I’m watching a show on the History Channel and a RR on the Barrier Islands helped develop the island with businesses and houses. Does the RR still exist?
There never was a railroad on the “barrier islands” themselves, as far as I know, at least not as far south as those in Virginia. Here’s a summary of anything that even remotely resembles that:
- Northwards in Delaware, a couple of branches from the PRR’s main line down the middle of the DelMarVa peninsula - and a branch of its subsidiary, the Baltimore & Eastern - ran to Lewes on the western side at the mouth of Delaware Bay and then southward/ down a few miles to Rehoboth (Beach). However, at best that’s just the northern end of a barrier island that’s still connected to the peninsula.
- South from there in Maryland a branch of the B&E apparently ran eastwardly directly into Ocean City, Maryland, which - fairly put - is indeed the southern tip of a barrier island, but no further and not parallel to the ocean.
- Further south in Maryland, one of those PRR branches in Maryland got as far as a place designated as Franklin City - just barely over the line into Virginia - for its terminus, but that’s still on the peninsula - the barrier island is further east on the other side of a bay or sound.
Other than the above, I’ve never seen any indication of a railroad of any kind - narrow gauge, etc. - running north-south and parallel to the shoreline on the barrier islands themselves.
More accurately, the PRR main that ran up and down the DelMarVa peninsula was the source of development of the peninsula and the barrier islands. See this excellent article on that:
The Countryside Transformed: The Eastern Shore of Virginia, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Creation of a Modern Landscape
William G. Thomas III, University of Nebraska
Brooks Miles Barnes, Eastern Shore Public Library; Tom Szuba, University of Virginia
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Actually the original Norfolk & Southern went out to Virginia Beach. Not sure if thats considered an outer island though.
East of Norfolk there is also Cape Henry, Fort Story, Landtown, Back Bay, Munden, Pungo. All these were served by the original NSRY as well. Since I am not familiar with the geography of that area someone else will have to note if these points are barrier islands?
Go to: http://mapper.acme.com/ - input N 36.78399 W 76.09268 - then zoom in/ out as necessary.
Virginia Beach - yes, fronts on the open ocean, and is long and thin.
Cape Henry - yes, right at the tip.
Fort Story - yes, right at the tip, too.
Landtown - no, too far inland.
Back Bay - depends which side of the actual body of water: at the NWR, yes; on the mainland side, no.
Munden - no, too far inland, even though it’s on an estuary.
Pungo - no, too far inland.
How the heck did the N&S connect those towns across all those waterways ?
- Paul North.
P.S. - Check out N 36.82742 W 76.12427 - “Mt. Trashmore Park” - I love it ! [swg]
Is it possible they were referring to a local temporary RR, possibly 2-ft or 30- in gauge? I believe this sort of thing was not uncommon in the 19th century. Once the area was built up and the need to carry building materials and such died down, it would have been removed. Just a thought.
Yes, I suppose so - that’s why I briefly mentioned that possibility buried in the middle of my lengthy post above.
While at the Chincoteague Visitor’s Center a few years ago during the late Sept. ‘off-seaon’, the National Park Service Ranger who was manning the reception desk had enough time to pull out an old blueprint from the 1920’s which showed a proposed subdivision of that part of the island into many narrow building lots - a plan that was aborted by a hurricane, even back then. But I don’t recall ever seeing any plans, photos, books, remains, references, etc. to anything of that sort.
I’ve been going to the Delaware beaches off and on since 1979 - where I believe this would have occurred first, since it was settled first up there - Lewes dates back as far as 1632. Occasionally we’ve gone south to that metropolis-by-the-sea, Ocean City, MD, and to see the wild ponies on both Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. I’m usually suffering from ‘railroad withdrawal’ on those trips, so I’m was usually looking for something of that sort, but never saw it. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t ever there, though . . . [:-^]
- Paul North.
When is somebody suggesting a Chesapeake Bay Railroad Bridge Tunnel be built?