Western Maryland Railway, Cumberland Extension, Pearre to North Branch, from WM milepost 125 to 160, Pearre, Washington County, MD

Significance: The westward expansion of the Western Maryland Railway, beginning with the Cumberland Extension, was one of the last new mainlines constructed during the U.S. railroads' period of extensive growth between the Civil War and World War I, and it represents the height of railroad civil engineering at the beginning of the twentieth century. By employing modern materials and steam-powered construction equipment, engineers were able to design and build a railroad that included six major bridges, three tunnels, and extensive earthworks in this section alone to achieve low grades through rugged terrain along the upper Potomac River. While high construction and maintenance costs coupled with changes in the transportation industry ultimately led to the railroad's abandonment, the surviving roadbed and structures continue to bear witness to the sophistication of the era's engineering and construction capabilities, as well as the bold visions of those who underwrote such projects.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1168
Survey number: HAER MD-175
Building/structure dates: 1904-1906 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1975 Service terminated