West End of Pearre/B127

W.E. Pearre/B127




According to a WM track chart at Pearre the WM had a passing siding here that was 5,765ft. with a 134 car capacity. There was also a 456ft. side track here also. That side track was most likely the old station track. The Pearre station was located midway along the passing siding. The WM also had signals 126.2 and 126.3 at the East end and signals 127.4 and 127.5 at the West end. With telephone boxes at each end and 1 in the center near the side track. The grade westbound through Pearre was 0.0 to +0.25 to +0.50 then back to 0.0. Today Pearre is the current end of the WM Rail Trail and State of Maryland ownership. West of Pearre is currently owned by the C&O Canal National Park. According to a member of the Hagerstown Model RR Museum, the original Pearre marker sign is currently on display at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum.


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Looking west from Pearre towards the WM bridge over Sideling Hill Creek. The right-of-way is in good shape although there are alot of thorn bushes along the way. This large telephone/power pole was along the right-of-way as well. (March 2002)

Signal 127.5 was once located here at the West End of Pearre. The round object in the foreground was the battery cellar for the signals. This cellar was used to storge large batteries in the cool ground in case a power failure would occur. The batteries would then supply power to the signals to keep trains moving. The cellar is now filled to the top with ground water. (March 2002)

This is the base for signal 127.4. This was the westbound signal for WM trains. This photo is looking east from behind where the signal would have stood. The right-of-way is grown up just east of here for a short distance. (March 2002)

This metal box coming out of the ground was once a connection for the mainline switch into the siding here at the west end. The dispatcher could throw the switch from a console that controlled the signals and switches from the Hagerstown Station. The remains of an old WM tool chest is also here. (March 2002)

This old chimney is located between the WM and C&O Canal at the West End of Pearre. According to Callan Dunagan, a former B & O Engineer who once lived in Pearre, this chimney was a brick kiln that Elizabeth Stafford commissioned someone to build. Her initials are on the chimney at the top. They are supposed to read "ES" but they messed up the "S". Callan also said after the kiln closed people would come around for many years to "dig for bricks". Thanks to Jeremy McCusker for supplying this information.
Back up on the WM, the thorns and brush are very thick. This photo shows the crossties as they lead away from the mainline to form the former location of the passing track. This passing track was used often as well because of its great length. Other sidings such as: North Branch, Oldtown, Fairplay, and Round Top were shorter and eventually downgraded to storage tracks. (March 2002)

This photo is from the WMRY in 1917 and it is of the section foreman's house that was here at Pearre. Unknown if this house is still standing today. (thanks to Mike Yetter and Warren Hart for photo)

From the road crossing leading to a house owned by the C&O Canal the WM right-of-way is viewed looking west. This exact location is planned to be the western end of the Western Maryland Rail Trail. The C&O Canal owns the right-of-way just passed this location at the Sideling Hill Creek bridge. Previously when I was here during a Boy Scout trip in the 1990's, the rails were still intact here at the crossing. I was hoping to photograph them when I returned in 2002, but they had already been removed. The second photo was taken in October 2004 during the final extension of the WMRT.

Here are two photos of the house I mentioned above and Lift Lock #56 on the C&O Canal. The house was formerly inhabited by a lady by the name of Susa B Anthony. There are markings on the outside upper floor of flood levels. These two photo were taken in November in the 1980's shortly after a Potomac River flood. (photos and info from David Lawrence Scally)


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