On This Day: February 28th
Friday Fast Fact

It was some 200 years ago that railway travel first began to emerge, revolutionizing the transportation of people and freight across the world. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, opened in late 1825 in England, is widely held to be the first steam-powered passenger railway.

Just under two years later, on February 28th, 1827, a law was passed enabling the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to be officially chartered as first railway in the US for commercial transport of passengers and freight. In addition to this, the B&O Railroad was also the first inter-city railroad to be established in the US.

Before the B&O Railroad switched over to steam-powered locomotion, horses were used to pull the rail cars along the track! Peter Cooper’s steam-powered “Tom Thumb” engine, shown on the right, was the first successfully-built steam engine in the US. It further revolutionized the fledgling industry within the country, though Tom Thumb itself was never used in passenger service, functioning as a demonstration train.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was continuously operated from 1830 to 1987; through several mergers, it is now a part of the CSX rail network.

The B&O Railroad’s legacy can still be felt today throughout Baltimore and the surrounding areas. The B&O Railroad Museum is operated out of the rail’s former Mount Clare Station and other adjacent facilities. In fact, the company’s Warehouse at Camden Yards can be seen just beyond right field while watching the Baltimore Orioles play!

In honor of this important date in railway and Baltimore history, let’s take a look at some OOH-related stats for the inventory Geopath measures in the Baltimore DMA!

Geopath members can find this and other infographics in our geekOUT Library. For more information on Geopath, or for general questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]!