Just when I thought I had seen everything Central Maryland's historic
rails had to offer, I discovered this gem of a timber supported bridge
tucked away in a hidden location.
Shortly after splitting from the current main line, the Patuxent Branch
rails must negotiate a high passage over the Hammond Branch stream. To my
great surprise, this is accomplished by the timber bridge seen here, the
only timber bridge I've found for any CSX trackage in the region.
The center section of the bridge is made of steel, and the number 1
is painted at the north (west) end. The condition of the timbers are too
good for this to be the original structure from the 1800s. Even though this
part of the branch is still in use, apparently neither the B&O or CSX has
ever seen fit to replace the timber with stone and steel.
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