Ghosts of the Northern Central

"The Northern Central"
ALL PHOTOS BY ADAM PAUL

Old Freight service meets new passenger service on this descendant of the old Northern Central Railway. The Melvale spur at Coldspring Lane was relocated when the Central Light Rail line was constructed.

In most ways, the Northern Central is alive and well, although it is a far cry from it's former role as a reasonably substantial mainline from Baltimore to Harrisburg, whereupon connections could be made to other points reaching in all directions. Most, but not all of today's traffic over the Northern Central is in the form of MTA Light Rail trains operating at 17 minute headways between Hunt Valley and Cromwell Field in Glen Burnie, as the line still does do a limited amount of freight traffic.
Construction on the original line, known as the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad began in 1829, and reached initially as far North as Lake Roland, extended soon afterwards to Cockeysville. From here on, the intention was to reach the Susquehanna River in York, but difficulties with the Pennsylvania legislature caused construction on the line to be suspended indefinitely, while a new approach was sought travelling West from Lake Roland over the Greenspring Branch. After a change of heart by the Pennsylvania lawmakers in 1834, construction resumed, and the line was completed.
The line enjoyed relative success for a number of years under the B&S, and it's successors, the Northern Central Railway (it's most popular designation) and the Pennsylvania Railroad. As late as the boom during World War II, the NC hosted 34 passenger among three different service types along it, serving destinations as far off as Buffalo and Cleveland.

In the Baltimore area, there were numerous stops, served only by the commuter service (termed PARKTON LOCAL) and the Baltimore-Harrisburg Locals. Local stops as far as Cockeysville, and their locations were:

CALVERT STATION: Downtown terminal for Commuter Service was located at Calvert and Centre Streets, razed following abandonment for construction of new Sunpapers headquarters.

WOODBERRY: located at about the location of the Light Rail stop, typically a Flag Stop.

MELVALE: Just north of the Cold Spring LRT stop, this stop vanished early on.

CYLBURN: At about Northern Parkway, this stop also vanished early.

MT. WASHINGTON: located at today's LRT stop, an actual STOP for locals and commuters.

BARE HILLS: Probably at the same spot of Falls Road Station, ordinarily a Flag Stop.

HOLLINS (RELAY): Junction to the Greenspring Branch, abandoned as a stop when passenger service on Greenspring Branch discontinued in 1930's.

LAKE: Generally a Flag Stop, this small shelter was about where Bellona Avenue first meets the line.

RUXTON: Located just north of the Ruxton Road Bridge, this was an active commuter stop.

RIDERWOOD: just North of Joppa Road, not as busy but still respectable.

LUTHERVILLE: at Morris Avenue, a stop for Commuter trains, and some local traffic.

TIMONIUM: South of the present LRT stop, closer to Timonium Road, full fledged commuter stop.

PADONIA: at Padonia Road, ordinarily a Flag Stop for Commuter Trains.

TEXAS: at Church Lane, generally a Flag Stop for Commuter Trains.

COCKEYSVILLE: at York Road, mostly a Commuter Station stop.

In most respects, the Maryland Stations did not serve the long distance trains, although a limited called "The Pennsylvanian" did stop at Parkton and Cockeysville, with flag stops on the Southern end at Lutherville and Ruxton.
The years following the War witnessed a massive plunge in ridership, as the Parkton Commuter Service vanished in 1959. This would be followed in the late 1960's with the end of Passenger services altogether on the line. A washout of sections of the line by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 did nothing to help, and the line was effectively abandoned North of Cockeysville, to be retermed the COCKEYSVILLE INDUSTRIAL TRACK. In this role, the line performed about a bi-weekly frieght service, it's main customer being the Genstar Quarry in Cockeysville. Maintenance on the line was minimal, and the line carried a weedy, overgrown feel to it. Ideas surfaced to the creation of a Busway along the route, which would have certainly meant the end to this rail corridor. Then came the idea of Light Rail.
In the late 1980's, Governor Schaeffer began a push to revitalize the line as a passenger corridor once again. Funding was secured, and the line was initiated in 1992 between Timonium and Camden Yards, with extensions over the following years to Hunt Valley, Glen Burnie, and BWI Airport. The line was rebuilt and electrified, using a passing siding arrangement. The result is a far different railroad than that operated 150 years ago, or even 15 years ago for that matter. Still, the line does retain some charming and intriguing attributes, if you know where to look, as ghosts still do haunt the old Northern Central!

TO THOSE INTERESTED IN THE LIGHT RAIL LINE'S HISTORIC ROOTS, HISTORIES OF BOTH THE ROUTE AND IT'S PREDECESSORS CAN BE FOUND IN TWO VOLUMES, INCLUDING A HARDCOVER BOOK DEVOTED TO IT TITLED "THE NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY" and HERBERT H. HARWOOD'S 1995 BOOK "BALTIMORE LIGHT RAIL: THEN AND NOW." BOTH BOOKS SHOULD SERVE TO SATISFY!
TO SEE A 1945 NORTHERN CENTRAL SCHEDULE, CLICK HERE

GHOSTS OF THE NORTHERN CENTRAL
TRAVELLING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

Before joining the Light Rail line, the Northern Central shows signs of its weedy later years as the Guilford Avenue street trackage gives way to this segment picking its way beneath the piers of the Jones Falls Expressway.
For information on the street trackage of this line, click here!

