18-08-25 PHOTOS: OAK

Amtrak OAK Interlocking is located behind a mobile home park directly off US 40 between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace, MD. Due to an earlier re-signaling effort that took place between Amtrak GRACE and BACON interlockings north of OAK, I thought it might be a good idea to document things a bit so I wouldn't be forced to later. In addition to the Amtrak action I caught at OAK, I have also included a bunch of Baltimore area transit that I used commuting to a conference downtown. You can view the photo gallery here or on Google photos.

OAK is located at Milepost 63 on the Philadelphia to Washington line. It is directly south of GRACE interlocking and works in conjunction with PERRY interlocking. For this the layout consists of a single trailing point crossover from track 3 to track 4. There is also a connection off track 2 for the Havre de Grace industrial track. OAK used to mark the southern end of a 4-track segment between there and GRACE where freights and whatnot could wait to cross the 2-track Susquehanna River bridge and, more often than not. proceed up the Port Road to Enola yard. Today the NEC is three tracks through OAK, but the presence of a labeled 1S signal, a dead 2S signal on the southbound gantry and 19 switch hint at the former layout.

The single #43 turnout remains operated by US&S A-5 pneumatic point machines. The 19 switch to the industrial track was converted to electric in the early 2000's. Here we see the southward air compressor plant and a pneumatic valve for the 43A points.

Here we see northbound Acela Express power car #2024 passing by the old OAK relay house. OAK was originally controlled from a CTC style machine in PERRY tower along with other area interlockings like GRACE, PRINCE and a number on the Port Road. The Penn Central vintage interlocking sign is one of just a handful left in service.

Passing the northbound Acela (just visible in the background) was a southbound Regional led by ACS-86 #606. Sometimes southbound Regionals are pulled into the center track #3 between GRACE and OAK to allow Acela Express trains to overtake them on track #4. 

This strange building turned out to be an MoW tool house. Upon closer inspection, Penn Central paint could still be identified. 

The door was wide open and the shack was filled with random railroad stuff. Couldn't tell if it was still in use or just forgotten about.

I caught one additional train at OAK, the northbound Train #92, the Silver Starve, easily identifiable by its lack of dining car. Power was being provided by ACS-86 #602.

Moving on to Baltimore we have what I assume is a weekend or mid-day all single level MARC train with cab car #7762 and MP36PH-3C #26 at the BWI Airport Rail Station.

Literal MARC office cars at the Camden Station. These are former MARC IIA cars that were generally retired with the purchase of the Bomber split level fleet. 

MTA Maryland LRV #5030 at the Camden Yard station.

All service that day was being terminated at Patascpo due to ongoing repair of a washout. Here is #5041 and #5048 at Patascpo. 

MARC MP36PH-3C #23 has a pretty tall order with a long bi-level trainset that should probably rate an HHP-8.

New Siemens SC44 diesels had also started to make an appearance as with #82 seen here. Without a pony engine for HEP, these ostensibly more powerful engines have less power available for traction than the older MP36PH's.

I think the HHP-8's were off for rehabilitation as this northbound HHP-8 length set was being hauled by MARC MP39PH-3C's #11 and #13 on two consecutive days.

Here are some photos of MTA Maryland LRVs #5027 and #5003, at Linthicum.

I'll conclude with a video of Baltimore Light Rail vehicles #5044 and #5041 arriving southbound into the BWI Business Park station. The Maryland MTA's own radio station, WTTZ, is being piped in via the PA system.



Next week we stop by HARRIS tower and the Rockville Bridge.