DELAWARE'S
RAILROAD'S
1827
- 1996
Railroads
in Delaware, as in all America, developed in the late 1820's as a
rapid, all weather, transportation alternative, which also fostered
community development away of the cities and waterways.
The
Delaware Railroad, established in the late 1850's opened southern
Delawares farm markets to the populated cities. They located well
inland away from the colonial villages set on navigable waterways ,
nearer the bay.
Kent
county's Felton, was one of many towns that grew with the railways.
Early
Delaware railways would link major eastern cities with a reliable
year
around network.
The
New Castle & Frenchtown Turnpike, opened in 1811, is considered
the first road system, connecting Cecil county Maryland's Elk River
to New Castle on the Delaware which greatly improved transportation
between Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1830 it became a railroad and
was a success until 1843 or about and became part of the
Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore, part of Wilmington &
Susquehanna Railroad System. The western most nine miles were
abandoned in 1857.
The
NC&F was at first a horse drawn railway which quickly went to
steam in its success. .
The
PW&B, formed in 1840, brought to Wilmington key suppliers to the
railroad industry, such as, Betts, Pusey & Harland, aka Harland
& Hollinsworth, well known for their railroad car factory.
Other's were Diamond State Iron, Lobdell Wheel Company, Jackson &
Sharp. Repair shops opened there in 1865. It dominated Delaware
railroading the next 45 years offering fast, dependable, all weather
transport between Washington, DC and New York.
Still,
poor management, engineering mistakes threatened the existence. . New
management, replacing the rail with heavier tracks , improved
locomotives and cars and better service so that in 1850 the PW&B
was still a factor.
This
success gave thought in 1836 and 1847to linking to downstate and
Delmarva, but financing was not available. Waterways remained the
primary means of downstate transportation. In 1852 the State stepped
in, helped by the duPont Family, with money for Delaware Railroad.
1855 saw the operation of the Delaware Railroad Division of the PW&B
.
The
Delaware Division choose to route on the western side of the state,
bypassing the established seaport towns , leaning an eye toward the
Maryland's Eastern Shore. Dover was reached by 1856 and Seaford by
the end of the year. In 1859 the railroad was at Delmar, a new
railroad town, and connected with the Maryland Eastern Shore
Railroad.
This
railroad improved transportation to market for lower Delaware farm
and forest products. Towns of Cheswold, Felton, Viola, Wyoming,
Harrington, Greenwood, Seaford and Delmar grew in to shipping points
for lumber, peaches, melons and fresh spring fruits and vegetables.
With
the main north and south line complete and successful, attention was
turned to branches. 1869 saw the Junction & Beakwater from
Harrington to Lewes in operation. 1878 found Rehoboth at its last
station bringing hundreds of vacationers each summer. 1874
Georgetown to Selbyville was completed. In 1883 the railroad was
named Delaware, Maryland & Virginia, DM&V. Branches ran
from Smyrna to Oxford, Maryland, Townsend to Massey and Centerville,
Seaford to Cambridge.
After
the Civil War railroads were reaching all corners of America. It was
the country’s big business. In 1869 there were 30,000 miles of
track, in 1900 there were 200, 000 miles and they became more
standardized. A standard gauge of four feet, eight and one half inch
was accepted. Upgrading to heavier structure and equipment, steel
instead of wood., was the major project.
The
railroad became the dominant form of transportation.
Beside
the PW&B, there became the B & O, and Pennsylvania in the
Washington to New York corridor. The B & O purchased the PW&B
in 1881 but Pennsylvania offered a higher price and gained control
of Washington to New York lines. So now Delaware Railroad was part
of the Pennsylvania system. The B & O was a parallel competitor
during the 1890 era, linking many other railroads in the New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and New York – New England area.
COMPLETING
DELAWARE'S
RAILROAD
MAP.
A
number of other railroads were founded in Delaware, the Wilmington &
Northern, Pennsylvania & Delaware, Baltimore & Delaware Bay,
The Maryland, Delaware & Virginia, which were smaller players
serving local needs as feeders.
Wilmington
& Northern, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania to the Delaware River
through Wilmington, began in 1866, brought coal to the Wilmington
docks. Eventually going to Reading in 1874, it soon became the
Reading Railroad in 1899.