Although the Northern Central was not an electric road, the portion up to just North of Cedar Avenue (Wyman Park Drive) did carry electric power by the late 1930's, as can be seen by the square catenary support tower seen in the Center Left of this photo. Left track is freight track used to clear entry switches to NS Flexi-Flow Terminal located behind photographer.
Hints abound of the NC's historical past, such as this disconnected spur located between the Woodberry and Cold Spring Stations.

Southern view of the same spur shows the precarious trestle that it once negotiated.
Most photogenic of all NC Ghosts is the Lutherville Station, well restored, and lovingly taken care of, located at Front and Morris Avenues, south of the current named Lutherville Stop.

Southbound Brick platforms remain, and look impressive even in the company of a modern LRV such as #5024 here.
Better view of the Station house, and it's substantial stone construction.

View from Front Avenue looking onto former narrow Northbound Platform area. Width of this platform shows it was mainly used for patrons alighting from points South.
It has been written that the original B&S used Wooden blocks (stringers) to mount it's early iron strap rail construction. As this exposed ghost at Padonia Road shows, the truth is another matter.

Close-up view of the Stone Stringers used in initial construction of the line. Slot is where timber was threaded upon which rail was laid.
One more view of the Stringers shows a train in passing.

After the Light Rail line diverges to the West immediately after crossing Warren Road, the old Northern Central continues straight for a short distance, giving a familiar glimpse into its dowdy later years. Just before reaching Cockeysville Road, the line fans out into a small 3 track yard.
Looking South from the crossing at Cockeysville Road, the "mainline" is highly overgrown, the result of neglect and non-use. To the right are the two spurs shown in the photo above.

North of Cockeysville Road, a now disconnected industrial spur appears to indicate the last use of this portion of the line.
The last few feet of this once proud mainline vanish into the weeds just North of Cockeysville Road, a radical departure from the line's charachter during World War II.

Looking South towards the same view, one can see the new official end of the Northern Central from Baltimore, Milepost 15 EXACTLY. Immediately north of this (and we do mean IMMEDIATELY) lies the blue utility shed seen in the foreground. Meanwhile, another spur can be seen peeking through the makeshift roadway.
This old freight house remains along "trackside" in Cockeysville, but has been converted to the headquarters of a fencing company.

TO SEE A 1945 NORTHERN CENTRAL SCHEDULE CLICK HERE

GOT A GOOD NC RELIC TO TELL US OF?!? CONTACT US!!!

Before joining the Light Rail line, the Northern Central shows signs of its weedy later years as the Guilford Avenue street trackage gives way to this segment picking its way beneath the piers of the Jones Falls Expressway.	For information on the street trackage of this line, click here!
Although the Northern Central was not an electric road, the portion up to just North of Cedar Avenue (Wyman Park Drive) did carry electric power by the late 1930's, as can be seen by the square catenary support tower seen in the Center Left of this photo. Left track is freight track used to clear entry switches to NS Flexi-Flow Terminal located behind photographer.	Hints abound of the NC's historical past, such as this disconnected spur located between the Woodberry and Cold Spring Stations.
Southern view of the same spur shows the precarious trestle that it once negotiated.	Most photogenic of all NC Ghosts is the Lutherville Station, well restored, and lovingly taken care of, located at Front and Morris Avenues, south of the current named Lutherville Stop.
Southbound Brick platforms remain, and look impressive even in the company of a modern LRV such as #5024 here.	Better view of the Station house, and it's substantial stone construction.
View from Front Avenue looking onto former narrow Northbound Platform area. Width of this platform shows it was mainly used for patrons alighting from points South.	It has been written that the original B&S used Wooden blocks (stringers) to mount it's early iron strap rail construction. As this exposed ghost at Padonia Road shows, the truth is another matter.
Close-up view of the Stone Stringers used in initial construction of the line. Slot is where timber was threaded upon which rail was laid.	One more view of the Stringers shows a train in passing.
After the Light Rail line diverges to the West immediately after crossing Warren Road, the old Northern Central continues straight for a short distance, giving a familiar glimpse into its dowdy later years. Just before reaching Cockeysville Road, the line fans out into a small 3 track yard.	Looking South from the crossing at Cockeysville Road, the "mainline" is highly overgrown, the result of neglect and non-use. To the right are the two spurs shown in the photo above.
North of Cockeysville Road, a now disconnected industrial spur appears to indicate the last use of this portion of the line.	The last few feet of this once proud mainline vanish into the weeds just North of Cockeysville Road, a radical departure from the line's charachter during World War II.
Looking South towards the same view, one can see the new official end of the Northern Central from Baltimore, Milepost 15 EXACTLY. Immediately north of this (and we do mean IMMEDIATELY) lies the blue utility shed seen in the foreground. Meanwhile, another spur can be seen peeking through the makeshift roadway.	This old freight house remains along "trackside" in Cockeysville, but has been converted to the headquarters of a fencing company.