Old Main Line Photo Tour

B&O Old Main Line Modern day photo tour
Accompanying each photo below are:

Mile - the distance from Mt Clare or 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
IC2 - page reference to similar, usually historic, photo in Herbert Harwood's excellent book Impossible Challenge II
Topographic Map - link to US Geological survey map centered on location

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

Just Trains

Claremont Yard
Mile: 1.6	Date: Jan 2001
Ease: C	View: S
Area: C	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 F 3	Topographic Maps

if you fuel it, they will come... CSX 731 and CSX 102

Restore Me
Mile: 2.1	Date: Feb 2001
Ease: A	View: NW
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 F 4	Topographic Maps

Mama always said railfanning was like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. (B&O Museum equipment seeking restoration, but later sold to Bennett Levin.)

Trio
Mile: 2.9	Date: Dec 2003
Ease: B	View: NW
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 F 6	Topographic Maps

it's the clash of the liveries in West Baltimore (CSX 7891, UP 2805 and HLCX 7187)

Lansdowne
Mile: 4.0	Date: Dec 2003
Ease: B+	View: SE
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 D 86	Topographic Maps

CR 8722, CR 3135 and CSX 7869 love the smell of creosote in the morning

Halethorpe
Mile: 5.8	Date: Feb 2000
Ease: B	View: NE
Area: C+	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 A 11	Topographic Maps

"I see dead CPLs."

Photo courtesy Jackson McDaniel collection

Lafayette
Mile: 5.6?	Date: 1927
Ease: B+	View: NW?
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 E 6	Topographic Maps

location uncertain, probably at the B&O's Fair of the Iron Horse

Photo courtesy Herb Harwood collection

B&O 5302
Mile: 5.7?	Date: 1941
Ease: B+	View: NE?
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 42 E 6	Topographic Maps

steam trains know how to whistle... location uncertain, probably near HX tower in Halethorpe

Conrail 8743
Mile: 6.8	Date: Apr 2001
Ease: A	View: E
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 J 12	Topographic Maps

Jesus. What a mind-job.

Containers
Mile: 6.8	Date: Oct 2002
Ease: A	View: W
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 J 12	Topographic Maps

"I have always depended on the kindness of flatcars." -United Parcel Service UPOZ-845211 at St. Denis

St. Denis
Mile: 6.8	Date: Oct 2000
Ease: A	View: W
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 J 12	Topographic Maps

CSX 7383 is ready for its closeup

Conrail 7379
Mile: 7.1	Date: 2000
Ease: A	View: E
Area: B+	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 H 12	Topographic Maps

That's funny, that train's dustin' crops where there ain't no crops.

Link to older picture: 1981

Photo courtesy William Thurston Collection

B&O 50
Mile: 7.2	Date: ~1939
Ease: B	View: NE
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 H 12, Ho 17 J 5	Topographic Maps

B&O 50 Royal Blue at the Viaduct Hotel (the OML curves along the other side of the hotel)

Avalon Siding
Mile: 8.0	Date: Oct 1999
Ease: B	View: E
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 F 11	Topographic Maps

you're forgetting one thing: if CSX 7 fails to report, CSX 8 replaces it

Photo courtesy Herb Harwood collection

B&O 4466
Mile: 10.x?	Date: 1941
Ease: C+	View: E?
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ba 41 A 8	Topographic Maps

the location where T.H. Arnold photographed this 2-8-2 locomotive is uncertain, perhaps near Buzzard's Rock

Ellicott City
Mile: 12.8	Date: Oct 1999
Ease: A	View: S
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ho 12 G 9	Topographic Maps

blazing westbound, fortunately CSX 249 is hauling a load of dimes

Photo courtesy Gene Leache

Track Dresser
Mile: 13.4	Date: Apr 2005
Ease: B	View: NE
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ho 12 G 9	Topographic Maps

a king-sized, yellow scorpion kicks up dust across the river from Oella

CSX 97
Mile: 13.5	Date: Mar 2000
Ease: B	View: NE
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ho 12 H 8	Topographic Maps

speed, for lack of a better word, is good

Snowy
Mile: 16.0	Date: Jan 2000
Ease: B	View: SE
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ho 12 G 3	Topographic Maps

CSX 736, CSX 8424, CSX 8442 plus one more locomotive play in the snow

Dorsey Tunnel
Mile: 19.0	Date: Dec 1999
Ease: D+	View: W
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ba 31 K 8	Topographic Maps

this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship for CSX 7559 and UP 6763

Sykesville Tunnel Approach
Mile: 29.2	Date: Mar 2003
Ease: C	View: W
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Ca 34 K 4, Ho 4 K 5	Topographic Maps

"Open the tunnel doors please, HAL."

CSX 441
Mile: 39.0	Date: Oct 2004
Ease: C	View: W
Area: A	IC2:
Map: Ca 32 E 4, Ho 2 E 5	Topographic Maps

"I'm draggin' here. I'm draggin' here!"

Mt. Airy
Mile: 40.7	Date: Apr 2005
Ease: B+	View: NE
Area: B	IC2:
Map: Fr 42 A 2, Ho 1 K 5	Topographic Maps

RTC 9801 says hello to his little friend