A Conrail engine inherited by CSX speeds by atop this attractive
stone and brick bridge just south of the Dorsey Station. You can
even see it without getting out of your car. Simply drive north on
OConnor Drive from Route 103. According to Harwood, this bridge
dates to 1870.
This bridge also marks a corner of Howard County. From here south
to Laurel, the railroad determines the Howard-Anne Arundel county
line. As you might have guessed, the railroad pre-dates Howard
County, which split off from Anne Arundel in 1850. I am not
sure if the pair of tracks is officially located entirely in
one of the two counties, or if the county line runs in between them.
The ADC maps indicate the railroad is in Anne Arundel county, but
a B&O schedule lists the tracks and stations as being in Howard.
Except for a less-than-one-mile stretch near Mt. Airy, all of Howard
County's borders are defined by either railroads or rivers.
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