This line passed through mostly farming areas of Delaware and Maryland's eastern shore. It was a branch off of the Pennsylvania RR's Delmarva peninsula line. It was originally constructed as part of the Philadelphia Wilmington & Baltimore, which was later acquired by PRR. Heading west from Clayton, the line served Bingham and Delaneys, DE and Massey, MD. [Massey still has rail service through shortline Maryland & Delaware, which operates other former PRR branches].
The entire line and remnants are out of service, even though some segments of track are still in place. There were no easily located remnants of this line west of Clayton, although it did appear to run parallel to a section of Holletts Corner Rd. in northern Kent County.
Some abandoned lines are used as dumping grounds! This view shows the end of track for a former Pennsylvania RR branch that extended west from Clayton, DE to Massey, MD. This location faces west at the Del. Hwy. 15 crossing in Clayton. It is less than a mile west of the junction with the former PRR (now Norfolk Southern) Delmarva line. Photo from May 2003 courtesy of Mike Palmer.
This view shows the rights-of-way of two abandoned PRR lines, facing southwest at Clayton, DE. Curving to the right, near the pole, is the former branch to Massey, MD. Further to the left, the branch with rails still in place to Easton, MD (later operated by the Chesapeake RR) curves around gradually.
In the left foreground is the still active NS Delmarva line. Photo from May 2003 courtesy of Mike Palmer.
