The UK generally gets credit for being the pioneer of railways and railway technology, but if one examines the timeline the Baltimore and Ohio railroad began construction only three years after George Stephenson's Stockton and Darlington railway began operation in 1825. Likewise the B&O's "Old Main Line" heading west out of the Port City of Baltimore to connect it with the Chesapeake and Ohio canal at Point of Rocks, started operation only 5 years before the New Main Line to Washington, DC was completed. Although the route to Washington ran over considerably milder terrain, a major barrier was the same Patapsco River valley that the Old Main Line used to escape the Chesapeake estuary. To overcome it the B&O constructed the Thomas Viaduct, a 612 foot long stone railroad bridge with 8 arch spans and a double track deck. Today the bridge remains in use, as constructed, carrying CSX freight trains on its Capitol Sub as well as MARC Camden Line passenger trains. Although close to where I live, I had not made any special effort to visit the viaduct until Covid closures reduced competing options. I made a point to go in the early evening when northbound and southbound Camden Line trains would show up. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
The curving viaduct spans the Patapsco River flood plain, with flood being the operative word as the normally sedate waterway sees frequent flood conditions that the bridge has stood up very well against. Normally the easternmost arch spans the Patapsco Valley State Park access road.
An obelisk was erected at the eastern end in 1835 to commemorate the completion of the bridge.
Although now carrying trains an order of magnitude heaver than for what it was designed, the Thomas Viaduct has stood up well over the past 185 years.
The split between the Old and New main lines physically takes place just before to the viaduct at Relay, MD, however the logical split is now at ST DENIS interlocking a little less than a mile east of the viaduct. Here one can see the separate Capital and Old Main Line sub mileposts. 7 miles is the actual distance between this point and the old Camden station via Bailey's wye.
Whole at the obelisk a westbound train of empty coal hoppers passed by on the OML routing with ET's44AC #3409 and #3434, AC4400 #430 and ES44AC #702 with #420 being in the classic Blue Yellow and Grey CSX paint scheme.
West end of the viaduct crossing over a local road.
View along the viaduct looking east.
Eastbound MARC Camden Line train with MP36PH-3C #13 and single level cab car #7760.
The westbound train featured cab car #7759 and MP's36PH-3C #27 and #24.
Thomas Viaduct from the west bank.
Some local flora and fauna.
The evening westbound MARC train crossing the viaduct with cab car #8053 and MP36PH-3Cs #20 and #17.
I stayed north of the viaduct for the lighting, but that resulted in the eastbound MARC train getting partly hidden by the bridge. It was the trainset with the #7760/#13 cab car/engine combo.
I'll wrap things up with this photo the OML crossing Old Fredericksburg Road at Milepost 16.6. This is the oldest continuously active grade crossing in the world.
Tune in next week for more MARC Camden Line action as drum up content from my own back yard.
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