Chesapeake Beach Railroad
For the Chesapeake Beach Railroad, we have decided to put all the stations together and on one page. Many of the smaller stations we found little information on…..
In 1901 – there are references that the railroad was going into receivership.
1906 – An ad notes ” Two Miles of Boardwalks” only an hour ride from Washington DC.
A round trip ticket was 50 cents and Saturday’s it was only 25 cents.
50 Attractions awaited you at the park.
In 1910 – I found an ad for the Chesapeake Beach, showing trains leaving the District Line Station ( just outside of Washington DC ) enroute to Chesapeake Beach. The schedule I found showed six trains traveling out of DC to the Station.
Stations along the way were :
District Line Station
Seat Pleasant Station
Berry Station
Ritchie Station
Marrs Station
Brown Station
Forestville Hills
Claggett
Upper Marlboro Station
Pennsylavania Jct
Mt Calvert Station
Pindell Station
Lyon’s Creek Station
Chaney Station
Wilson
Owings Station
Mount Harmony
Pushaw
Chesapeake Beach Station
Many of the above stations didn’t last very long as stops and over the years there were less and less stops.
Separate Pages were made for District Line, Seat Pleasant and Owings Stations.
In the 1900’s, a station along the Chesapeake Beach Railroad was broken into, but there was no mention of which one.
Ritchie Station in 1900 was getting a phone line installed.
The railroad was used for a Farmer’s outing in 1900 to Tracey’s Landing ( Near Present day Rt 2 & 256 )
In 1912 – Mention was made in a local paper of the Marshes nearby Mount Calvert Station. Selbey’s Marsh was known for good duck hunting and fishing.
1931- An accident between a car and a train along the line resulted in the deaths of two people.
In 1932, another death was reported after a man walking along the tracks was struck by a train.
In 1934 , a roadway overpass was made over the railroad near Mount Harmony Station.
In 1935, the railroad had been closed down and the properties of the railroad were sold.
Workers dismantling the passenger cars at Seat Pleasant Yard reported finding about 15 dollars a day in coins, found stuck in seat cushions.
In 1940, even with the railroad closed, it ended up making the news when a driver was killed in a traffic accident when he struck a abutment, which appeared to have been part of the Lyon’s Creek Station.
I had a chance to swing by Chesapeake Beach recently and found the Station closed due to Covid 19 concerns, but in good condition. The parking lot of the the Station is always full of cars and activity with a nearby Resort.
A majority of the stations were very small ” Whistle Stop ” stations, often a general store or warehouse, or shelter, and most of the old stations are no longer standing.
In 1914 – I found mention of a annual excursion train going to Chesapeake Beach from the stops at Marlboro, Brown, Ritchie, and Behrend. The round trip ticket was a quarter.
Nearby , about two miles South, was the Randle Cliffs Post Office. It was reported in the 1930’s to be the smallest Post Office operating at the time in the entire Country, and the Post Master would drive to the Chesapeake Beach Station to get the mail from the train, for the 4 families the Post Office served. Where the Post Office once stood is prime Real Estate today.
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