Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad
(An interurban is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a fairly heavy but fast electric train, something between an urban trolley and a full-fledged long-distance train, that offers more frequent service than an ordinary railway.")
The WB&A began operations with two lines, the Main Line from Washington to Baltimore and the Annapolis Branch (later dubbed the South Shore Line,) formerly the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad (acquired 1903) from Annapolis Junction to Annapolis. The Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line at this point changed names to the Maryland Electric Railways Company (and more commonly known as the Annapolis Short Line), and electrified their line between Annapolis and Baltimore. It wasn't until 1921 that the Annapolis Short Line was acquired and incorporated into the WB&A system as the North Shore Line.
The WB&A could achieve speeds of 60 miles per hour on their main line between Washington and Baltimore, however their trains could not make the trip faster than the commuter services offered by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The WB&A instead advertised "fast" trains, with significant emphasis on their cleanliness, frequent and dependable service and the pioneering electric technology that powered them.
In addition to their standard service between Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis, the WB&A would run special trains servicing the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Camp (Fort) Meade in Odenton and the now unused race track in Bowie.
Eventually, the increased use of automobiles hurt WB&A traffic, and the railroad slowly began a state of decline in the 1920s. August 20, 1935, was the last day of service on the WB&A; the railroad was sold at auction, with most of the equipment and infrastructure scrapped. The former North Shore Line of the WB&A was purchased by a group known as the Bondholders Protective Society, which created the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad Company. The new Baltimore and Annapolis operated passenger trains between the two cities until 1950, after which the trains were replaced with buses - freight service on the B&A continued until 1968, when rail service ended entirely.
Few remnants of the WB&A and B&A remain today. Of the entire system, two pieces of equipment are known to survive: former WB&A freight motor number 1 and B&A diesel number 50. The freight motor is preserved at the Western Railway Museum in California (more info HERE and HERE) and the locomotive at the B&O Railroad Museum in Maryland (more info HERE). Most of the track has been torn up, with a multi-use trail occupying many portions of the old right of way. One of the WB&A's Baltimore terminals survives, as well as a few electrical substations. A couple sections of track survive in Annapolis and Odenton. Recent road construction in Annapolis revealed surviving WB&A track in Church Circle for the first time in years.
This article represents an extremely condensed history of the WB&A. The full WB&A story begins in the mid 1830s; Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Morse and Civil War encampments are all included in this extensive history. There are two books which we highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the WB&A:
EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR: A CHRONICLE OF THE WASHINGTON, BALTIMORE AND ANNAPOLIS ELECTRIC RAILROAD by Lt. Col. John Merriken. **This book has been out of print for years. To our knowledge, there are no vendors that sell this book in a retail setting. Your best opportunity for obtaining a copy of this book is to search eBay and Amazon - prices vary greatly.
THE ANNAPOLIS AND ELK RIDGE RAILROAD 1837 — 1885 by Daniel Toomey and Steve Hammond. This book is available by mail order from the Anne Arrundell County Historical Society for $15 plus shipping and sales tax for Maryland residents.
