Post Civil War Roundhouse

[J3a-614]

This is at Martinsburg, W.Va., and was perhaps the very first division point facility in America, if not the world.  It would make quite a scratchbuilding project--and it's not likely to be something that will be mass produced! 

http://www.samlindsey.com/TrainExcurs/Martinsburg.asp

http://www.martinsburgroundhouse.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPSF4YBnsvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg5GyxAT-_8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSKQaCVQK8s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elcXoufYhzo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXuTO5QLRiU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ix1gulfmTc&feature=related

Enjoy.

[on30gn15]

Pretty cool architecture, I like 

[pipefitter]

This is at Martinsburg, W.Va...

Thanks for this. Looks like a possible overnight trip via MARC from DC

BTW, Does anybody remember, back in the 80's, MARC had a very popular train on the Brunswick Line (B&O Metropolitan Branch) that ran from Washington DC to Martinsburg WV. Pulled by two F units back to back followed by 13 ex Pennsy coaches, the train in MARC's second (current) paint scheme silver with blue and orange stripes. It was a beautiful, classic train, the favorite of local railfans who dubbed it "The City Of Martinsburg." I occasionally got lucky and caught the train passing at the Forest Glen (Silver Spring MD) grade crossing on my way home from work

Robert

[J3a-614]

I certainly remember it, even photographed it.  Another train on the route at the time still used Budd RDCs, still lettered for Baltimore & Ohio.  And Amtrak's Capitol Limited still stops here, too.

Come on out and check out the roundhouse (tours are available with some advance notice), the station (oldest station in the US in service, a former hotel because Stonewall Jackson burned the original and the earlier roundhouse in 1861), the crossing of the ex N&W and B&O at Shenandoah Junction, and action at Harpers Ferry, and more. . .

Railpictures MARC link:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php

From Railpictures:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=294238&nseq=22

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=290102&nseq=23

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=221183&nseq=57

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=219381&nseq=63

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=212672&nseq=90

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=210962&nseq=92

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=210960&nseq=93

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=190901&nseq=124

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=183967&nseq=134

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=182716&nseq=138

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=182714&nseq=139

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=182710&nseq=141

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=167160&nseq=154

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=146484&nseq=174

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=141535&nseq=180

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139311&nseq=184

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=138841&nseq=185

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=136794&nseq=193

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=136648&nseq=194

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=122625&nseq=208

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=108803&nseq=234

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=107493&nseq=241

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=98584&nseq=249

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=96041&nseq=252

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=93208&nseq=255

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=92492&nseq=256

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=91526&nseq=259

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=76365&nseq=275

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=75342&nseq=280

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=50619&nseq=317

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=50519&nseq=318

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=50372&nseq=319

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=45195&nseq=329

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=41309&nseq=337

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=37139&nseq=344

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=36493&nseq=345

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=27254&nseq=348

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=6884&nseq=357

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=270150&nseq=2

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=269933&nseq=3

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=202765&nseq=5

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=142862&nseq=8

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=20419&nseq=13

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=11410&nseq=14

This Bachmann thread sort of ties in, so I'm linking it here:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,12783.0.html

I'll look around and see if I can find links to drawings of the roundhouse by the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER).

Until then, enjoy.

[J3a-614]

Well, here we go with the HAER (Historic American Engineering Record):

General Page:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

Results for a search of "Railroad" (only 1,979 items):

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

Narrowing down to "Baltimore & Ohio Railroad:"

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

Going through the list (and one could also narrow the search, as in "Martinsburg, W.Va."):

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:41:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&fileName=wv/wv0200/wv0257/photos/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Martinsburg%20Machine%20Shop,%20West%20Side%20of%20Tuscarora%20Creek%20Opposite%20East%20End%20of%20,%20Martinsburg,%20Berkeley%20County,%20WV&displayType=1&itemLink=D?hh:41:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

East Roundhouse (now in ruins following a fire some years ago):

