The Northern Central Railway was a rail line connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. A view of the Baltimore skyline from above. ... Sunbury is a city located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. ...

Precursors

The Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad Company was chartered by an act of the legislature of Maryland on February 13, 1828, with authority to construct a railroad from Baltimore to the Susquehanna River. To reach the Susquehanna at any commercially useful point, the new line would have to cross the state line into York County, Pennsylvania. However, the Pennsylvania legislature did not look favorably on the prospect of the trade of its southern counties being tapped for the benefit of Baltimore, instead of Philadelphia, and would not grant a charter for a connecting railroad. Construction had begun in 1829, and reached as far north as the York Road at Cockeysville by 1831. At that time, the Baltimore & Susquehanna obtained an amendment to its charter from the Maryland legislature which allowed it to built via Westminster into the headwaters of Monocacy Creek, intending to reach Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. New construction began at Hollins and ran west through the Green Spring Valley. The line reached the Reistertown Road at Owings Mills on June 13, 1832. However, despite fierce opposition from Philadelphia interests, the Pennsylvania legislature finally chartered the York and Maryland Line Rail Road Company on March 14, 1832, authorizing it to connect the Baltimore & Susquehanna, at the state line, with York, Pennsylvania, a commercial center on Codorus Creek. Official language(s) None Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,417 sq. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... York County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq. ... Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Map Political Statistics Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 County Philadelphia County Mayor John F. Street (D) Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 369 km² (143 mi²) 350 km² (135 mi²) 20... Cockeysville is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ... Westminster is a city located in Carroll County, Maryland. ... Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km) south by southwest of Harrisburg located in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seatGR6. ... Owings Mills is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Map Political Statistics Incorporated Borough:September 24, 1787 City:January 11, 1887 County York County Mayor John Brenner Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 13. ...

The directors of the Baltimore & Susquehanna did not immediately give up their planned route via Westminster, the terms of the new charter being somewhat onerous. The Adams County Railroad was chartered on April 6, 1832, in Pennsylvania, to run from Gettysburg to the Maryland state line, but was never constructed, nor was the line to Westminster (later the Green Spring Branch) extended. A further amendment to the York & Maryland Line's charter in 1837 allowed it the unlimited use of the Wrightsville, York and Gettysburg Railroad, which it had aided financially. The Baltimore & Susquehanna and York & Maryland Line had completed the line from Baltimore to York by 1838 (including the Howard Tunnel, the earliest railroad tunnel in the U.S. still in use today), and in April 1840, the Wrightsville, York & Gettysburg had been completed between York and Wrightsville, on the Susquehanna. There a connection was made to the Columbia Bridge, allowing trains to cross the river and reach the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. The railroad provided an alternative method of shipping cargo from central Pennsylvania to the Maryland seaports versus the Tide Water and Susquehanna Canal. However, the cost of expansion and inconsistent tariff policies plagued the Baltimore & Susquehanna and limited further growth. April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Wrightsville is a borough located in York County, Pennsylvania. ... Map The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, running from Philadelphia west across the state to Pittsburgh. ...

The York and Cumberland Railroad Company was chartered on April 21, 1846 to connect the York & Maryland Line with the Cumberland Valley Railroad somewhere north of Mechanicsburg. It was opened on February 10, 1851, running north from York to the Susquehanna and then following the river to Lemoyne, across the river from Harrisburg. It was briefly operated by the Cumberland Valley, but the Baltimore & Susquehanna took over operations on June 7. Work also began on the Hanover Branch Railroad, a line connecting Hanover with the York & Maryland Line at Hanover Junction. April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Mechanicsburg is a borough located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, eight miles (13 km) west of Harrisburg. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Lemoyne is a borough located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. ... Map Location in Pennsylvania Political Statistics Founded c. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

On April 14, 1851, the Susquehanna Railroad was chartered to build north from the York & Cumberland or the Pennsylvania Railroad up the Susquehanna through Halifax, Millersburg and Sunbury, where it would fork into two branches reaching Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre. It was an ambitious enterprise, badly in need of capital, and as yet unorganized. The charter was amended on April 24, 1852, to allow the York & Cumberland and Wrightsville, York & Gettysburg to subscribe or loan up to $500,000 to the company, and to permit the counties and boroughs along the way to contribute funds. The Maryland legislature authorized the City of Baltimore to contribute the same amount on May 14. The Susquehanna RR finally elected officers on June 10, and was soon embroiled in a dispute with the Sunbury and Erie Railroad over right-of-way. April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... Halifax is a borough located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. ... Millersburg is a borough located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. ... Sunbury is a city located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. ... Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania highlighting Williamsport Williamsport is a city located in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. ... Wilkes-Barre (IPA: , , or [1]) is a city located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, of which it is the county seat. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ...

