Canton Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Canton Railroad is a Class III
switching and terminal railroad
, operating in eastern Baltimore City and Baltimore County
. It serves the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore
and local shipping companies, and connects with two Class I railroad
s: CSX Transportation
and the Norfolk Southern Railway
.
(B&O) and Pennsylvania Railroad
Companies, were willing to extend their lines to undeveloped areas, the Canton Company decided in 1905 to build its own local railroad.
The Canton Railroad Company was chartered in 1906 by the Canton Company, to serve industrial, manufacturing, and shipping customers in the Baltimore port area. Its tracks, starting from the interconnection with the Pennsylvania Railroad, were laid during the period from 1905 through 1914. The Canton track interconnected with the B&O Railroad in 1910. Rail operations began in 1907.
The Canton Company was purchased by the conglomerate
International Mining Company in 1960. It passed through several owners in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, alleged financial improprieties by the owners of the Canton Development Company, then the owner of the railroad, led to its being placed into receivership
. The State of Maryland purchased the Canton Railroad at a bankruptcy
auction
in 1987 for $875,000 to provide railway access to the Seagirt Terminal of the Port of Baltimore.
The Canton Railroad dispute with Maryland involving whether the state franchise tax
on railroad activities in the port of Baltimore violated the Import-Export or Commerce Clause
s of the Constitution
led to the Supreme Court
case Canton Railroad Company v. Rogan
, 340 U.S. 511 (1951).
and operates as a for-profit enterprise. Engines used by the Canton Railroad are painted yellow and black in a pattern similar to that used in the Maryland
and Baltimore
flags. The railroad currently operates 6 miles of mainline and 17 miles of secondary track.
Canton Railroad's rolling stock also includes a model M930 caboose
and eight model A302 boxcar
s.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
switching and terminal railroad
Switching and terminal railroad
A switching and terminal railroad is a freight railroad company whose primary purpose is to perform local switching services or to own and operate a terminal facility. Switching is a type of operation done within the limits of a yard...
, operating in eastern Baltimore City and Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. It serves the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore
Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore
Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, consists of seaport facilities for cargo, especially roll-on/roll-off ships, and passengers operated by the Maryland Port Administration , a unit of the Maryland Department of Transportation....
and local shipping companies, and connects with two Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s: CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
.
History
After the federal government enacted legislation in 1905 approving the dredging of shipping channels to the Baltimore harbor to a depth of 35 feet, the Canton Company of Baltimore, a marine terminal operator, sought to develop property it owned in southeast Baltimore for use by manufacturers and shippers. This necessitated access to rail services. Since neither of the two local railroad companies, the Baltimore and OhioBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
(B&O) and Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
Companies, were willing to extend their lines to undeveloped areas, the Canton Company decided in 1905 to build its own local railroad.
The Canton Railroad Company was chartered in 1906 by the Canton Company, to serve industrial, manufacturing, and shipping customers in the Baltimore port area. Its tracks, starting from the interconnection with the Pennsylvania Railroad, were laid during the period from 1905 through 1914. The Canton track interconnected with the B&O Railroad in 1910. Rail operations began in 1907.
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
International Mining Company in 1960. It passed through several owners in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, alleged financial improprieties by the owners of the Canton Development Company, then the owner of the railroad, led to its being placed into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
. The State of Maryland purchased the Canton Railroad at a bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
in 1987 for $875,000 to provide railway access to the Seagirt Terminal of the Port of Baltimore.
The Canton Railroad dispute with Maryland involving whether the state franchise tax
Franchise tax
Franchise tax is a tax charged by some US states to corporations with a nexus with those states. The common feature of a state's franchise tax is that it is not based on income...
on railroad activities in the port of Baltimore violated the Import-Export or Commerce Clause
Commerce Clause
The Commerce Clause is an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution . The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." Courts and commentators have tended to...
s of the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
led to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case Canton Railroad Company v. Rogan
Canton Railroad Company v. Rogan
Canton Railroad Company v. Rogan, 340 U.S. 511 , is a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that a state franchise tax upon the services performed by a railroad in handling imported and exported goods did not violate the Import-Export Clause of the United States...
, 340 U.S. 511 (1951).
Current operations
Today the Canton Railroad is owned by the Maryland Transportation AuthorityMaryland Transportation Authority
The Maryland Transportation Authority is an independent state agency responsible for financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining eight toll facilities, currently consisting of two toll roads, two tunnels, and four bridges in Maryland...
and operates as a for-profit enterprise. Engines used by the Canton Railroad are painted yellow and black in a pattern similar to that used in the Maryland
Flag of Maryland
The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is the only state flag in the United States to be based on English heraldry. The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is...
and Baltimore
Flag of Baltimore, Maryland
The flag of the city of Baltimore features the Battle Monument, a local monument to veterans of the War of 1812 which is also the central motif on the city's seal...
flags. The railroad currently operates 6 miles of mainline and 17 miles of secondary track.
Engine roster
| Locomotive number |
Model | Type | Propulsion | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTN 32 | VO-1000 Baldwin VO-1000 The Baldwin VO-1000 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works between January, 1939 and December, 1946. The 236,260–242,200 lb units were powered by a normally aspirated eight-cylinder diesel engine rated at , and rode on a pair of two-axle trucks in a B-B... |
Switcher Switcher A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been... |
Diesel-electric | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
| CTN 46 | EMD SW900 EMD SW900 An EMD SW900 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between December 1953 and March 1969. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 8-cylinder engine that generated 900 horsepower... |
Switcher | Diesel | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 50 | EMD SW9 EMD SW9 An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing .... |
Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 51 | EMD SW9 | Switcher | Diesel-electric | General Motors |
| CTN 1201 | EMD SW1200 EMD SW1200 An EMD SW1200 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and May 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 12-cylinder engine which generated 1200 horsepower... |
Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1203 | EMD SW1200 | Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1204 | EMD SW1200RS | Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1307 | EMD GP7 EMD GP7 The EMD GP7 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October, 1949 and May, 1954. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated . The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and... U |
Four-axle roadswitcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1364 | EMD GP7U | Four-axle roadswitcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1501 | EMD SW1500 EMD SW1500 The EMD SW1500 was a diesel locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new... |
Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
| CTN 1502 | EMD SW1500 | Switcher | Diesel-electric | GM Electro-Motive Div. |
Canton Railroad's rolling stock also includes a model M930 caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
and eight model A302 boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s.
