Old Main Line Photo Tour

B&O Old Main Line Modern day photo tour
Accompanying each photo below are:

Mile - the distance from Camden station in Baltimore, Maryland
Ease - difficulty level to reach the photographer's location (A = easiest, F = toughest)
Area - estimate of safety level of area (A = safest, F = worst)
Map - ADC brand street map coordinates; notation is: county, page, grid
Date - date of photograph
View - compass direction of view
IC2 - page reference to similar, usually historic, photo in Herbert Harwood's excellent book Impossible Challenge II
Topographic Map - link to US Geological survey map

Click a photo to see a larger view. Please send your comments and corrections to Steve.

Sykesville Tunnel - Brief Historical Background:

Before Sykesville Tunnel (1903), the Old Main Line curved around the hill and stayed on the north bank of the Patapsco River.

Pre-Tunnel
Mile: 29.3	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: C	View: NW
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 J 4, Ho 4 J 5	Topographic Maps

The namesake tunnel is about a half mile west of Sykesville. The center of this photo shows the original route cut through a hillside in order to stay on the north (right) side of the river.

The current route on the left, which dates to 1903, crosses the river back into Howard County, runs through the short tunnel, and immediately crosses the river again. This must have been a troublesome section for B&O to have justified the cost of all these structures.

NEW! Mar 2007

Bypassed Culvert
Mile: 29.4	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: C	View: NW
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 J 4, Ho 4 J 5	Topographic Maps

In the distance, from the bridge east of the tunnel, upstream you can see an original, now disused culvert. This one is unique in that it is accompanied by an extensive retaining wall. Perhaps B&O was fighting a losing battle vs. river generated erosion here, and finally gave up and built the tunnel.

Zoom Culvert
Mile: 29.4	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: C	View: NW
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 J 4, Ho 4 J 5	Topographic Maps

Zoomed in for a better view.

NEW! Mar 2007

Reverse
Mile: 29.5	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: C	View: SE
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 J 4, Ho 4 J 5	Topographic Maps

It's a snowy river scene when looking back from atop the culvert.

With Bypassed Route
Mile: 29.7	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: B	View: E
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 H 4, Ho 4 H 5	Topographic Maps

From the other (west) side of the tunnel, on the left the snow highlights the original right of way.

Continue along the current alignment west from Gaither

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