The Georges Creek Railway (GCK) was a unique railroad. In the roughly 12 years it operated, the railroad never regularly ran trains over its own line. Instead, it exclusively performed switching operations at a nearby papermill in Luke, Maryland along CSX trackage. Once the paper mill closed, and with no customers on their own rails, the Georges Creek Railway shut down. Different parts of he line have laid dormant for 6 to 20+ years.

In November, I set out to document the state of the Georges Creek Railway. I got shots all the way down the line in small coal communities like Westernport, Midland, and Barton. The line was built for the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad and has seen ownership under Western Maryland, Chessie, and CSX, allowing for plenty of history to find along the rails.

Yesterday, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad announced plans to revitalize the Georges Creek line and operate passenger and freight trains on these forgotten rails. While the tracks laid dilapidated when I took these shots just two months ago, it won't be long before these scenes of abandonment are once again filled with the rumble of a passing train.

This is a new series I'm starting up and will be dropping new episodes throughout 2024. I already have the first four recorded and I'm super excited to explore more abandoned railroads!

Vintage Footage:    • CSX Georges Creek Sub: CONSOLE 10  W...