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:62:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhsheet&fileName=wv/wv0200/wv0256/sheet/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Martinsburg%20East%20Roundhouse,%20East%20End%20of%20Race%20%26%20Martin%20Streets,%20Martinsburg,%20Berkeley%20County,%20WV&displayType=1&maxCols=2&itemLink=D?hh:62:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

The west house, still standing:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:77:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhsheet&fileName=wv/wv0200/wv0255/sheet/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Martinsburg%20West%20Roundhouse,%20East%20End%20of%20Race%20%26%20Martin%20Streets,%20Martinsburg,%20Berkeley%20County,%20WV&displayType=1&maxCols=2&itemLink=D?hh:77:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&action=browse&fileName=wv/wv0200/wv0255/photos/browse.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?hh:77:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Martinsburg%20West%20Roundhouse,%20East%20End%20of%20Race%20%26%20Martin%20Streets,%20Martinsburg,%20Berkeley%20County,%20WV&displayType=1

Other now gone facilities, in this case, at Cumberland, Md.:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:78:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhsheet&fileName=md/md0000/md0001/sheet/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Bolt%20%26%20Forge%20Shop,%20Spring%20Street,%20Cumberland,%20Allegany%20County,%20MD&displayType=1&maxCols=2&itemLink=D?hh:78:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&action=browse&fileName=md/md0000/md0001/photos/browse.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?hh:78:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::&title2=Baltimore%20%26%20Ohio%20Railroad,%20Bolt%20%26%20Forge%20Shop,%20Spring%20Street,%20Cumberland,%20Allegany%20County,%20MD&displayType=1

Came across the now-gone facility at Keyser, W.Va.:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:68:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

I'll leave it to the readers to look for more material, including that from other roads that may be their favorites.

Good luck and good hunting!

[J3a-614]

Nearly forgot these:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:85:./temp/~ammem_X5nl::

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:88:./temp/~ammem_X5nl:

[J3a-614]

Grrr, most of the HAER links cut out after a certain amount of time.  You'll have to look on your own after going onto the main page. but suggested search inquiries would be Baltimore & Ohio with the addition of town names, including Keyser, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Wheeling, and Grafton.

This engine would have been at least at Grafton and Keyser, and perhaps Martinsburg, too, and was built at Mt. Claire:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,12783.0.html

[pipefitter]

... Come on out and check out the roundhouse (tours are available with some advance notice), the station (oldest station in the US in service, a former hotel because Stonewall Jackson burned the original and the earlier roundhouse in 1861), the crossing of the ex N&W and B&O at Shenandoah Junction, and action at Harpers Ferry, and more. . .

Railpictures MARC link ...

From Railpictures ...

This Bachmann thread sort of ties in ... Until then, enjoy.

Thanks So Much J3 for the collection of great MARC trains. You put in a lot of time. And thanks for the gracious invitation to Martinsburg. I look forward to a visit.

Robert

[pipefitter]

I certainly remember it, even photographed it.  Another train on the route at the time still used Budd RDCs, still lettered for Baltimore & Ohio.  And Amtrak's Capitol Limited still stops here, too ...

From Railpictures: ...

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=294238&nseq=22

That is a perfect train for me An F and coaches full of people. I am especially fond of F-7's because they were born in 1949 like me and they were the locos I saw frequently while growing up, along with their siblings too, E units, GP-7's and 9's, and RDC's. When I first spent time with railfans around MARC trains, the F's had been repainted into the current (silver with blue and orange stripes) to match their four geeps. The coaches and RDC's were still in MDOT silver with black, white and orange stripes. The coaches in this photo with the three bands below the windows are rebuilt Pennsy cars that have two and two across nice comfortable seats unlike the then newly arrived square Kawasaki cars with two and three across with hard fiberglass seats.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=290102&nseq=23

Another great photo of the former B&O F's running on their home territory.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=221183&nseq=57

This is the loco paint scheme I first saw on MARC locos (except for 7100 which remained MDOT)

