The Western Maryland Railway, which operated a main line from
Baltimore to
Williamsport, Maryland, made its initial expansion into Pennsylvania in 1881. The WM leased a line from the
Baltimore and Cumberland Valley Rail Road and the Baltimore & Cumberland Valley Rail Road Extension Company, which connected
Edgemont, Maryland, to
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. In 1886, the line was further connected in Shippensburg to the
Harrisburg and Potomac Railroad, which later became part of the Reading system in 1891. In 1899, the WM implemented a route modification between Chambersburg and Hagerstown known as the Altenwald Cutoff. This new route, connecting Hagerstown and
Quinsonia, Pennsylvania, served to reduce steep grades for heavy coal trains and shorten the overall distance on the branch line. A portion of the cutoff was
double-tracked, leading to improved operational efficiency. However, the remaining section between Quinsonia and Edgemont experienced lower traffic levels. Eventually, the segment between
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and Edgemont was dismantled in the late 1950s. During the late 1920s, the Reading Railroad constructed a new connection to the WM at Lurgan. ==See also==