Overview
On May 22, 1830, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad inaugurated regularly scheduled passenger service over its first 13 miles of track between Baltimore and Ellicott’s Mills, now known as Ellicott City, Maryland.
Construction of the pioneering railroad had begun in 1828, and the original line was built with granite stringers topped by strap-iron rails.
Although the experimental locomotive Tom Thumb demonstrated the potential of steam power on the B&O later in 1830, the railroad’s first scheduled passenger trains were pulled by horses. Steam locomotives did not replace horse power on the route until 1831, when the railroad adopted steam for its regular operations.
Quick Facts
- Date
- May 22, 1830