Original overhead third-rail system on the Baltimore Belt Line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, part of the first mainline railroad electrification in 1895. Photo from 1901.
Original overhead third-rail system on the&nbsp;<a class="extiw" title="en:Baltimore Belt Line" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Belt_Line">Baltimore Belt Line</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a class="extiw" title="en:Baltimore and Ohio Railroad" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_and_Ohio_Railroad">Baltimore and Ohio Railroad</a>, part of the first mainline&nbsp;<a class="extiw" title="en:Railway electrification system" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_electrification_system">railroad electrification</a>&nbsp;in 1895. Photo from 1901.
Detail map of Baltimore, Maryland, United States Overview map of Baltimore, Maryland, United States

A: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

The Baltimore Belt Line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is the First Mainline Railway to be Electrified

1895
B & O Railroad logo possible from a locomotive
B & O Railroad logo possible from a locomotive

In 1895 the first mainline electrification was installed on a four-mile stretch (Baltimore Belt Line) of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The "B & O" was the second-oldest railroad in the U.S, and the first commercial (passenger) long-distance railroad in the U.S.

Timeline Themes