=Cumberland Power=
Fall 1999
North End Through the Narrows
The gap created by Wills Creek served as entry into Cumberland for the Cumberland & Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Ohio, Georges Creek and Cumberland, Pennsylvania RR in Maryland, and the Western Maryland Railway. Today the CSXT Keystone Division is only common carrier left, although a very busy one. The Western Maryland Railway is operated as a scenic line.
Wills Creek cut away Tuscarora sandstone as the sharply folded Wills Mountain was formed back in ancient geologic time. Further upstream, Wills would breach Allegheny Front and Savage Mountain to provide a wonderful railroute to "Western Waters" for the early B&O. Unfortunately, the yet unborn Pennsylvania Railroad killed the plan by blocking the B&O from entering Pennsylvania and the B&O created the West End route in desperation. Only near the end of the 1800's would the B&O finally finish a route up Wills Creek.
Looking south into the North End of Cumberland, one sees that Wills Creek has been channelled by concrete walls to stop the devastating floods of a earlier years. Looking closely one sees a turreted top house (maybe owned by a founder of the GC&C RR). Cumberland, particularly on Washington Street, is filled with stately homes built when Cumberland Coal was known worldwide and the B&O was the lifeblood of the Queen City.
Near the Henderson Street Bridge, CSXT passes warehouses once served by rail.
This area was once the City Junction region. In GC&C RR days, their roundhouse and other facilities were in this vicinity. Looking to the right of the CSXT line in the photo is the abandoned right of way of the Cumberland & Pennsylvania that served businesses and provided a connection with the Queen City Station. City Junction was active up through the '70's providing a connection with the truncated WM Rwy up to Number Nine and Borden Yard. I once met an engineer that ran that turn, he was operating the Democrat Club after his departure from railroading.
At the Baltimore Street crossing a consist includes LMSX, HLCX and CSXT
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