Georges Creek Railroad

Georges Creek Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1853
Defunct	1863
Fate	Absorbed by Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad
Headquarters	Lonaconing, Maryland , United States
Area served	Georges Creek Valley, Maryland
Products	Coal transport, iron transport (minimal)

The Georges Creek Railroad was a rail line managed by the Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company in the western region of Maryland. It operated from 1853 until it was absorbed by the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P) in 1863.

History

The Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company (GCC&I), after constructing a blast furnace in Lonaconing, Maryland, encountered logistical difficulties as iron production expanded. Initially experimenting with a horse-drawn tramway, the company redirected efforts toward building a railroad through the Georges Creek Valley to establish connections with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and rail networks at Westernport.

By 1850, all necessary surveys had been completed. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) reached Piedmont, West Virginia, situated across from Westernport, by July 1851. Construction of the railroad by GCC&I commenced in September 1851. The 9.2-mile track officially began operations on May 9, 1853, linking Lonaconing to Piedmont and the B&O line. Coal shipments totaled 1,061 tons by June of that year; by 1855, annual coal transport surged to 225,000 tons, frequently utilizing trains consisting of up to 102 cars. Shipments of iron remained minimal. In 1856, the route was extended northward from Lonaconing to connect with the C&P at Frostburg, Maryland.

Despite these expansions, the Lonaconing Iron Furnace ceased operations in 1855 due to difficulties accessing markets. Consequently, coal became the railroad’s principal freight.

On October 23, 1863, control of the Georges Creek Railroad transferred to C&P. Its maintenance shops and engine house located in Lonaconing continued functioning until 1867. This section of track supported coal transport on an as-needed basis as late as 1998. In 1991, CSX's Georges Creek subdivision moved approximately 195,197 tons of coal—figures comparable to mid-19th century volumes handled by the original railroad.

Locomotives and rolling stock were procured from Baldwin Locomotive Works and Smith & Perkins. Ross Winans of Baltimore supplied wheels and axles for mining cars. Passenger service utilized a 2-6-0 type locomotive. Following acquisition, all known locomotives were integrated into C&P’s roster; no photographic records exist for key models. Engines commonly bore names inspired by local geography or prominent individuals, though some name origins remain unidentified.

See also

• List of defunct Maryland railroads
• George's Creek and Cumberland Railroad (1876–1917)
• Georges Creek Railway (2007–present)

References

• Papenfuse et al., Maryland: A New Guide to the Old Line State, Johns Hopkins University 1999,
• Patrick H. Stakem, "The Georges Creek Railroad 1853-1863," Nov. 1995, The Automatic Block, Vol 17, No. 11. Newsletter of the Western Maryland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Cumberland, Maryland.
• Mellander, Deane. Rails to the Big Vein, the Short Lines of Allegany County, Maryland, January 1981, Potomac Chapter, NRHS, Inc.
• Stakem, Patrick H. "Lonaconing Residency: Iron Technology and the Railroads," PRB Publishing, 2011, .
• Mellander, Deane. Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad, 1981, Newton, NJ: Carstens Publishers, Inc., .