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Delmarva Division
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Delmarva Division
The Delmarva Division is the set of railroads on the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia that were part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) through most of the 20th Century. The lines were built by several different companies and then eventually consolidated under the control of the PRR and later the Penn Central Railroad. Throughout the 20th Century some of the rail lines were abandoned and following the bankruptcy of Penn Central and break-up on Conrail ownership changed many times.
The first section of rail that would eventually become the Delmarva Division was built by the Delaware Railroad with financing from the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad. The line was built from a junction with the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad in Porter, Delaware, to Dover, Delaware, in 1855. It was extended to Seaford, Delaware, in 1856. The PW&B leased the railroad starting the next year. It was extended to the Maryland state line at Delmar, Delaware in 1859.
In 1857, the Junction and Breakwater Railroad (J&B) built a "junction" with the Delaware Railroad in Harrington, DE and by 1859 it had reached Milford, DE. Work was stalled by the Civil War but resumed in 1867 and the line was completed to Lewes, DE and the Delaware Breakwater, via Georgetown, by 1869. By 1878 it had built a 5-mile extension to Rehoboth. In Rehoboth it eventually built connections to Canneries along the canal, factories along Laurel Street, a passenger station on Rehoboth avenue and a wye that connected to Henlopen Junction.
The Delaware Railroad was only allowed to construct a rail line within the state of Delaware. After it reached Delmar in 1859, the 1835 charter of the Eastern Shore Railroad was revived and the Eastern Shore RR extended the line to Crisfield, Maryland in 1866 and built a branch to Pocomoke City, Maryland in 1871.
On May 22, 1874, the Breakwater & Frankford Railroad (B&F) opened a connection to the J&B at Georgetown that ran from Georgetown to the Maryland line at Selbyville, DE just south of Frankford,DE.
By 1876, the Worcester Railroad had connected to the B&F at Selbyville and extended the line to Franklin City, Virginia.
In 1879 the Eastern Shore Railroad was foreclosed on and acquired by the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad (NYP&N) which built an extension from Pocomoke City to Cape Charles, Virginia in 1884.
On August 29, 1897 the Queen Anne's Railroad connected its line from Queenstown, MD (which first opened in 1896) to the J&B (now part of DMVR) line at Ellendale, DE and extended it to Milton, DE. On March 1, 1898, service was extended to Lewes, DE where it connected to a terminal that allowed passengers to catch a ferry to Cape May.
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Delmarva Division
The Delmarva Division is the set of railroads on the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia that were part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) through most of the 20th Century. The lines were built by several different companies and then eventually consolidated under the control of the PRR and later the Penn Central Railroad. Throughout the 20th Century some of the rail lines were abandoned and following the bankruptcy of Penn Central and break-up on Conrail ownership changed many times.
The first section of rail that would eventually become the Delmarva Division was built by the Delaware Railroad with financing from the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad. The line was built from a junction with the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad in Porter, Delaware, to Dover, Delaware, in 1855. It was extended to Seaford, Delaware, in 1856. The PW&B leased the railroad starting the next year. It was extended to the Maryland state line at Delmar, Delaware in 1859.
In 1857, the Junction and Breakwater Railroad (J&B) built a "junction" with the Delaware Railroad in Harrington, DE and by 1859 it had reached Milford, DE. Work was stalled by the Civil War but resumed in 1867 and the line was completed to Lewes, DE and the Delaware Breakwater, via Georgetown, by 1869. By 1878 it had built a 5-mile extension to Rehoboth. In Rehoboth it eventually built connections to Canneries along the canal, factories along Laurel Street, a passenger station on Rehoboth avenue and a wye that connected to Henlopen Junction.
The Delaware Railroad was only allowed to construct a rail line within the state of Delaware. After it reached Delmar in 1859, the 1835 charter of the Eastern Shore Railroad was revived and the Eastern Shore RR extended the line to Crisfield, Maryland in 1866 and built a branch to Pocomoke City, Maryland in 1871.
On May 22, 1874, the Breakwater & Frankford Railroad (B&F) opened a connection to the J&B at Georgetown that ran from Georgetown to the Maryland line at Selbyville, DE just south of Frankford,DE.
By 1876, the Worcester Railroad had connected to the B&F at Selbyville and extended the line to Franklin City, Virginia.
In 1879 the Eastern Shore Railroad was foreclosed on and acquired by the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad (NYP&N) which built an extension from Pocomoke City to Cape Charles, Virginia in 1884.
On August 29, 1897 the Queen Anne's Railroad connected its line from Queenstown, MD (which first opened in 1896) to the J&B (now part of DMVR) line at Ellendale, DE and extended it to Milton, DE. On March 1, 1898, service was extended to Lewes, DE where it connected to a terminal that allowed passengers to catch a ferry to Cape May.