19-08-31 PHOTOS: Mt Airy

In the summer of 2019 I realized that I wasn't generating sufficient rail content so I used a free weekend to head out to Mt Airy, MD to take some photos along the B&O's Old Main Line. Unfortunately nothing was running to I added a bunch of other Baltimore and Philly area transit photos to the set and here we are. You can see the full set of photos here (mirror).

We kick things off in South Jersey with a northbound New Jersey Transit Atlantic City Line train passing under Mt. Vernon Ave in Haddonfield, GP40PH-2B #4205 leading and Comet V cab car #5073 on the rear.

This was accompanied by a westbound new style PATCO train with #1090 on the rear.

Jumping down to Maryland I found myself at the BWI Business Park light rail station when rebuilt/repainted MTA Maryland LRV #5012 rolled in with someone I was there to pick up.

My first stop on the Old Main Line was the west end of the HOOD siding on the CSX Old Main Line subdivision about 33 miles from the old Mt Claire terminal.

About 10 miles to the west, the east end of the PLANE siding also serves as the western junction with the old Mt Airy Loop track, which was the original B&O alignment through the town of Mt Airy. Mt. Airy sits at the drainage divide between the Patapsco River and Monocacy Creek and the original alignment involved a variety of stiff grades and sharp curves. Today the old loop track serves an industrial park and MoW uses.

In 1901 the Mt Airy loop was bypassed by a half mile long tunnel, the longest on the OML. Here is the east end, hidden behind a mall parking lot.

The Liberty Dam and Reservoir near Marriottsville is an important part of the Baltimore City public water system. The 160 foot tall concrete dam impounds a 3100 acre reservoir.

Jumping to the far side of the Baltimore metro area, here is Amtrak ACS-86 #618 leading a northbound Regional through RIVER interlocking at one of thee points where the NEC passes under the east side of I-695.

And here is a southbound Regional being hauled by ACS-86 #668.

Before I left the northbound Amtrak Silver Starve Train 92 showed up with ACS-86 #662 and two Viewliner sleepers.

I'll wrap things up with some animal photos including a garden toad, a Monarch caterpillar and butterfly, some sort of murder wasp and a gold finch. 

Hope you enjoyed the photos. Next week I clean up some survey gaps on the NEC.