17-05-16 PHOTOS: New York Ave

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If you are ever in Washington DC with a few minutes to spare before your train departs Union Station, consider taking the Red Line for an additional stop and spending your layover at the DC Metro New York Ave metro stop instead of the Union Station holding pens. Built in 2004 as an infill station between Union and Rhode Island Ave with some of the funding provided by nearby development interests, NY Ave offers unrestricted views of the Union Station trunk line between the J and K signal bridges of the terminal interlocking. With both revenue and deadhead trains from MARC, VRE and Amtrak in addition to the steady flow of WMATA trains, there is almost always something going on.

You can find the full set of photos here.

Thanks to the purge, the only electric locomotives being operated by Amtrak are of the ACS-86 variety, so that can get a bit monotonous, but LD trainsets can spice things up. Here #626 passes under the K Bridge en route to New York Penn.

#659 at the same location shoving a Regional trainset towards one of DC Union Station's stub end platforms.

As this was the weekday PM rush, WMATA trains were passing through every couple of minutes. One of these contained 3000 series class car Mr. 3000!

VRE train heading to one of the lower level tracks with MP36PH-3 #V66 and ex-Metra Pullman gallery car #V427.

Here we see a deadhead MARC trainset with bi-level K-Car #7857 and MP36PH-3C #22 passing an outbound Brunswick Line train with MP36PH-3C #33 and Bomber split level cab car #8056.

New Metro 7k car #7224 outbound at New York Ave.

VRE MP36PH-3C #V64 passing northbound Amtrak LD train (I would think it was the Meteor) with Heritage Dining car #8550.

A pair of Amtrak pups, SW1500 #541 and SW10 #792, shove a pair of Amfleets towards Union Station, perhaps adding cars to an incoming trainset. In the background is the old Washington Coliseum, which for many years was used as a waste transfer facility, but was recently converted into a 50,000 sq ft REI store. 

Video of the same pushing the train towards Union Station while a parade of DC Metro trains pull in and out of New York Avenue station. Again, note the new 7000 series cars now in service.



Here we see a light engine move of P42DC diesels #193, #164 and #161 from Ivy City enginehouse to the ready service tracks on the lower level. These units will be attached to southbound Virginia service and LD trains.

Reflected sunlight affecting Metro 7K car #7312.

MARC MP36PH-3C #17 leading an outbound Brunswick Line train with single level K-cars attached.

Rear facing railfan zone on 7k car #7242.

Back at Union Station, the MARC train I was taking was actually the one with Kab Car #7857 and MP36PH-3C #22.

Because it didn't fit earlier in the presentation, here is a rear railfan video from a 7k series WMATA car running on the Red Line. Video runs after departure from Union Station to arrival at Gallery Place.



I'll finish up with this photo of a CSX freight train ascending the grade on the Baltimore Belt Line with AC4400 #435 and SD40-3 #4060.