Delaware/Maryland Roads - DE/MD 54

DE/MD 54


This route spends most of its time in Delaware, and only straddles the DE/MD border between Delmar and DE 26/MD 353. Technically, any part of the route in Maryland is MD 54 and belongs to MDOT, and likewise with Delaware, meaning that only a short stretch around the Line Church is 100% MD 54. In actuality, the two jurisdictions seem to hand off control, perhaps according to who lets a certain contract, perhaps arbitrarily. This leads to some of the stranger situations to be encountered on this page.


WB (on the Delaware side, remember?) from Delmar, yes, named for that reason, at Waller Road. Waller Rd. straddles the state line for a little while before leaving into Maryland and spawning West Line Road (which carries on 2 miles further). That's not important for this photo. The sign, on the Delaware side, is very clearly an MDOT sign, and for contrast I included the very Delaware shield on the curve into the Small State.


Sunrise along the border.


A photo taken from the southern end of possible Business 13 (it's old 13, definitely, but it may have been decommissioned as a Business route).


Stepping a little westward for a moment, one of the last highball signals around. "Signals of this type were used on early railroads to control train movements. When the track was clear, the station agent would hoist the ball, permitting the train to proceed. The signal is listed in the National Register of Historic Places." Incidentally, the State of Delaware maintains a list of wherever these blue signs are erected. New York, can you do the same, please?


The signal itself. I fail to see how raising or lowering a ball actually permits trains to proceed, unless it's connected to some barrier in the track. If the raised ball meant to stop, that I could understand, because it would be visible from a sufficient distance. I guess the balls had to be brightly painted (white, or red in another example I found online).


Whoever is in charge of maintaining this historical site must be a railgeek, in order for both of these beautifully restored embossed signs to be present along the linear park of the signal (not even at a crossing, just standing in the park).


Just cause I'm not done messing with you. Here's an eastbound Delaware shield well within Maryland (by "well," I mean 30 feet or so), found just east of US 13.


Once DE 54 gets taken away from the border by DE 26, it gets beautiful (through a cypress swamp - thus you know the South is nigh).


A tiny WB sign that can easily escape your eye, which may be why it's still up.


Strange fonts pop up only at this one intersection. Notice, oddly, that the banners and arrows are differently reflective from the shields. I wonder what went on to create this madness? The nighttime shots go together westbound.

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