Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad

Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Maryland Central Railway, York and Peach Bottom Railway
Founded	1891
Defunct	1894
Fate	Bankruptcy; split into York Southern Railroad and Baltimore and Lehigh Railway
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Maryland, Pennsylvania
Products	Freight and passenger transportation

The Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad (B&L) was a narrow gauge railway from the 19th century that provided both freight and passenger transportation between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania.

History

Established in 1891 through the consolidation of the Maryland Central Railway (MCRY) and the York and Peach Bottom Railway (Y&PB), the B&L operated a connection at Delta, Pennsylvania, an important location due to its slate quarry industry which contributed significant freight income. Since 1889, the MCRY had controlled the Y&PB, operating continuous train services between York and Baltimore with intentions to extend further into Pennsylvania.

The railroad encountered several expensive accidents, including financial obligations carried over from the Maryland Central, which led to bankruptcy in 1893. The following year, the company was divided: the York Southern Railroad took ownership of the Pennsylvania lines, while a newly formed entity called the Baltimore and Lehigh Railway assumed control of the Maryland routes.

Successor lines

By 1895, the York Southern had converted its rails to standard gauge (), with the Baltimore and Lehigh Railway completing a similar conversion in Maryland by 1900. In 1901, these two entities united to create the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, which intended to build a branch line from Red Lion to Columbia, Pennsylvania to link with the Reading Railroad, although this expansion never materialized. The railroad’s network did not grow beyond York in the north.

See also

• List of defunct Pennsylvania railroads
• List of Maryland railroads