Green Ridge Railroad

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Green Ridge Railroad
Overview
LocaleMaryland and West Virginia, United States
Dates of operation1883 (1883)–1894 (1894)
Technical
Track gauge3 ft (914 mm)
Length26 mi (42 km)

The Green Ridge Railroad was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad that operated in Allegany County, Maryland.

The rail line was located 8 miles (13 km) east of Cumberland, in the vicinity of Town Hill and Fifteenmile Creek. It belonged to the Mertens family, and supplied lumber to a sawmill at Oldtown for use by the Merten's boatyards in Cumberland to construct and repair canal boats.[1] It connected to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Okonoko, West Virginia, and ended at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, across the Potomac River from Paw Paw, West Virginia.[2] The maximum extent of the track system was 26 miles (42 km).

The railroad opened in 1883 and operated as a common carrier through 1891. Subsequently, it operated as a private carrier until it closed in 1894.[3]

Locomotives[edit]

The two locomotives for the GRRR were built at the Mount Savage Locomotive Works, for T. H. Paul, under contract.

  • Green Ridge Number 1 is featured in an illustration of the Mt. Savage catalog, as the model for the 0-6-0s.
  • GRRR Number 2 is an 0-4-0.

Disposition of the engines is unknown.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ruby, Robert (May 9, 1982). "Maryland forest offers a respite". The Baltimore Sun. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ Darby, Albert D. (October 16, 1976). "Book Features Area Logging Railroads". The Cumberland News. Cumberland, MD. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Hilton, George W. (1990). American Narrow Gauge Railroads. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 416. ISBN 0-8047-2369-9.