13-10-02 PHOTOS: B&O Rush Hour

Folks wishing to travel between Baltimore and Washington, DC have the somewhat unique ability to choose from between two different commuter rail routes. They can take the Penn Line with is frequent high speed service on Amtrak's NEC or they can take the Camden Line from the former B&O terminal downtown. This service is significantly slower and much less frequent. Still, there is still what can be considered a rush hour and last October I ventured back to the Bailey's Wye area to get some pictures of what passes now for a B&O rush hour before CSX ripped down all the Color Position Light signals.

You can find all the photos right here.

We begin with the three track B&O signal bridge at the west end of BAILEY interlocking which will eventually be replaced over the President's Day weekend. The two tracks to the right are the main CSX tracks while the track to the left is only used by MARC trains going to the Camden Station.

My strategy worked and I managed to photograph a Medium Approach Slow indication on the MARC signal. Not only is the new signaling lamer, it is also less capable as future trains will only be able to get an Approach or Slow Approach at the same location.

Here we have a video of northbound MARC train #846 is just about to arrive at the Camden Station behind MP36PH-3C #25 as it passes under the 3-track B&O CPL signal bridge at BAILEY with single level cab car #7754.


This was followed shortly by an DC-bound MARC train lead by cab car #7758.

MARC MP39PH-3C #28 was providing power for the trip west.

The major MARC maintenance facility is located at the CSX Locust Point yard so after discharging at the small 3 track Camden Station they go back around the wye and out to Locust Point which we see MP39PH-3C #25 doing in this photo.

Waiting for all of this to pass was former B&O GP35 Road Slug #2366 and GP40-2 #6966.

Instead of venturing out onto the main line the two car freight train reversed through LEADENHALL ST interlocking towards the Locust Point yard.

The east side of BAILY interlocking was awaiting its brand new 4-track signal bridge which is somehow more cost effective than the collection of B&O CPL dwarves and masts that are currently there.

While hanging out there I caught northbound MARC train #848 behind MARC GP39-2H #74 as it passes through Bailey's Wye. Single level cab car #7746 is on the rear.




Walking over to Leadenhall St interlocking I got this shot of a Locust Point bound transfer run with GP15-1 #1516 in the lead while C44-10W #5429 round the curve on the main line with a through freight bound for the Howard St tunnel.

The GP15-1 needed help to pull the single car so MP15T #1214 was enlisted for the job.

Here is a video of the trains passage through LAEDENHALL ST interlocking.


I had managed to burn enough time for the next DC bound train to depart. This one was using the same trainset from train #848 with single level cab car #7746 on the front.

Once again here is GP39H-2 #74, which is one of the few non-Meep locomotives currently working for MARC.

Next week tune in for a trip back up to New York City so I can go to Church. I would like to thank Todd GP30, who runs the well known signaling site Railroadsignals.us for accompanying me on this trip.