Hagerstown: Railroading Around the Hub City

Images of Rail

by Mary H. Rubin

Hagerstown, Maryland's history is inextricably linked to the railroad. Hagerstown's nickname of the ìHub Cityî comes from the wheel-spoke effect that the many rail lines in and out of the city created. The first train cars from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad reached the limits of Washington County on December 3, 1834, where the line crossed into Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. The railroad was instrumental in transporting both goods and passengers and helped spell the demise of the C & O Canal. Through the years, the railroads continued to ply the tracks through the county providing work for many, and transportation of freight and passenger service from Baltimore in the east to the great expanse of the country to the west. Today, passenger service no longer runs through Hagerstown, but freight service continues and trains are far from forgotten.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2003

Reviews

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Railway Town!

This book was a joy for me to read. I enjoyed looking at photos of the B&O and Western Maryland steam locomotives and the Hagerstown roundhouse. I also enjoyed looking at the photos of the streetcars of Hagerstown. Great reading pleasure for me!

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved seeing the old photos of my family's hometown. My grandfather worked for WMMR for years, through the merger with CSX and it was great to learn some facts I never knew.