Trains.com

Where is Sand Patch Grade?

13765 views
10 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Where is Sand Patch Grade?
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Thursday, July 30, 2015 2:17 PM

Okay, folks. I have a geography question for you.  According the the book Baltimore And Ohio Railroad In the Potomac Valley, by Martin J. McGuirk, Sand Patch is show on a map on pages 11,12, and 46 as being squarely between Harpers Ferry, WV. and Cumberland, MD.  However, on Fort Wayne Railfan, shown here....http://www.fwarailfan.net/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=481, halfway down the page, Sand Patch is shown on the other end of the line between Connellsville and Cumberland.  So, did Kalmbach publishing make a typographical error (the book is from the ClassicTrains: The Golden Years Of Railroading series), or is Sand Patch so long that it overlaps both ends of the route?  I would really like it if someone could enlighten me! Sorry if it seems like a silly question; I am not an expert on the B&O, but I am trying to learn...

  • Member since
    August 2013
  • 3,006 posts
Posted by ACY Tom on Thursday, July 30, 2015 3:40 PM

One of several errors in that book.  Running geographically north out of Cumberland, the B&O (now CSX) followed Wills Creek to the summit of the Alleghenies.  There was a gentle rise through the Cumberland Narrows (not Cumberland Gap --- that was a long ways away), Corriganville, Ellerslie, and Hyndman, where there was a helper station.  The steepest part of the grade began at Hyndman and ran through Fairhope, Glencoe, and Mance to Sand Patch Tunnel.  The Summit of the grade was just west of the tunnel.  The line then continued down a somewhat less steep grade to Garrett, Rockwood, Confluence, Connellsville, Pittsburgh, and ultimately on to Chicago.  You can ride the line today on Amtrak's Capitol Limited.  Eastbound provides more daylight viewing than westbound.

"Trying to learn" is a good thing & should not be discouraged.  You are wise to check your sources against other sources.  Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's accurate.  On the positive side, it should be said that the book includes some great photos. 

Tom

(edited)

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: San Francisco East Bay
  • 1,360 posts
Posted by MikeF90 on Thursday, July 30, 2015 3:56 PM

Welcome to the Trains forum!  Welcome

Here's the link to the old forum post that included the map in question:

 http://www.fwarailfan.net/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=481 

For comparison, here's another grade pictoral that I found:

The bridge centric websites often can fill in some history:

 http://bridgehunter.com/pa/somerset/csx---sand-patch-tunnel/

Perhaps someone has an old employee timetable that might show grades. Other milepost data for the CSX Keystone sub is transcribed here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20020713043907/www.trainweb.org/csxtimetables/Baltimore/Keystone.html

The Google Maps terrain view of the area looks formidable:

 https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8134476,-78.9203309,12z/data=!5m1!1e4

I learned a lot from this brief research - thanks for posting!

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • 2,515 posts
Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Thursday, July 30, 2015 4:32 PM

You can see the route between Connelsville & Cumberland in this video. 

Amtrak Train 30 Cab Ride - Connellsville to Cumberland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfkHlIoJOcg

It can be like watching paint dry, (2:43 minutes long) but it shows the route in winter. Sandpatch is at 1:44. #30 passes a freight with helpers as it approaches Sand Patch and shares the tunnel with an intermodal. 

  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Thursday, July 30, 2015 5:55 PM

Thanks for taking the time to respond, I appreciate it!

  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Thursday, July 30, 2015 5:56 PM

Thanks for the information; I really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Thursday, July 30, 2015 5:57 PM

Thank you for the information!

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 8,955 posts
Posted by Firelock76 on Friday, July 31, 2015 5:11 PM

Check out the July issue of "Railfan and Railroad."  There's a BIG article by Stan Trzoniec on Sand Patch.  Lot's of good information and photos.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, August 1, 2015 6:31 AM

Back in the 1970's or 1980's, Trains had at least 1 long article on Sand Patch, which included a map, IIRC.

"Sand Patch revisited - a visit to Sand Patch in 1978", by Rettberg, Bill, from Trains, January 1980, pg. 44 et seq. 
 
"On location: Sand Patch's east slope - where to see trains on Sand Patch", by Kelly, Bruce, from Trains, October 1997, pg. 68 et seq. 

"Baltimore & Ohio's most famous mountain grade", by Biery, Tom, from Trains, May 2005, pg. 56 et seq.  

The last 2 are still available as back issues from Kalmbach. 

RailPace magazine also did at least 1 of its "Train Chasing Guide" (?) articles on it in the late 1990's or early 2000's , which again incuded a map.  If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll see if I can pin down which issue(s).

- Paul North.  

 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Sunday, August 2, 2015 10:00 AM

Firelock76

Check out the July issue of "Railfan and Railroad."  There's a BIG article by Stan Trzoniec on Sand Patch.  Lot's of good information and photos.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

  Thank you for the information!

  • Member since
    July 2015
  • 16 posts
Posted by The Old Dessauer on Sunday, August 2, 2015 10:01 AM

Paul_D_North_Jr

Back in the 1970's or 1980's, Trains had at least 1 long article on Sand Patch, which included a map, IIRC.

"Sand Patch revisited - a visit to Sand Patch in 1978", by Rettberg, Bill, from Trains, January 1980, pg. 44 et seq. 
 
"On location: Sand Patch's east slope - where to see trains on Sand Patch", by Kelly, Bruce, from Trains, October 1997, pg. 68 et seq. 

"Baltimore & Ohio's most famous mountain grade", by Biery, Tom, from Trains, May 2005, pg. 56 et seq.  

The last 2 are still available as back issues from Kalmbach. 

RailPace magazine also did at least 1 of its "Train Chasing Guide" (?) articles on it in the late 1990's or early 2000's , which again incuded a map.  If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll see if I can pin down which issue(s).

- Paul North.  

 

 

  I appreciate the info...thanks again!

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy