Western Maryland Railway Co. - 1950's dated Maryland Railroad Stock Certificate

Railroad Stock. Mercury racing diesel locomotive. American Bank Note Co. Nice! Available in Blue, Green or Olive. Please specify color.

The Western Maryland Railway, an American Class I railroad that operated from 1852 to 1983, served Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Primarily focused on coal hauling and freight transportation, the railroad also operated a small passenger train service. In 1973, the WM became a property of the Chessie System holding company. However, it continued independent operations until May 1975, after which many of its lines were abandoned in favor of parallel Baltimore and Ohio Railroad lines. In 1983, the railroad was fully merged into the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which later merged with the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad into the Chessie System in 1987, which is now known as CSX Transportation.

The railroad’s journey began in 1852 with the chartering of the Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Railroad, which aimed to build a rail line from Baltimore westward to Washington County, Maryland. In 1853, the Maryland General Assembly changed the company’s name to the Western Maryland Rail Road Company. Construction commenced from Owings Mills in 1857, utilizing an existing Northern Central Railway branch line terminating at Owings Mills to connect to Baltimore. The railroad reached Westminster in 1861 and Union Bridge in 1862. However, further expansion was delayed due to the Civil War. Westward construction resumed in 1868 under Chief Engineer Joseph S. Gitt, leading to the completion of the line to Hagerstown in 1872. This section became the East Subdivision. The company’s first major car shops were established at Union Bridge.