Between Cumberland, Maryland, and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the CSX Cumberland Subdivision hugs the serpentine south bank of the Potomac River. At Magnolia, West Virginia, the B&O decided to lop off a few miles of curving track (which slows trains down, takes more power to maneuver through, and wears out wheels a lot faster than straight, or tangent, track). Here, where the river bends right as it flows downstream, the mainline shoots straight over a bridge spanning the Potomac into Maryland. As soon as the line hits Maryland soil, it enters the almost 1600-foot Graham Tunnel. Exiting the tunnel, the mainline crosses the Potomac once again into West Virginia.
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