B&O Washington Branch Photo Tour

B&O Washington Branch Modern day photo tour
Accompanying each photo below are:

Mile - the milepost distance roughly from Camden Station in Baltimore, Maryland
Ease - difficulty level to reach the photographer's location (A = easiest, F = toughest)
Area - estimate of safety level of area (A = safest, F = worst)
Map - ADC brand street map coordinates; notation is: county, page, grid
Date - date of photograph
View - compass direction of view
T+ - elapsed time since topmost photo
Topographic Map - link to US Geological survey map

Click a photo to see a larger view. Please send your comments and corrections to Steve.

Brief Historical Background: Dorsey Traffic Jam

A westbound MARC train stopped at Dorsey Station, as MARC trains regularly do, but then sat there, which MARC trains rarely do. A CSX freight eventually rolled up from behind, as if to urge the MARC train onward. Presumably, there was a reason for the delay, such as the track ahead occupied. One does not often see passenger and freight trains get so close outside of yards. Below is a photo sequence from a half mile away.

Dorsey Station
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T: 0 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

A westbound MARC train pauses on Track 1 at Dorsey Station along the Camden Line, aka CSX Capital Subdivision. A green signal on Track 2 (the near track) suggests an eastbound is on the way, but none will arrive within the next 25 minutes. A Ryder truck is eastbound on MD 100.

Weekend Plans
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 13 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

White-shirted MARC crewmembers gather on the platform to chat about how to improve passenger service, among other topics.

Surprise
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 13 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

Then a westbound CSX freight sneaks up behind them.

Road Hog
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 14 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

"Sigh, CSX thinks they own the road! Oh, wait, they do. OK, OK, we're climbing aboard."

There do exist (red) signals located between these two trains. The nearer signals are only about 10 years old but lean outward a surprising amount.

Lights On
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 15 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

MARC's lights come back on...

Light Speed
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 15 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

... and it throttles up for the jump to light speed...

No Hurry
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 16 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

... but settles for 10 mph.

Waiting
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 16 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

The freight watches from a distance.

MARC 15
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: W
Area: B+	T+: 16 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

MARC 15 has been doing the pushing.

To Montevideo
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: W
Area: B+	T+: 16 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

The Montevideo Road grade crossing is beyond the bend.

Finally
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 21 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

After about five minutes, the freight is given the green.

Rebuild
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: NE
Area: B+	T+: 22 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

CSX 2054 was rebuilt into this GP38-3 form. Most CSX rebuilds can be identified by their pair of small, orange antennae (lights) on top.

CSX 2054
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: N
Area: B+	T+: 22 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

The consist is the typical short one of local service.

Two Seven Zero
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: N
Area: B+	T+: 22 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

Two engines, seven railcars, zero DPUs.

CSX 6503
Mile: 13.5	Date: Sep 2021
Ease: A	View: W
Area: B+	T+: 23 m
Map: AA 1 B 13, Ho 17 D 13	Topographic Maps

CSX 6503 is a rebuild into model GP40-3. Government regulations make many rebuilds less expensive than buying a new engine. Much like old automobiles in Cuba, this will keep old locomotives in operation for many more years.

Thanks for looking.

Consider continuing west from Dorsey.

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