Streetcars of the Monumental City

Photos by Adam Paul

Though they were usually called streetcars, the cars were by no means relegated strictly to travel in the public streets, as is the case with the buses of today. In the early days around the turn of the 20th Century, there were many lengthy portions of private "rights-of-way" which took the cars on a scenic shortcut avoiding streets altogether. In many other cases, the cars travelled along their own "reservations" either in the center of the roadway, or along the side.

Gradually, many of these portions of right of way were swallowed up. The side reservations were often ingested by road widening projects of the early 20th Century. A lot of the center private reservations were later paved for use by all vehicles. And in some cases, the paths taken which did not parrallel roads would later become roads themselves.

In researching the ghosts of the streetcar system, it is only natural to find a short piece of right of way that has hung on and resisted redevelopment. In addition, a number of old terminal loops still are traceable as their land has not been redeveloped. Here, then is a look at some of these "snippets"...


In Catonsville, the former right of way of the #8 car line held on long enough to be adopted by locals who upkept it to become the "#8 Trolley Trail." This two block long stretch of track runs East of Dutton Avenue between Edmondson Avenue and Frederick Road.	Further in on route #8, the remains of the Irvington Loop give hints as to it's former use. The yellow lines approximate the path of the rails, while the purple lines in back show where a three track storage yard once stretched out behind. TO SEE THIS PIC WITHOUT ENHANCEMENT, CLICK HERE.
The sole remains of the Huntingdon Avenue Viaduct of the #25 line are visible at the North end of Huntingdon just above 31st Street. This was once a sky ride enjoyed by many a Baltimorean.	Not a photo of a tree but actually of the old right of way of the Halethorpe car line. Running horizontally just beneath the center of the photo, this old grade is easily visible East of Leeds Avenue above Linden. Most of this grade vanished under Southwestern Boulevard, but this fragment remains.
The vast wide median strip of "Old" Edmondson Avenue near Woodside Road once carried the cars of the #14 streetcar line. Yellow lines apporximate the path of the rails.

GOT ANOTHER SNIPPET? CONTACT ME!