Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad

Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Railroad
Predecessor	Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, Baltimore and Potomac Railroad
Founded	1902
Defunct	1976
Fate	Assets transferred to Amtrak and Conrail
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C.
Parent	Pennsylvania Railroad (until 1968), Penn Central (post-1968)

The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad (PB&W) operated from 1902 until 1976, serving the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Washington, D.C.. As an essential component of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) system, its principal route linked Philadelphia directly to Washington. Today, the PB&W’s main corridor is incorporated into the Northeast Corridor, which is owned and managed by Amtrak.

History

Established in 1902 through the merger of two Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiaries—the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad and the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad—the PB&W unified important rail operations within the region. By 1907, it became a joint owner of the Washington Terminal Company, which operated the renowned marble structure of Union Station (Washington, D.C.), a critical transit center.

By 1916, PB&W oversaw extensive track mileage, including a significant portion under trackage rights, facilitating substantial passenger and freight services across vital Mid-Atlantic corridors.

Acquisitions

Throughout its history, PB&W expanded by acquiring several railroads:

1906: South Chester Railroad
1913: Baltimore and Sparrow's Point Railroad, which provided service to the Sparrows Point steel plant owned by Bethlehem Steel Corporation
1916: Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
1916: Columbia and Port Deposit Railway
1916: Elkton and Middletown Railroad
1956: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (also known as the Pan Handle Route)

Enhancements

In 1928, the Pennsylvania Railroad initiated electrification of its main line stretching from New York City to Washington, D.C., employing overhead catenary wires. The electrification process for the PB&W segment concluded in 1935. This infrastructure continues to support operations today via the 25 Hz traction power system utilized by Amtrak.

Dissolution

Following the 1968 merger of Pennsylvania Railroad with the rival New York Central Railroad, forming the Penn Central Railroad, PB&W remained legally distinct but was under Penn Central’s control. After Penn Central filed for bankruptcy in 1970, it continued functioning until 1976 when its rail assets were divested under the provisions of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act. Congress approved transferring PB&W’s Philadelphia-to-Washington right-of-way along with related properties, including those of the Washington Terminal Company, to Amtrak. Additional assets such as most of the PCC&StL (Pan Handle) were assigned to the newly created Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).

In popular culture

The comedian Flip Wilson featured a routine titled "Ugly Baby" (1965), set aboard a Pennsylvania Railroad train departing from Baltimore.

External links