Pennsylvania
& Delaware , 1869, ran from Pomeroy Pennsylvania to the wharfs at
Delaware City, and soon spun off into the Newark & Delaware and
the Pomeroy and Newark.
The
Delaware peach growing industry in late 19th century,
spawned several minor lines . In 1879, Jay Gould of the Southern RR
of New Jersey bought tracks from Pierson's Cove at Bombay Hook to
Chestertown, with a ferry from Bombay Hook to Bayside, New Jersey.
1902 it merged with Delaware Railroad. The Queen Anne's Railroad
was opened 1898 from Love Point, Maryland to Lewes, through
Greenwood, Ellendale and Milton, in 1902 became Pennsylvania, and
sold out in foreclosure by 1923. This railroad had significance
between 1897 and 1931 as the main way to get vacationers from
Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia to Rehoboth Beach.
1881
-1945
Pennsylvania
Railroad was the railroad. Clayton became Delaware's largest
railroad center with offices and shops. It was the largest land
holder and tax payer in the state, a key political player. Much of
the system was doubled tracked. New York, Philadelphia &
Norfolk, NYP&N, carried trains across the Chesapeake Bay to the
large port of Norfolk. Southern produce, vegetables, fruits,
tobacco, cotton, oysters, became common in New York and Boston
markets. This brought Kent and Sussex counties alive with their
peaches, melon and strawberries. The food processing industry was
much benefited and the area had many canneries. Starting in 1902
the railroad upgraded, bridges elevated tracks, stations, freight
yards, and four track systems.
The
B & O found it necessary to follow suit. The viaduct over the
Brandywine in 1910, 1920 the Augustine bridge and the Wilsmere
Yards.
Electrification
began in 1910, first under the New York city rivers. New Jersey
railroads following the trend, gave high speed track service to the
railroad. 1928 and after the New Deal WPA made improvements
available and electrified high speed passenger and freight service
was the norm. The network of overhead electric wire was called
'catenary'.
1917
– 1946 profits, government regulated pticing structures became a
problem. Competition of trucks and automobiles, the highway
development, cut into the railroads monopoly. Passage of the Federal
Highway Act of 1916, and entry into WWI exacerbated railroad woes.
They
reorganized, cut expendables but the automobile was moving ahead.
The Depression worsened the situtation. Then came WWII, troop
movements, decreased coastal ship activity and automobile travel
restrictions, thrust transportation burdens back to the railroad.
This
was found to be short lived. The industry was physically in sorry
shape by WWII's end. The system was punished by deferred
maintenance, lack of replacement parts, for the tracks and equipment.
Improved highways and the truck industry taking a large percent of
business, air travel increase , left the railroad with no place to go
but down and out.
1956
saw the end of a monopoly. Delaware removed one of the two tracks.
Trucks using the 'piggyback' system for longhaul and cross country
shipping did some help to keep railroads alive. There are positives
to the railroad existence, such as, the railroad location in the
establishment of the Newport General Motors plant and the Newark
Chrysler plant.
Mergers
brought the Chessie System in 1960's, Penn Central. 1970 Congress
created Amtrac. Conrail and CSX came about in 1980. Deregulation
with the Staggers Act allowed an improved climate for the railroad
business which allows the ownership of other types of transportation
such as barges and auto truck lines.
Today,
the railroad continues to be an important player in Delaware
economy. Amtrak carries a heavy passenger load, Conrail and CSX
transport freight. The CSXT line carries Conrail & Norfolk
Southern, Canadian Pacific with freight from outside the Diamond
State. Conrails Indian River Secondary Track serves to Frankford.
Maryland & Delaware, an independent railroad of the Snow Hill
Shippers Association , Townsend & Chestertown, Seaford to
Cambridge, Georgetown to Lewes, old Breakwater and Junction, are on
line with trains every now and then. .
Wilmington
& Western, a private owned tourist attraction , runs through Red
Clay Valley, Wilmington to Hockessin. Delaware Valley Railroad, the
old Wilmington & Northern & Reading Railroad is a bridge
route to Pennsylvania shippers .
Source:
“Delaware's Railroad's, 1827 – 1996” is an abstract of an WWW
Internet site , perhaps on line at the University of Delaware
Library, Newark, Delaware.
