The Bachman Valley Railroad (BV) was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 and Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 in the 19th century. The 13 mile (21 km) line ran from Valley Junction, Pennsylvania (5.5 mi (8.9 km) east of Hanover

Hanover, Pennsylvania

Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...

) to Ebbvale, Maryland (slightly north of Manchester

Manchester, Maryland

Manchester, Maryland, is a small incorporated town in Northeastern Carroll County, Maryland located on the Eastern coast of the United States of America just South of the Pennsylvania State line and North of Baltimore, Maryland...

). The railroad was built to transport iron ore to local blast furnace

Blast furnace

A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...

s. The railroad became part of the Western Maryland Railway

Western Maryland Railway

The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...

 in 1917.

History

The railroad was chartered by the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Pennsylvania and separately in Maryland, in 1871. At Valley Junction it connected with the Hanover Branch Railroad

Hanover Branch Railroad

The Hanover Branch Railroad Company was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. The company was incorporated on March 16, 1847 and began operating trains in 1852...

. At Ebbvale the line terminated at an iron ore mine. The railroad began operation in early 1873. The rolling stock

Rolling stock

Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...

 was provided by the Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad

Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad

The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad was a railroad line in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The 38 mile main line ran from Orrtanna to Hanover Junction where it connected with the Northern Central Railway...

, which operated the railroad.

In 1879 the Baltimore and Hanover Railroad

Baltimore and Hanover Railroad

The Baltimore and Hanover Railroad was a railroad that operated in Maryland in the 19th century. The 20 mile main line ran from Emory Grove, Maryland north to the Pennsylvania state line near Black Rock Junction, where it connected with the Bachman Valley Railroad.The B&H was chartered by the...

 connected to Bachman Valley near Lineboro

Lineboro, Maryland

Lineboro is an unincorporated community located in northeastern Carroll County, Maryland, in the United States. The community was named for its location on the Mason-Dixon Line.-History:...

. This new line ran south to Emory Grove, where it connected with the WM. In 1886 the BV merged with the Baltimore and Hanover Railroad and the Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad to form the Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway

Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway

The Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway was a railroad that operated in Maryland and Pennsylvania in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The 59 miles main line ran from Emory Grove, Maryland to Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, with a 6 miles branch from Valley Junction, Pennsylvania to Hanover Junction,...

. The merged main line ran from Valley Junction to Emory Grove. The new company was controlled by the Western Maryland, and the WM bought the company in 1917. Mines in the Ebbvale area closed in the early 20th century and the section of track from Black Rock to Ebbvale was abandoned c. 1922