederick Branch, South Street
55 east (DH) Y Fr 38 G 2 I-270 in distance
56 west (DH), south (DH) Y Fr 38 E 3 near Thomas' muffin bakery
57 east (DH) Y Fr 38 C 5
58 east (DH), west (DH) Fr 38 A 7 CSX 229
59 south Y Fr 37 J 9 milepost near left edge; New Design Road grade crossing
60 west (DH) Y Fr 37 G 11
61 west (DH), east (DH) Y Fr 37 E 13 had been north (east) end of Adamstown Cutoff
62 west, south, east (all DH) Y Fr 44 C 1
63 south (DH) east (DH) Y Fr 44 A 2
64 west (DH) Y Fr 43 J 5 east of Point of Rocks
65 to 68 mps lost due to remeasuring after OML shortening of early 1900s;
mps here west are OML's original; route is now Metropolitan Subdivision
69 west, east Fr 43 F 6 marker 69 seems to be missing at Point of Rocks
70 north Fr 43 E 3 marker at distant center
71 north (DH) Y Fr 43 D 1
72 north (DH) Y Fr 36 C 12
73 west (DH), east (DH) Fr 35 K 12 CSX 6361
74 east (DH) Fr 35 G 12 Brunswick Yard
75 west (DH) Fr 35 D 12
76 east (DH), west (DH) Y Fr 35 B 11
77 west (DH), east (DH) Fr 34 K 12 CSX 5205
78 west (DH) Fr 34 G 10
79 west (DH) Wa 37 C 10 Amtrak 157
80 west (DH) Wa 37 A 10
81 west (DH) Wa 36 H 11 Harper's Ferry Tunnel east portal in distance
0 east (DH) Y Wa 36 G 11 marker 0 indicates start of Cumberland Subdivision
east (DH) west (DH) Wa 36 G 11 two pics as the tracks cross Potomac River into Harper's Ferry, WV

DD = picture courtesy David Dudich
DH = picture courtesy Dave Hiteshew
Also see the OML Bridges list
Also see the OML Tunnels list
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