Havre De Grace to Conowingo Dam

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The southern side of the bridge located just before the trail and right-of-way diverge. Photo by Justin Chambers, May 2010.

This short abandoned line branches from an active CSX (ex-Baltimore & Ohio) line in Havre de Grace, MD, and heads north to the Conowingo Dam and power plant, located on the Susquehanna River. The line runs adjacent and parallel to the river for most of its length. Its sole purpose was to allow the Susquehanna Power Company to transport heavy equipment to the dam from its connection with the B&O. Dam construction was completed in 1928, ostensibly placing the date of abandonment of this line soon after.

The track is washed out in several areas, but the track is mostly in place from the quarry to the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway Trail at which the rails have been pushed off the side and it has been turned into a rail trail.

Tacks run parallel to the shore for a distance and provide a great view of the Susquehanna. The bridges have been converted to foot bridges for the walking path that runs from the mill to the Greenway Trail.

Justin Chambers
Havre de Grace, MD
8/5/2010

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Actually, I thought that line branched off what is now Norfolk Southern. It runs down from the quarry on the river and underneath the Rt.40 bridge, then along (on)the street in Harve De Grace (used to), and up to what is still in use as a service track from the Norfolk Southern that makes deliveries to some industries there. Where the CSX crosses the trestle over the river is too high to have a branch off track that would have a passable downgrade to the river level....No??

John Borzatti
Baltimore, MD
9/27/2010

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This line connects to Aiken siding on the NS Port Road Branch. There has been some debate amongst NS officials whether to re-vamp this line, circumventing the need to run NS freight from Baltimore Bayview up Amtrak's NEC to the Port Road.

Richard Emmerson
Elkton, MD
12/21/2010

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Many moons ago I worked at the power plant and I knew the man that used to inspect the tracks. Once a month he would run the train up and down the tracks for his inspection. He did this up until Agnes took out part of the line. Therefore, abandonment didn't come in 1928, but closer to 1972.

When I young, my parents used to take us to picnic at the dam. Probably 1975 or 1976, and there were still flat cars on the railroad siding near the plant. I suspect that they were abandoned after the tracks washed out. Yes, the cars were very rusty! The cars were gone once I started working at the plant in 1989.

Hank
York, PA
4/7/2011

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This line does *not* connect to Aiken siding and the Port Road Branch- this thread is confusing two separate lines on *opposite sides* of the River. John Bozatti is correct about the line described here- it branches off from the NE Corridor, serves several industries along a still-active portion in Havre De Grace ending roughly on the line of Congress Avenue (check out Google maps for a view). The line formerly ran into S. Juniata Street and continued up the street (in other words, street running) under the Rt. 40 bridge and then north along the River to the dam. The rails in Juniata St. were in place into the early '80's but that portion had long since been abandoned. It was never CSX or B&O. Across the River, in Perryville, their is a connecting track from the B&O line down to the Port Road. CSX spots bad order cars and MOW at their end, NS often stores cars and equipment at their end. The mid portion is technically OOS (I think) and slowely returning to a state of nature. Again, two seperate lines, on opposite sides of the River.

Mike
Wilmington, DE
12/20/2011

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