Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad
{{Short description|Defunct 19th-century narrow gauge railroad in Maryland and Pennsylvania}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rail
|logo_filename =
|railroad_name = Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad
|logo_size =
|old_gauge =
|system_map =
|map_caption =
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|marks =
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|locale = Baltimore, northern Maryland and York County, Pennsylvania
|start_year = 1891
|end_year = 1901
|predecessor_line = Maryland Central Railroad, York and Peach Bottom Railway
|successor_line = Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
|gauge= {{track gauge|3ft|lk=on}}
|length = 84.4 mi (135.8 km)
|hq_city = Baltimore
}}
The Baltimore and Lehigh Railroad (B&L) was a 19th-century, {{track gauge|3ft|lk=on}} narrow gauge railroad in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It operated freight and passenger trains on its main line between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania.
History
The Baltimore and Lehigh was the result of an 1891 merger between the Maryland Central Railway (MCRY) and the York and Peach Bottom Railway (Y&PB). The two lines shared a common terminus: Delta, Pennsylvania. Delta was the site of slate quarries which provided significant freight revenue for the railroads. The MCRY had acquired control of the Y&PB in 1889 and began running through-service trains between York and Baltimore. The Maryland Central owners were interested in expanding the line further north into Pennsylvania.{{cite book |title=The Ma & Pa: A History of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad |last=Hilton |first=George W. |year=1999 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore, MD |isbn=9780801862946 |edition=2nd }}{{rp|37–40}}
File:Baltimore and Lehigh Rwy station.jpg
The Baltimore and Lehigh experienced several serious accidents during its few years in operation. It also had acquired the liabilities from an accident of its predecessor, the Maryland Central.{{rp|44–46}} These expenses contributed to a bankruptcy action in 1893. The Maryland and Pennsylvania sections of the railroad were then sold off separately in 1894. The York Southern Railroad acquired the Pennsylvania portion, and the Maryland portion was acquired by a new company, the Baltimore and Lehigh Railway.{{rp|47}}
Successor lines
In 1895 the York Southern converted its tracks to {{track gauge|4ft8.5in|allk=on}}, and in 1900 the Baltimore and Lehigh Railway did likewise on the Maryland tracks.{{rp|47, 54}} {{cite journal|date=May 27, 1899|title=Baltimore and Lehigh|journal=Railway World|publisher=Railway World Publishing Co.|location=Philadelphia, PA|volume=25|issue=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Si5CAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Baltimore+and+Lehigh+Railroad%22&pg=PA568}}{{rp|568}}
The York Southern merged with the Baltimore and Lehigh Railway in 1901, to form the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad. The new company announced that it planned to build a branch line from Red Lion to Columbia, Pennsylvania, to connect with the Reading Railroad. However, this idea was not implemented and the railroad never succeeded in expanding northward beyond York.{{rp|61}}
See also
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book |title=Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States for 1894 |last=Poor |first=Henry V. |year=1894 |publisher=H.V. & H.W. Poor |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/poorsmanualofrai27newyuoft/page/34 34]–35 |url=https://archive.org/details/poorsmanualofrai27newyuoft }}
{{Refend}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Defunct Pennsylvania railroads
Category:Defunct Maryland railroads
Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in Pennsylvania
Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in Maryland
Category:Railway companies established in 1891
Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1901
Category:3 ft gauge railways in the United States
Category:1891 establishments in Maryland