Wilmington and Western Railroad

No. 98 preparing to haul an excursion train in May 2006

Overview
Headquarters| Marshallton, Delaware

Wilmington and Western Railroad

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

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Location| 2201 Newport Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware
Coordinates| 39°44′17″N 75°37′58″W﻿ / ﻿39.73806°N 75.63278°W﻿ / 39.73806; -75.63278
Area| 73 acres (30 ha)
Built| 1867 (1867)
Architect| Wilmington & Western Railroad Co.
NRHP reference No.| 80000932[1]
Added to NRHP| September 8, 1980
Reporting mark| WWRC
Locale| New Castle County, Delaware, USA
Dates of operation| 1872–1877
1966-present
Technical
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length| 10.2 miles (16.4 km)
Other
Website| wwrr.com

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Wilmington and Western Railroad

Legend

|  |  |

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|  |  DE 41
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|  | Hockessin
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  |  DE 82, Yorklyn
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|  |  DE 82
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|  | Red Clay Creek, Ashland
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Mount Cuba
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|  | Wooddale
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  |  DE 48
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Faulkland
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|  | Faulkland Road
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Red Clay Creek
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|  | Greenbank
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|  |  DE 41
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|  |  DE 2
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|  | Greenbank
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|  | Marshallton Yard
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|  |  DE 62
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|  |  | Landenberg Junction

Philadelphia Subdivision
|  |  |  |  |  |

The Wilmington and Western Railroad (reporting mark WWRC) is a freight and heritage railroad in northern Delaware, operating over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) branch line between Wilmington and Hockessin. The 10.2-mile (16.4 km) railroad operates both steam and diesel locomotives. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a national historic district in 1980.[1] Wilmington & Western serves one customer for revenue service, and interchanges with CSX Transportation at Landenberg Junction, Delaware

Wilmington & Western's General Motors Diesel-Electric SW1 locomotive no. 114 is the oldest diesel locomotive in routine scheduled service, having been built in February 1940.[2]

## History

[edit]

The Delaware and Chester County Railroad was incorporated in February 1867 to build from Wilmington in the direction of Parkesburg or Atglen, Pennsylvania,[3] and was renamed the Wilmington and Western Railroad in March 1869,[4] opening the line to Landenberg on October 19, 1872.[5] A foreclosure sale in April 1877 produced the Delaware Western Railroad, which was incorporated in June 1877 and merged into the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad, a B&O subsidiary, in February 1883.[4]

The B&O cut back the line to Southwood in the early 1940s and to Hockessin in the late 1950s. Historic Red Clay Valley, Inc. began operating steam tourist trains on weekends in 1966,[6] reusing the old W&W name, and in August 1982 the W&W bought the branch from the Chessie System for $25,000, which included Ex-B&O SW1 #8408 as a part of the purchase.[5][7] Under the Historic Red Clay Valley Inc. the operations are managed by a Board of Directors, paid staff and a large number of volunteers.[8]

In 1999, the rains of Hurricane Floyd caused considerable damage to the railroad. Two trestles were entirely destroyed by the flooding of Red Clay Creek, which also caused track washouts and damaged several other trestles. The two destroyed bridges were replaced by steel trestles, but the other timber trestles were simply repaired.

In 2003, Tropical Storm Henri struck the valley and produced an even more catastrophic flood. While the two steel bridges (and an iron trestle at Ashland) survived the flood, the remaining bridges were swept away or irreparably damaged. Despite the damage caused by these storms, the Wilmington and Western continued to operate on the remaining track, and replaced all of the destroyed bridges with steel trestles. The line officially reopened into Hockessin on June 30, 2007.

The railroad celebrated its 50th anniversary operating as a tourist railroad in 2016.[9]

## Excursions

[edit]

Several different excursions are offered by the Wilmington and Western Railroad, running through the Red Clay Creek valley. Trains operate out of the Greenbank station near the southern end of the railroad. The railroad offers two regular excursions which run on weekends during the operating season. The Hockessin Flyer runs round-trip from Greenbank to the northern end of the line in Hockessin for a 2.5-hour trip with a 30-minute layover in Hockessin. The Mt. Cuba Meteor runs round-trip from Greenbank to the Mount Cuba Picnic Grove for a 1.5-hour trip with a 30-minute layover for a picnic at the Mount Cuba Picnic Grove.

