FEDERALSBURG, Md. — Shortline company Carload Express has officially assumed control of the Maryland & Delaware Railroad, a move approved by the Surface Transportation Board earlier this year.
The transaction — approved by the STB in a decision announced Jan. 2 — became official on April 23. The railroad’s rebuilt Alco RS3m locomotives have been replaced by a pair of SW1500s carrying Carload Express livery.
The Maryland & Delaware (reporting marks MDDE), founded in 1977, operates about 100 miles of track on three non-continguous rail lines on the Delmarva Peninsula of its two namesake states. It connects to Norfolk Southern, and to Carload Express’ 188-mile Delmarva Central, which operates in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The other Carload Express lines, both in Pennsylvania, are the 77-mile Allegheny Valley Railroad, and the 66-mile Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad.
I spotted an error in that map. The DCR line from Georgetown to Lewes was abandoned a few years ago. The section from Lewes to the crossing of US 9 in Harbeson has been rail-trailed, and IIRC the Harbeson to Georgetown section is being converted to a trail too.
Pictured by Gary Pancavage, the 53-year-old, well-maintained Carload Express No. 1502 (EMD SW1500) switcher appears to be in very good condition.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Note that Carload Express acquired MDDE through the purchase of outstanding equity shares in MDDE from Old Line Holdings Inc.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün