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Trains Are Gone on the Octoraro Branch, But Relics of the Railroad Age Remain

Trains on the old Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad didn’t go far and they didn’t go fast on the line that twisted and turned its way through some of the most scenic parts of Cecil County.  Beginning on the state line at Sylmar, the rails passed through valleys, alongside creeks, and through granite hills until the junction of mainline, the Columbia and Port Deposit Road, was reached.  On a trip through this attractive area today, rusting iron bridges, abandoned right-of-ways, and other relics of the railroad-age remain.

A rusting abandoned bridge carries the rails of the P. B & C. Railroad across the Octoraro Creek outside Rowlandsville. The Port Deposit & Columbia Bridge is seen in the background.
A rusting abandoned bridge carries the rails of the P. B & C. Railroad across the Octoraro Creek outside Rowlandsville. The Port Deposit & Columbia Bridge is seen in the background.

0 Replies to “Trains Are Gone on the Octoraro Branch, But Relics of the Railroad Age Remain”

  1. A relative used to take the train from Liberty Grove into Baltimore, if you can believe that. That must have been quite the trip back then. I have a photograph of the train stopping in Liberty Grove.

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