Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad
1890 map showing the A&ER, by then the A,W&B
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| Locale | Annapolis Junction, Maryland, to Annapolis, Maryland |
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| Dates of operation | 1837–1935 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Previous gauge | marks= |
| Headquarters | Annapolis, Maryland |
The Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad, later the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, once provided rail service to Annapolis, Maryland and was one of the earliest railroads in the U.S. It later merged into the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway and was finally abandoned. The only traces of it today are a few small sidings and utility poles that follow its former right of way.
In 1835, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) opened its Washington Branch, connecting its main line just outside Baltimore to Washington, DC. In 1836, the Maryland General Assembly voted to sponsor construction of a rail line to service the state capital in Annapolis. On March 21, 1837, a charter was granted to the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad. As originally planned, instead of proceeding directly to Washington or Baltimore, the line was to start at Elkridge Landing in the western part of Anne Arundel County, now modern day eastern Howard County. There it could connect not only with the B&O but also with ships on the Patapsco River. Instead, the line started at a point named Annapolis Junction near Savage Factory, near milestone 18 on the Washington Branch.
Construction started on June 12, 1838, finishing on December 25, 1840 for $405,658.65 with, $300,000 of which came from the state. Service was inaugurated on the 26th of December 1840 at 6am out of the West Street station in Annapolis with fares of $2 to Baltimore, $2.50 to Washington, D.C., and local stations at 6¼ cents per mile. The railroad was single-tracked along most of its length and followed the drainage divide (or crest) into the Severn River on the north and the Patuxent River basin to the south. There were trestles spanning Chandlers Run and Rouges Harbor Branch and an excavation at Magazine Hill, just east of Waterbury. On 18 May 1841, a fire in the engine house at Annapolis damaged both engines, fueled by wood stored in the same building. Service was restored by July.
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