Washington and Georgetown Railroad Totally Explained

Everything about The Washington And Georgetown Railroad totally explained

The Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company was the first streetcar company to operate in Washington, D.C. It was incorporated and started operations in 1862, running from Georgetown to the Navy Yard. Two additional lines ran on 7th Street NW/SW and 14th Street NW. In 1890 it switched from horse-drawn streetcars to cable cars. On September 21, 1895 the company was purchased by the Rock Creek Railway and the two formed the Capital Traction Company.

Origins

Prior to the development of side-bearing rail streetcar tracks in New York City in 1852, transit in Washington D.C. consisted of horse-drawn wagons, or omnibuses, that ran on several established lines. As early as 1858 an effort was made by New York City businessmen to open a streetcar in Washington, D.C., but, it wasn't until May 17, 1862 that the first streetcar company, the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company was incorporated. It was authorized to build three street horsecar lines using the standard track gauge of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The first streetcar started running on Pennsylvania Avenue NW from the Capitol to the State Department on July 29, 1862. Full operations, from the Navy Yard to Georgetown on Pennsylvania Avenue NW/SE, began on October 2, 1862. It ran from the intersection of High Street and Bridge Street (Now Wisconsin Ave NW and M St NW) in Georgetown along Bridge Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. Then along Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House to the foot of the Capital Building. From there it went north on 1st St NW one block, then east on B St NW/NE for two blocks, then south across the Capitol Grounds on the east side of the Capitol and back onto Pennsylvania Avenue. It traveled southeast on Pennsylvania to 8th St SE where it turned south to the Navy Yard stopping at M St SE and 8th St SE.

Expansion

A second line opened on November 15, 1862. It was built along 7th Street NW from N Street NW to the Potomac River. In 1863 the 7th Street line was extended north to Boundary Street NW. It expanded south to the Arsenal (now Fort McNair) in 1875.
The omnibus company that existed prior to the introduction of streetcars was run out of business. Its Georgetown stables were eventually purchased by the Washington and Georgetown line to be used as a car barn and, much later, as machine shops.

Switch to Cable Cars

On March 2, 1889 the District authorized every streetcar company in Washington to switch from horse power to underground cable or to electricity provided by battery or underground wire and in 1890 companies were authorized to sell stock to pay for the upgrades - provided they didn't involve overhead wires. In 1892, one-horse cars were banned within the city, and by 1894 Congress began requiring companies to switch to something other than horse power while continuing to disallow overhead lines within the city.
Immediately after the 1889 law was passed, the Washington and Georgetown began installing an underground cable system. Their 7th Street line was switched to a cable car system on April 12, 1890. Sixteen cars traveled on the route at 6 mph at three minute intervals, from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM daily. The rest of the system was in operation by August 18, 1892. In 1893 the company built the Navy Yard Car Barn across from the Navy Yard to service the new cars. The company built two powerhouses to provide energy for the system, one at 14th Street NW and E Street NW and the other at 7th Street SW and P Street SW. In the middle of the intersection of 14th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW a large wheel pit was constructed.

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