George's Creek and Cumberland Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Defunct | 1917 |
| Fate | Merged with Western Maryland Railway |
| Headquarters | Cumberland , United States |
Area served | Maryland |
| Products | Rail transport (coal and passenger services) |
The Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad (GC&C) operated within Maryland from its inception in 1876 until it merged with the Western Maryland Railway (WM) in 1917. Its primary route connected Cumberland to Lonaconing.
History
Formed by rival coal mining enterprises in the Georges Creek Valley, the GC&C was created to compete against the Consolidated Coal Company, which monopolized rail transportation through the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad. By 1887, a substantial wooden trestle carried the railroad over Midland. The line extended through mining areas including Clarysville and Vale Summit, reaching southward to Lonaconing. This trestle structure was dismantled during the 1930s.
In addition to hauling coal, GC&C operated passenger services with two daily trains between Cumberland and Lonaconing (excluding Sundays) as of January 1887.
In 1888, GC&C expanded by acquiring a branch line from the Pennsylvania railroad in Maryland company. This extension ran northward from Cumberland to the border of Pennsylvania, linking with the Bedford and Bridgeport Railroad, under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).
Control of GC&C shifted in 1907 when the Fuller Syndicate, led by George Gould, purchased a majority stake to secure a route through the Cumberland Narrows. The WM, previously owned by Gould until 1908, assumed operational control of GC&C in 1913 and finalized a complete merger in 1917. Following this, WM constructed a new line from the Narrows through Frostburg extending to the Pennsylvania state line. This connected further via the Connellsville and State Line Railway, a WM subsidiary, reaching Connellsville. By 1927, WM discontinued large sections of the former GC&C lines. The segment between Cumberland and Midland remained active until its abandonment in 1939. The State Line Branch continued under PRR management until 1934.
See also
- Georges Creek Railroad (1853-1863)
- Georges Creek Railway (short line railroad operating since 2007)
- List of defunct Maryland railroads
References
External links
- Railroad history website - mtnsub.org. "The Narrows." Archived 2007-02-08. Accessed 2018-10-11.
- "Railroads of Midland" – historical information and photos