The dual tracks of the Washington Branch diverge left from the Old Main Line here at Relay, Maryland. In the past, both portions were double tracked, but sometime in the mid-1900s the OML was reduced to single track.

Before it was demolished in 1950, B&O's grand Viaduct Hotel was located in the small area between the two routes to the right of the Thomas Viaduct obelisk seen in the distance. This area remains suprisingly bucolic for what was a significant railroad intersection.

Lonely CSX 8507 glides back toward where the tracks diverge. Directly to the left across the tracks, but not visible here, is the Thomas Viaduct obelisk. The white building in the distance is the old Relay House.

Links to older pictures: ~1870, 1950

This obelisk pays tribute to the men who dreamed, engineered and built the Thomas Viaduct. The great stone structures of the B&O were not easy to construct, but they have paid dividends by virtue of their reliability and longevity.

Links to older pictures: ~1900, ~1930, ~1970

Mixed freight heads south over the venerable Thomas Viaduct. The viaduct stretches for a total of 8 stone arches, and when finished in 1835 it was the longest bridge in the USA, and second longest in the world (London Bridge is slightly longer). See the Old Main Line tour for more Thomas Viaduct photos.

The road bridge seen in the distance is that of I-895.

Links to older pictures: 1861, 1939, 1940, 1972, Pic Group

This is the view of the Thomas Viaduct from the Howard County side of the Patapsco River. Shortly before I captured this photo, deer had been drinking at the river, and left the footprints seen in the foreground snow. To get to the location of this shot, from US 1 turn onto Levering Avenue, pass under I-895 and the viaduct, and continue for a short distance along the park road that parallels the river.

Links to older pictures: ~1880, 1886, 1976

Here is Levering Avenue passing under the southernmost arch of the Thomas Viaduct. The stairway in the shadows on the left leads up to the track, and the handrail is in disrepair. The climb up is not recommended for anyone made queasy by heights.

Links to older pictures: 1886, 1886, 1925, 1925?, 1936, 1976

But if you do climb the stairway and carefully walk across the tracks, this is what you'll find at the top. That's the I-895 overpass.

The small road on the right is Old Lawyer's Hill Road which used to make a grade crossing here.

Links to older pictures: ~1880, 1976

This little arched bridge is the first on the Washington Branch. It is tucked inconspicuously just a few feet northwest of US 1. You might be able to glimpse it while driving by, but really need to stop and walk up to get the best view. According to Harwood, this side of the bridge dates to 1863 when the Washington Branch was widened to double track.

Route 1 follows the path of the the oldest road between Baltimore and Washington. Long ago it was converted from a toll-based turnpike into a US Highway, and still carries much traffic.

Notice the fading Baltimore & Ohio label painted on the bridge. This is one of the few remaining places that you can still see evidence of the B&O name from before it was absorbed into the Chessie System and CSX Transportation.

The portion of US 1 seen here was built (when?) to bypass downtown Elkridge and the railroad's grade crossing at Main Street. Back in 1829, the B&O had to cross the same turnpike at a location further north (now the Morrell Park area of Baltimore) and built Jackson's Bridge, a 100+ foot wooden span which carried the road over the railroad.

At the intersection of US 1 and Old Washington Road sit this historical marker and bizarre early steam engine replica wannabe. Several readers have reported this is a replica of a Civil War steam gun.

The marker reads "Elk Ridge Landing - An important colonial port for shipment of tobacco. Here in 1765 Zachariah Hood, Maryland's 'Stamp Act' agent, was hanged in effigy. Lafayette's troops camped here April 17-19, 1781 on the way to engage Cornwallis in Virginia. George Washington passed here many times."

Links: Steam Gun info, Civil War cannon on rails (in VA)

This is the view looking northwest from the recently disused Elkridge station across the US 1 bridge. The engine of the train seen here was idling at the St. Denis station, over a mile away. In the distance you can see the I-895 overpass again.

Waiting at Elkridge for the traffic jam ahead to move is BNSF 4615 wearing a bold orange and yellow color scheme. We don't see many of these, affectionately known as "pumpkins", this far east, so this was a surprising treat.

Immediately behind (northeast of) the disused Elkridge station is where you'll find the decaying remains of a siding that served the JH Toomey & Sons lumber and coal yard. It appears railcars were backed into the siding and their contents dumped into concrete bins below. I estimate the siding was constructed around 1900. As of January 2002 the area appears to be in active cleanup, so these track remains may be removed soon.

On a geneology web page I found the following information that dates to ~1960:

"Notes for Joseph Henry 'Joe' Toomey, Engineer B&O Railroad, born March 16, 1833 died January 12, 1912

"Joseph entered the employment of the B&O Railroad as an apprentice machinist about 1850. Later he was a machinist, locomotive fireman and Engineer. Still later he held the position of Superintendent of Roads and Engines of the Washington Division with headquarters at Washington Junction near Point of Rocks at the time of his retirement.

"He owned a small farm of the approximate area of 25 acres, the eastern line bordering the right-of-way-line of the B&O R.R. at Elkridge, Howard County, Maryland and extending westerly along the Washington Turnpike. He, with his sons, Joseph Henry Toomey Jr. and Charles Edward Toomey, opened a lumber and coal yard on the Washington Turnpike at Elkridge under the name of J.H.Toomey and Sons Inc. Today it is one of the largest dealers of its kind in Howard county. It caters to the needs of adjoining counties and sections of Baltimore City."

The Toomey siding ends with an interesting bumper post. The bumper consists of rails bent upward and affixed together with the bracket device shown in the next picture.

At the rearmost part of the bumper post is this rail bracket on which the words "THE ELLIS" and "PATENT" are stamped (conveniently highlighted by the white graffiti). I assume "The Ellis" was the brand name for this type of bracket. These were likely common in the first half of the 20th century, but I'd would guess few of this vintage survive today.

Other than the Thomas Viaduct, very little of the original 1835 Washington Branch has survived to the present without rebuilding.

By virtue of lack of mortar, plus its semi-collapsing condition, this substantial culvert appears to be an original. It is approximately 10 feet high at the center, and is located deep in a ditch that requires a difficult climb through thorny brush. This one is definitely not recommended for viewing in person unless you are a serious bridge fanatic like me.

If you know where to look while driving past on Race Road, you may be able to see the other (possibly newer) side of this culvert by peering through the trees.

A retaining pond in a ~1980s housing development on Fairbourne Court sits on the west side of the tracks. At the middle is a small piped culvert. It's nothing stupendous, but I saw it on maps and decided to investigate. The pipe was likely added during the 1900s.