"The Bay Shore and Fort Howard
Shuttles"
All Photos by Adam Paul
CLICK
THE THUMBNAIL ABOVE FOR A NICELY DETAILED MAP OF THESE SHUTTLES
"The Bay Shore and Fort Howard
Shuttles"
All Photos by Adam Paul
CLICK
THE THUMBNAIL ABOVE FOR A NICELY DETAILED MAP OF THESE SHUTTLES
For many a streetcar rider, it was the ultimate pleasure ride, unparralelled anywhere else in the system. Of all the lines in the Baltimore system, perhaps none can conjure up the fond recollections of riding on the Bay Shore Shuttle. Although the Amusement park was the principal destination, the ride on the shuttle was to many a joy in and of itself, with its jaunts across creeks, through the woodlands and marshes, before taking a lovely jostle along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, where it would reach a waiting shelter in the center of the Amusement park, just above the wooden roller coaster, and West of the pier.Sharing some of the Bay Shore's route was the Fort Howard Shuttle, the less exciting, but nevertheless interesting sibling of the Bay Shore branch. This branch largely parralleled North Point Road skirting the farms there, before plunging into the small shoreline community of Fort Howard and coming to a rest just outside the gates of Fort Howard itself.
Originally, the lines were all within the same line, a large loop line that operated Counter-Clockwise. A hurricane in 1933 destroyed the bridge over the Shallow Creek, and the UR&E, faced with enough difficulties from the Great Depression, opted not to rebuild the passage, but instead sever the connection, and operate two distinct shuttles. This would prove in the end to be advantageous, as the Bay Shore operation was only needed Seasonally, while the Fort Howard and the trunk operation justified year round operation, thus cutting down on dead mileage in the off season.
The seasonal Bay Shore operation lasted until the close of the Summer Season of 1947, which appears to have occurred in mid-September (no official date has been preserved), while the established Fort Howard operation soldiered on until the morning of October 19, 1952, when it was taken over by Dundalk Bus Lines (in an unusual mid-morning abandonment where the BTC car made a round trip in the morning, with Dundalk taking over for the remainder of the day).
The lines were pulled up, and the metal sold for scrap, while the bridges were dismantled. The rights of way were left to be slowly reclaimed by nature, aside from those in Edgemere which became rather an unusual mix of greenery and pathway. Today, the lines both remain easily traceable, and the Bay Shore line has been converted into a beautiful trail where nature lovers, birdwatchers, and even trolley buffs can go to enjoy the sights and feelings given off by this warm ghost of Baltimore's past.
SURVIVORS:
TRAVELLING FROM WEST TO EAST
After crossing the creek from Sparrows Point, both the Bay Shore and Fort Howard lines parralelled this roadway in Edgemere. The line here was double tracked.
Leaving Edgemere, the line approached another bridge to make its approach to Bay Shore Junction, which now lies within the confines of Private Property.
After diverging at Bay Shore Junction, the Fort Howard branch followed North Point Road into the North Point community, following this stretch where the grass is taller.
As the Bay Shore line crosses North Point Road, it plunges into woodlands, now officially the "Black Marsh Trail" of North Point Park. Aside from the R-O-W, few relics of the old line survive through here, aside from a couple discarded crossties.
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Later, the line curves as it makes its approach towards the bay, including a short section on causeway through the marshlands. A single concrete foundation for a support mast watches over the scene.
After passing the Marshlands, and shortly after resuming the trek through woodlands, the ghost hunter comes across what is certainly the most eerie and looming of the ghosts of the line: the Powerhouse that once supplied both the line and the park. The effect when coming upon this relic is one of massiveness!
Power Connections long since abandoned.
From the East looking back
A peek inside - Entry is prohibited.
The walls, with a close proximity of tall trees.
Among the jewels remaining in the park is the old Trolley Waiting Station, now restored to a pavillion. Before 1933, the line continued into the distance to connect with the Fort Howard end.
The curved gravel guideway shows the path taken by the streetcars as they headed through the waiting shelter.
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