Appalachian Mountain Crossing: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

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Battling for a River and Mountain Route: The B&O’s Appalachian Journey

The Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad’s historic crossing of the Appalachian Mountains was a testament to engineering strategy and relentless perseverance. Conceived to connect the port of Baltimore to the Ohio River and compete with New York’s Erie Canal, the B&O ultimately became the first common carrier railroad to bridge the Appalachian barrier, reaching the Ohio River at Wheeling in 1852. Its journey, like that of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), was defined by the practical approach of using natural river valleys to minimize grades, with a specific, challenging mountain segment in the middle. 

Political Hurdles and Route Selection

A critical factor in the B&O’s route was intense political opposition from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which sought to protect its own state-sponsored Main Line of Public Works and later its primary railroad competitor, the Pennsylvania Railroad. The PRR and its political allies in the state legislature effectively blocked the B&O from building a direct line to Pittsburgh through Pennsylvania. This forced the B&O to pursue a more circuitous and geographically challenging route primarily through Maryland and western Virginia (now West Virginia), skirting the state lines of Pennsylvania. This political maneuvering meant the B&O had to expend considerable time and money to build an alternative line that was inherently longer and faced tougher terrain than a more direct path might have offered. 

A Shared Strategy: Following the Rivers

Despite the political constraints, both the B&O and PRR employed a similar and pragmatic engineering strategy to conquer the Appalachians: they followed river valleys to achieve manageable grades for as much of the route as possible. This “water level route” approach was a fundamental principle of 19th-century railroading. 

  • The B&O line from Baltimore followed the Patapsco River valley before reaching the Potomac River. The B&O then built along the Potomac’s banks for a long stretch to achieve a gradual, almost imperceptible ascent through the mountains. Further west, the railroad used the Cheat River valley to navigate the rugged terrain of western Virginia.
  • Similarly, the PRR famously followed the Juniata River and its tributaries through Pennsylvania’s foothills to reach the base of its main mountain climb at Altoona. 

The B&O’s reliance on river valleys culminated in a significant engineering feat to reach its goal, the Ohio River, at Wheeling in 1852. This monumental effort required the construction of 11 tunnels and 113 bridges through the mountains, a testament to the scale of the challenge presented by the Appalachian terrain, even when hugging natural water courses. 

The B&O’s Challenging Mountain Segment: The 17-Mile Grade 

Despite the use of a “water level route” for most of its length, the B&O faced its most formidable challenge in a concentrated section of track known as the “17 Mile Grade.” Located west of Cumberland, Maryland, this segment forced the railroad to ascend the eastern slope of the Allegheny Front. The B&O’s grade was characterized by numerous sharp curves and a relentlessly steep incline, which was more demanding to traverse operationally than the PRR’s more elegantly engineered Horseshoe Curve. The operational difficulty of the 17-Mile Grade frequently required the use of powerful helper engines for heavy freight trains to make the arduous climb, showcasing a more brutal and direct confrontation with the Appalachian terrain compared to the PRR’s solution. 

The Impact and Legacy of the B&O

The completion of the line to Wheeling in 1852 was a significant achievement for the B&O, boosting Baltimore’s economy and opening trade to the interior of the United States. The B&O faced intense competition, particularly from the PRR, which, even after the B&O reached the Ohio River, continued to use political and financial influence to hinder the B&O’s expansion and force it onto costlier, longer routes to cities like Pittsburgh. 

Despite these challenges, the B&O made significant contributions to railroad development:

  • It was highly innovative, pioneering new technologies from its early steam engines to the first use of electric locomotives in its Baltimore tunnels in 1895.
  • Its westward expansion established a crucial east-west link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River and beyond, eventually reaching Chicago and St. Louis.
  • It played a vital strategic role for the Union during the Civil War, ensuring a critical transportation link for troops and supplies. 

The B&O later merged into the Chessie System and subsequently became part of CSX Transportation, a modern freight giant. The B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore stands as a prominent testament to the railroad’s rich history and pioneering spirit. 

Conclusion

Both the B&O and PRR were groundbreaking railroads that conquered the Appalachians by strategically leveraging natural river valleys and employing innovative engineering to deal with the unavoidable mountain climbs. However, their specific mountain crossings were distinct, partly due to the political barriers erected by Pennsylvania to protect its own interests. While the PRR is celebrated for the elegant solution of the Horseshoe Curve, the B&O’s achievement of reaching the Ohio River first with its “water level route” and its notoriously difficult “17 Mile Grade” is now a major part of American railroading history.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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