A Beauty of a Depot

Re-posted from 2007
Point of Rocks, Maryland station shown here on June 10, 2007 is a beauty of a building, a good train watching hot spot, and a great place to bring small children as visitors. Here the former B&O Old Main Line in the foreground joins the Metropolitan Line as it winds along the Potomac River toward Harpers Ferry, Cumberland, Sand Patch and the West. CSX freights frequent these lines to and from Locust Point, Curtis Bay, and Penn Mary, Baltimore; and Benning Yard, Washington DC. The weekday visitor will also see MARC commuter train action during commute hours. Point of Rocks is an easy day trip for folks in the greater Washington Baltimore Southeast Pennsylvania area. The station is well signed from the exits on US15, 12 miles south of Frederick, Maryland.

Well Travelled Steam Locomotive

It's 6:00 AM in the rail yard in Alamosa, Colorado. There's no one around to ask how old No, 18 is working out for the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad (and no one around to kick me out of the yard, either).

Getting The Train Chase Wrong in New Mexico

I did it all wrong running up to the roadside with the camcorder turned off and then getting flustered and placing myself in the wrong state.
We had chased the Westbound train on I-40 since spotting it in Newkirk, New Mexico, about 23 miles East of Santa Rosa. It was moving fast and I had to go 75 to get ahead of it and pull off on a side road exit near Cuervo (Crow). Preparation was clearly not part of my plan. I was actually more concerned that my accompanying grandson stand in a safe place.
This is on the former Southern Pacific Golden State line not far from where it joined up with the Rock Island for the connection to Chicago and the East. Originally built by the El Paso and Southwestern Railway as its Eastern Division, it was joined to the Rock Island in Tucumcari in 1901.

Steamer in the Morning

On a fine late Spring morning in Antonito, Colorado, Cumbres and Toltec #487 has finished coaling and is now taking on water for the morning departure to Chama, New Mexico. For steam lovers this remnant of the great Rio Grande narrow gauge system brings back all the romance of early 20th century travel in the steep gorges and high passes of the Rocky Mountains.

Conrail Days But Not Conrail

This locomotive is not from Conrail but is visiting the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on the occasion of Conrail Days, May 29th to 31st, 2009. NS number 7581 GE ES40DC represents big power on one of Conrail's successors, Norfolk Southern. Its 4,000 horsepower compares to the 5,000 horsepower of older EMD SD80MAC #7211 coupled ahead of it and is a result of a decision at NS to buy lower horsepower units for better matching to train loads and to reduce engine maintenance costs. It was built in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2006. Welcome to Strasburg, big Thoroughbred!