Meanwhile, on May 27, the Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad was incorporated to build from the end of the line at Owings Mills towards Hagerstown. On July 4, a serious accident occurred on the Baltimore & Susquehanna when a special picnic excursion collided with a York local, killing thirty-one persons. The Hanover Branch Railroad was opened to Hanover on October 22 and operated by the Baltimore & Susquehanna. On May 10, 1853, the Baltimore & Susquehanna's charter was amended to permit it to build two branches to the Patapsco River (the Canton Extension), but this was stymied by legal problems and difficulties in tunneling. May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded Incorporated County Washington County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor vacant Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Water 27. ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Patapsco is a river in central and coastal Maryland. ...

On the northward extension, the Susquehanna RR let contracts for the line from Lemoyne to Sunbury in November 1852, and construction began on February 22, 1853. A financial crisis beginning in the fall of 1853 proved a severe embarassment to the Baltimore & Susquehanna and associated railroads, and on March 10, 1854, the Maryland legislature authorized the Baltimore & Susquehanna, York & Maryland Line, York & Cumberland, and Susquehanna Railroads to merge, writing off its investment in the lines in exchange for a mortgage on the new railroad. Construction halted on the Susquehanna RR. The Pennsylvania legislature authorized the merger on May 3, and articles of consolidation were signed on December 4 (filed December 16, 1854), forming the Northern Central Railway Company. February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Consolidation and Civil War

On April 1, 1855, the Northern Central stopped operating the Hanover Branch RR, which began independent operation. On December 20, 1855, construction resumed on the northward extension, and by December 28, 1856, the line had bridged the Susquehanna at Dauphin and reached Millersburg, connecting with the Dauphin and Susquehanna Railroad and the Lykens Valley Railroad, respectively. These were lateral lines tapping coal mines east of the Susquehanna, and the extension afforded them a direct outlet by rail rather than by canal boat. In 1857, it reached Herndon and the Trevorton Coal and Railroad Company, another mining line. On June 28, 1858, the line was opened to Sunbury, where it connected with the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad, to Shamokin, and the Sunbury and Erie Railroad, to Williamsport. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Dauphin is a borough located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. ... Herndon is a borough located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Shamokin (Saponi Algonquian place of the horn) is a city located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, at the western edge of the Coal Region. ...

Later, the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock in an effort to better compete with the rival Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... 1876 map The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. ...

To impair traffic between Baltimore and Harrisburg, Confederate cavalry destroyed a large number of York County railroad bridges originally constructed by the B&S. They were quickly rebuilt by the U.S. Army Military Railroad in conjunction with the Northern Central Railway. Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

The line would carry passengers, flour, paper, milk, farm products, coal, and mail between such settlements as White Hall, Parkton, and Bentley Springs and the city of Baltimore. When it ceased operation in 1972, it was one of the oldest rail lines in the country. It ran for a total of 134 years.

Abraham Lincoln traveled on the Northern Central on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address in 1863, changing trains in Hanover Junction, PA. After his assassination, his body was transported via the same rails on its long journey home to Illinois. Union soldiers were also transported on this line. Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed the Rail Splitter, Honest Abe and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... The only known photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg (seated, center), taken about noon, just after Lincoln arrived and some three hours before he spoke. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq. ...

In 1972, when Hurricane Agnes caused bridge damage and washouts along the line, it ceased operations. Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. ...

Later, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources converted the corridor into a trail which opened to the public in 1984. It is known in Maryland as the Northern Central Railroad Trail. The trail continues into Pennsylvania, where it becomes the York County Heritage (YCH) trail.

External links

• History of the NCR
• PRR Corporate History
• PRR Chronology, Chris Baer

References

• Gunnarsson, Robert L., The Story of the Northern Central Railway, Sykesville, MD: Greenberger Publishing Company, 1991