| The original 1830's Baltimore & Ohio main line west from Baltimore used various methods of building track. One of these employed stone sills, which were long rectangular blocks of granite with channels chiseled into them in which the iron strap rail was fastened. Contrary to how current track is laid with ties that run perpendicular to the rail, the stone sills ran parallel and underneath the rail. Difficult to maintain, and unsuited for increasing weights and traffic volumes, as the stone sill track was replaced the sills used to support the rail found other uses. Here a number have been collected to form the floor of a viaduct, itself taken out of use by 1906. |