Hockessin, DE to Landenburg, PA

The Landenburg Branch

Picture Point of Interest

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Just west of Hokessin, DE, the tracks swing through a soccer field. Photo by Joe Sharretts.

The B&O Landenburg Branch left the B&O main in Wilmington, DE, at Landenberg Junction, then went through Green Bank, Hockessin and then west to Landenburg, PA. The line was built between 1867 and 1872. The line ended at the Pennsylvania RR line in Landenburg. The section of the branch from Landenburg to Southwood, DE, was abandoned in the late 1940s, and then back to Hockessin, DE, in the late 1950s. Therefore, the tracks seen in the pictures on this page have been out of service since the late 1950s.

Today the Wilmington & Western operates a tourist line from Hockessin to Wilmington, DE, on the remaining portion of the line.

The line was built as the Delaware & Western, then became the Baltimore & Philadelphia. It was eventually bought out by the Baltimore & Ohio in 1886. The 3 miles between Hockessin and Landenburg, PA have been abandoned, and about a mile of abandoned but intact track remains past Hockessin to near the PA state line. Past this point, the right-of-way is almost impossible to trace due to the growth and development of the area.

Thanks to Joe Sharretts for contributing information about this route.

The wilmington and western recentley operated on the line a little north of hockesion.

Christian
Bear, DE
3/29/2009

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Shortened Link: http://a-r.us/ghm
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