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WM - State Line Bridge

Allegany County, Maryland

Photos 

Looking south from Locust Grove Rd. towards where trestle crossed

South abutment (US 40 is to the right)

Photo taken by Jodi Christman on June 14, 2013

Enlarge

BH Photo #257319

Map 

Description 

This bridge consists of a trestle over Wills Creek and US 40 and 2-span through truss over C&P RR and B&O RR tracks.

From source: http://www.wmwestsub.com/ State Line Jct. was where the two former main tracks between Colmar and Cumberland was later reduced into one single track for the trip west up the mountain. The only stretch of double track became the Mt. Savage siding between Mt. Savage and Frostburg. Back at State Line Jct. a branch ran off to the right across a curved bridge spanning Rt. 40, Will's Creek, C&P Eckhart Branch, and the B&O. The State Line Branch ran to State Line, Pa. where it connected with the Pennsylavania Railroad. The PRR had trackage rights over the WM into Cumberland.

Today not much is left at State Line Jct. It is still possible to see exactly where the train-order office was and the brisge for the State Line Branch. Nothing here today but a few power poles and the WM's thru-truss bridge that the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad now uses.

Facts 

Overview
Lost Through truss bridge over Rt. 40, Will's Creek, C&P Eckhart Branch, and the B&O on Western Maryland State Line Branch
Location
Allegany County, Maryland
Status
No longer exists
Railroads
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (BO)
- Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P)
- Cumberland & Westernport Electric Railway
- Cumberland Electric Railway Co.
- Western Maryland Railway (WM)
Design
2-span through truss and trestle approach w/ Pratt deck truss span over Willis Creek
Also called
WM - Devil's Backbone Viaduct
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.66970, -78.78825   (decimal degrees)
39°40'11" N, 78°47'18" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/689709/4393435 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Cumberland
Inventory number
BH 56725 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Allegany County, Maryland (111)
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (529)
Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad (3)
Cumberland & Westernport Electric Railway (1)
Cumberland Electric Railway Co. (1)
Curved (490)
Deck girder (6,305)
Deck truss (1,927)
Girder (11,173)
Grade Separated Rail Crossing (421)
Lost (28,529)
Lost 1982 (113)
Lost during 1980s (1,533)
Maryland (831)
 Pin-connected (4,712)
Plate girder (8,728)
Pratt deck truss (407)
Pratt through truss (6,061)
Pratt truss (10,305)
Railroad (16,462)
Riveted (2,513)
Skewed (5,012)
Through girder (4,192)
Through truss (16,816)
Truss (35,500)
Vertical Endposts (81)
Western Maryland Railway (92)

Update Log 

  • October 18, 2020: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • January 20, 2017: New photo from Mike Piontka
  • January 4, 2017: New photo from Mike Piontka
  • April 9, 2015: Updated by Ian Martin: Specified truss type
  • June 23, 2013: Added by Jodi Christman

Sources 

  • Jodi Christman - masterofchaos [at] outlook [dot] com
  • Western Maryland Railway - A personal, pictorial site of a railway fan who has documented the history of WM
  • Ian Martin
  • Mike Piontka
  • Geoff Hubbs

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