(Sorry for the yelling.) I’m thinking of a trip to the Washington D.C. area in about a month and was spending some time on a Maryland Area Rail Corp.[??] site last night. (Actually it was the site for the all of Southern Maryland public transit, but never mind.)
The site ran MARC FAQ’s, and there sure were some indignant questions! Many of the most indignant of all centered around the Brunswick (westbound) line: slow CSX trains on the line ahead and other service indignities, as well as questions about why there couldn’t be more rush-hour trains.
The MARC people answered the FAQ’s as best they could, I’m sure, but for those who ride it or know about it, how bad is the Brunswick Line anyway? And have the rehabbed Chicago gallery cars taken over ops altogether; that is, have they totally phased out Marc I and Marc II which I gather were “plain old” single-level cars? I was saddened in my research that it looks as though I cannot “do” Harpers Ferry as a.m. out, p.m. back.
If you have comments or suggestions about the MARC Penn Line and the other one, the ex-B&O line, I’d welcome them. I’m curious about VRE, too, but that’s another post.
Thanks for asking. We plan to drive in and then “abandon” the car in favor of public transit to take us where we go, and for fan traveling in and of itself.
One contributor has mentioned a hotel that is close enough to the College Park MARC stop to provide a free shuttle. Something like that – not too expensive – and walking distance to a Metro, MARC or VRE stop might be even better.
In that case, there are a ton of great railfan spots along the MET, and MARC stops at a lot of them, but it is not a daylong transit system like DC’s METRO. But since you’re bringing your car, is there any points of interest you’d really like to see?
Actually, I’ve been to Dee Cee numerous times, but not in the last ten years. So this is a time to re-connect with friends and perhaps see some of the things I’ve missed over the years. I’d like to see some of the Civil War sites around Fredericksburg, VA; so if the VRE can’t get me there we can always drive. I sure don’t like driving in the area, though, esp. not in the District. And I am open to suggestions!
If it’s Civil War sites (with rail nearby), and within an hour’s drive, head northwest from DC. Monocacy battlefield near Frederick Jct. The Civil War Medicine Museum near Hagerstown. Antietam battlefield and Sheperdstown. And there’s also Harpers Ferry. You could hit all of these in a full day.
These are very helpful locations and I am grateful to you. However, if I am reading VRE and Amtrak skeds correctly, it isn’t possible to commute “out” in the morning and “back” (into D.C.) in the afternoon. Perhaps we should just stay somewhere in Maryland and commute into D.C. for visiting, etc. -
But never mind, all these suggestions are great because I am building up a cache of options. - a. s.
When I travel into DC, it’s 100% rail. I take Baltimore’s MTA Light Rail to Penn Station. Catch the last MARC AM train via the PENN LINE to Union Station. From there, it’s a few loooooong blocks worth a walking to all the Museums. Or hail a cab or tour vehicle to take you around. Then, it’s back to Union Station, where my round trip ticket gets me onboard a CAMDEN LINE train (so I’m traveling the old PRR to, and the old B&O from DC). Then I catch the light rail north out of Baltimore to my car.
If it’s VA your truley longing for, I highly recommend a night at the Henry Clay Inn (NOTE:not cheap, but worth it…) in Ashland, VA. You would be between Fredericksburg and Richmond.
And don’t forget that Ashland has the center-of-main-street main line of CSX’s old RF&P doiuble-track main connector, with all the Amtrak Florida trains and plenty of freights as well to photograph — on the street!
DC is train heaven to me. When traveling to DC, I take the Crescent from Greensboro or Charlotte, and the Metro everywhere around town. VRE and MARC are great options, too.
Ashland is train watcher heaven! Great little station, tons of action!
I should have mentioned before, that I also welcome suggestions as to where I could spend a couple of nights in the D.C. area that is quite convenient to the Metro, VRE or MARC. Particularly if the parking is free!
There is a great new Hampton Inn near the Metro Station in Laurel. It is a fairly short walk, and I think the hotel might even have a shuttle to the Metro. It is near great shopping and great restaurants. (I am a sucker for Uno’s pizza. There is one near the Laurel station, but the best Uno’s is in Union Station!)
Uh… some clarification might be in order, as there is no Metro station in Laurel, Maryland. There are numerous MARC commuter rail stations in the area, including one on Laurel’s Main Street, but the nearest Metro station is Greenbelt, which is a ways south and slightly east of Laurel. New Carrolton station is a little further east from Greenbelt.
Well, although the potential for crime (personal or property) exists at just about every metro station with a large parking lot (and Greenbelt has a big lot), I can’t think of any particular reason to single out Greenbelt. It’s no less safe than any other suburban station. I’ve patronized the Greenbelt station many times, including more than a few evenings, and have never encountered problems or concerns.
DC sees a lot of CSX freight traffic such as the tropicana juice train. Theres a lot of spots, they are covered pretty well in the website I posted so I won’t go into a ton of detail. As far as passenger action, Union station is the place to be. All the commuter roads terminate there, and then theres the electrified NEC.
All MARC trains run M-F only, Amtrak runs 7 days. Also if you are up to taking a ride to Baltimore, there is a lot to see there too. The B&O RR museum is there, and theres a decent amount of railfanning to be done in the various port areas. The Inner Harbour is a pretty cool place to hang out now too. A lot of building has been going on there, lots of restaurants, things to do, etc…