The Wilmington and Western Railroad also offers several special themed excursions. Some of the themed excursions include the Easter Bunny Express, the Fireworks Express on Independence Day, a dinner train called the Royal Blue Dinner Train, the Brews on Board train serving craft brews, the Civil War Skirmish Weekend, the Princess Express, the Superhero Express, the Autumn Leaf Special offering views of fall foliage, the Halloween Express, the Holiday Lights Express offering views of Christmas lights, and the Santa Claus Express around Christmas.[10] Groups may also charter a caboose, car, or entire train for an event.[11] A caboose attached to the end of a regularly scheduled train may be rented for birthday parties.[12]

## Equipment

[edit]

### Locomotives

[edit]

Locomotive details[13][14][15] Number  | Image  | Wheel arrangement  | Builder  | Type  | Build date  | Serial Number  | Status

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58 |  | 0-6-0 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Steam  | 1907  | 31899  | Operational
92  |  | 2-6-0 | Canadian Locomotive Company | Steam  | 1910  | 930  | Stored, awaiting restoration
98 |  | 4-4-0 | American Locomotive Company | Steam  | 1909  | 45921  | Undergoing FRA inspection and overhaul
114  |  | SW-1 (B-B)  | Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC) of General Motors | Diesel  | 1940  | 1021  | Operational
4662  |  | Doodlebug (B-B)  | Pullman Standard | Railcar | 1929  | 6202-22697  | Operational
8408  |  | SW-1 (B-B)  | EMC  | Diesel  | 1940  | 1106  | Operational

### Former units

[edit]

Locomotive details[16][17][18] Number  | Image  | Wheel arrangement  | Builder  | Type  | Build date  | Current owner

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1  |  | 0-4-0 | H.K. Porter | Steam  | 1950  | Marshallton
37 |  | 2-8-2T  | ALCO | Steam  | 1925  | Age of Steam Roundhouse
60  |  | 0-6-0 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Steam  | 1913  | HRCV
14  |  | 2-8-0 | ALCO | Steam  | 1918  | Gaithersburg, Maryland
425 |  | 4-6-2 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Steam  | 1928  | Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad
915  |  | SW900 (B-B)  | EMD | Diesel  | 1956  | Black River Western Railroad
S-3  |  | 0-6-0T  | Vulcan | Steam  | 1943  | Honey's Farm Fresh Gourmet Kitchen
D-3  |  | S2 (B-B)  | ALCO | Diesel  | 1949  | West Chester Railroad

### Rolling Stock

[edit]

Rolling stock details[19][20][21][16] Number  | Builder  | Type  | Build Date

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410/571/581/603  | Pullman Company | Passenger Cars  | 1914–15
442  | Altoona Works | Open-Air Car  | 1912
450  | Altoona Works | Coach  | 1912
C149  | Erie Railroad | Caboose  | 1941
C2013  | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | Caboose  | 1926
T215  | Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad | Auxiliary water tender  | Unknown
F215  | Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad | Flatcar  | Unknown
701  | Burro Crane Inc.  | Crane  | Unknown
17107  | Unknown  | Flatcar  | Unknown
80581  | Unknown  | Flatcar  | Unknown
751730  | Unknown  | Camp Car  | 1937
1872  | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | Boxcar  | Unknown

### Former rolling stock

[edit]

Rolling stock details[22][23][24][16] Number  | Builder  | Type  | Build Date

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37  | Unknown  | Auxiliary tender  | Unknown

## Gallery

[edit]

* W&W No. 98 double-heading with W&W No. 58 in October 2006.

* Easter Bunny

* W&W No. 4662 operating during the holidays.

## See also

[edit]

* Trains portal

* List of heritage railways
* List of Delaware railroads

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ "Pictures of WWRC 114". Retrieved May 5, 2023.
3. ^ An Act to incorporate the Delaware and Chester County Railroad Company, passed February 5, 1867
4. ^ a b Interstate Commerce Commission, 42 Val. Rep. 1 (1933): Valuation Docket No. 1068, The Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company and its Leased Lines
5. ^ a b Wilmington & Western Railroad: History, accessed February 2009
6. ^ Barry, Steve (March 25, 2019). "A Visit to the Wilmington & Western Railroad". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
7. ^ John C. Rumm (1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Wilmington and Western Railroad". National Park Service. and accompanying 11 photos
8. ^ Vazquez, Gisela (2008). The Wilmington and Western Railroad (Images of Rail: Delaware). USA: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0738553627.
9. ^ Ostroski, Drew (April 29, 2016). "Full Steam Ahead: Wilmington & Western Railroad Celebrates 50 Years". www.delawaretoday.com. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
10. ^ "Events & Fares". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
11. ^ "Train Charters". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
12. ^ "Birthday Caboose". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
13. ^ "Steam Locomotives". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
14. ^ "Diesel Locomotives". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
15. ^ "Doodlebug". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
16. ^ a b c "Special 50th Anniversary Historic Timeline" (PDF). Retrieved October 11, 2023.
17. ^ "Gulf, Mobile & Northern No. 425 Ownership". steamlocomotive.info. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
18. ^ "Locomotives". timberheritage.org. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
19. ^ "Passenger Cars". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
20. ^ "Railway Preservation News • View topic - PRR P54 Coaches". www.rypn.org. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
21. ^ "Cabooses". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
22. ^ "Passenger Cars". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
23. ^ "Railway Preservation News • View topic - PRR P54 Coaches". www.rypn.org. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
24. ^ "Cabooses". Wilmington and Western Railroad. Retrieved March 14, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmington and Western Railroad.

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* Wilmington & Western Railroad
* Wilmington & Western Railroad Photos

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Railroads of Delaware

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* Conrail Shared Assets Operations
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* See also: Former carriers in Delaware
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