Many people have heard of the small scenic town of Harpers Ferry in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Originally established as an independent town where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac River, it is today a suburb of Washington D.C. at the easternmost point meeting with the U.S. states of Virginia on the south side of the Potomac River and Maryland on the north side. It is a town full of history with old structures like John Brown’s Fort. The town is also surrounded by mountains to include Maryland Heights that holds the ruins of an old fort and where you get great views of the town and the rivers.
As you walk around the historic town and hike the trails, there is one thing you notice. What do you notice?
You cannot visit the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park without noticing the railroad.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad first came to the town in 1833 and was the site of the first railroad junction in the United States of America as the Winchester and Potomac Railroad ran from Harpers Ferry to the town of Charles Town. Through the years, the trains have been rerouted through the town. A section of the original track route is near the old train station.
Today, many railroad fans come to see Chessie Seaboard Transportation Trains (CSX) and Amtrak pass through the famous Harpers Ferry Tunnel on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The old train station that was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad remains an active train station today serving Amtrak passengers.
Wherever you go in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the sounds of the railroad sounds loud as ever. With every passing train, it awakens the history of this historic town.
