George W. Wireman

Early in November of 1875, John O’Donoghue and his gang were busy putting the finishing touches on the route in the area of Rocky Ridge. It was here that the Emmitsburg Railroad would connect with the Western Maryland Railroad. Back in Emmitsburg, the northern terminus of the 7-mile line that ran through the picturesque countryside of northern Frederick County, the finishing touches were being added to the station. This was located on the spot where the Emmitsburg Post Office is today. The station was a good-sized building, providing ample space for both freight and passenger service.

Long before the construction work of the railroad was completed, the citizens of Emmitsburg began planning for the official opening day of the Emmitsburg Railroad. Following Donoghue’s final inspection for the route, the official opening day was announced by the railroad officials. November 22, 1875 was scheduled for the official "big day".

And what a day that was, not only for the citizens of Emmitsburg, but for railroad officials, dignitaries, and special invited guests from the surrounding communities. Equipment and locomotives were supplied by the Western Maryland Railroad and later purchased by Emmitsburg as their operations gained momentum.

There were free excursions throughout the day between Emmitsburg and Rocky Ridge. Folks from Baltimore and Hagerstown purchased tickets and rode the Western Maryland Railway to Rocky Ridge, where they detrained and boarded the Emmitsburg train for the seven mile ride to Emmitsburg.

Another big day for the Emmitsburg Railroad was November 27, 1875. On this day, the very first excursion train from Emmitsburg was scheduled. Over 400 people purchased tickets for this trip. It was a unique experience for many. One could board the train in Emmitsburg and ride all the way to Baltimore on the same train without having to transfer to the Western Maryland Railroad at Rocky Ridge. Another first for this little railroad was recorded on December 6, 1875. It was on that day that the Emmitsburg Railroad hauled its first mail.

It might be well to point out here that the original operations of the Emmitsburg Railroad were conducted by the Western Maryland Railroad. This was on a cost basis as they (WM), were content to get their profit from the freight that originated on the Emmitsburg Railroad, but was run over the Western Maryland. Things went very smooth for several years when it was determined that Emmitsburg was strong enough to assume the full responsibility of operating the line on its own. In 1879, the Western Maryland Railroad relinquished its control and Emmitsburg took over its own operations. On their own, the first bit of action was to purchase Engine No. 1 from the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The Emmitsburg Railroad had indeed proved itself and become the community’s link with the outside world. In the beginning, many thought such a link was impossible, but without question, it was a dream come true.

What did the future hold for this little railroad, operating in the northern most part of Frederick County? That will be the subject of part 5 in this series. Watch for it exclusively in The Catoctin Banner.

 Map showing the route of the Emmitsburg Railroad was drawn especially for this series of articles by Louis D. O’Donoghue of Kensington, Maryland. It was Louis’ great grandfather, John O’Donoghue who built much of the Emmitsburg Railroad including all of the grading work.