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=212672&nseq=90

I love these great trains. It was always a surprise to see the RDC at Union Station which is still lettered in the original B&O, waiting for commuters in the early 90's. I used to catch MARC from DC to Gaithersburg every Friday night and made sure to get the RDC cars. They had been CAT remotered by that time and it was odd to hear that flap stack, bulldozer sound However, except for the riders' clothes it could have been 1960 on the train. There was a regular group of folks in business attire at the end of the car, enjoying canned beverages from brown paper bags.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=210962&nseq=92

This is typical of the MARC trains I first encountered

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=183967&nseq=134

Didn't they originally call these the "Executive" geeps? Back when they only had the four of them and the F's and RDC's. In this photo they are heading west about to cross Summit Ave in Gaithersburg. It is called Summit because it is the high point on the line for B&O trains heading west out of Washington. Helpers were sometimes used and near here is where they were cut off.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=182710&nseq=141

What a beauty!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=138841&nseq=185

I have an Atlas AEM-7 #4901

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=136794&nseq=193

At the Brunswick Roundhouse. I saw a forlorn looking 7100 (in its MDOT paint) sitting alone in a stall with its prime mover removed, having been rebuilt into a cab car

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=93208&nseq=255

Wow and here it is rebuilt and repowered! I understand in 1999. Looking good.

Thanks so much J3 for your efforts in gathering these and great photos and links. I have collected them all with a text file with the photo information. It is a great inspiration, now that the weather has warmed up to take the airbrush on the back porch and get back to work on my railroad.

Very Best Regards,

Robert

[J3a-614]

Thank you for the kind words.

When you come, you will also have to check out, if possible, the action on the local shortline, Winchester & Western.  Power is GP9s, some in high hoods, a couple of homemade slugs (from Alco RS-27s?), and a recently purchased SD9.  Trackage for this road in this area includes its original line to a sand mine from Winchester to Gore, Va., and a portion of the former Cumberland Valley Railroad from Winchester to Williamsport, Md., later part of the PRR and Conrail.  This ex-PRR/CV track still has rail in it rolled in 1917!

Just north of Martinsburg, perhaps 2 miles from the roundhouse in town; US Route 11 is just behind the photographer:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=300380&nseq=0

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139165&nseq=2

Bunker Hill, W.Va., about 15 miles south of Martinsburg; photo near an antique mall in this town.  The antique mall sometimes has old train stuff inside.  Route 11 is beyond the trailer and other things in the background.  Route 11, also called the Valley Pike, is the route Stonewall Jackson used in his Great Locomotive Raid in 1861, in which he stole locomotives from the B&O and had them transported by highway to be placed on southern rails in Winchester.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=157831&nseq=5

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=144686&nseq=1

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=87791&nseq=7

CSX goes to Winchester, too, on the former Winchester & Potomac Railroad that branches off at Harpers Ferry.  This was the location of one of the first interchanges between two railroads, predating the Civil War.  This line also crosses the Norfolk Southern on a diamond at Charles Town, and passes an ancient stone station in Summit Point, W.Va.  The station in Winchester is classy, too.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=163869&nseq=0

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139165&nseq=2

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=281352&nseq=0

Local Model Railroad club:

http://www.bunkerhilltrainclub.org/

Enjoy.

[pipefitter]

When you come, you will also have to check out, if possible, the action on the local shortline, Winchester & Western ...

Thanks J3,

Robert

[J3a-614]

Just had to add a little more:

General Railpictures link to the Winchester & Western; note that the road has two divisions, one in Virginia (and West Virginia), and the other in New Jersey:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?offset=0&where=||Winchester %26 Western||||||1|||||||||||Winchester %26 Western||||||||||||||||||&newdisplay=5

This is at Clearbrook, Va., near the state line with West Virginia; Route 11 is in the background.  The passenger station for this little community used to be in that grain elevator.  There is also a preserved W&W caboose in the park in the town, to the right of the grain elevator, which is a former B&O I-1 car:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=221057&nseq=25

Behind the ice plant in Martinsburg; interchange track to the former B&O curves off at the right:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=177029&nseq=48

For years the W&W was an Alco holdout:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=172855&nseq=52

No. 527, now scrapped, was formerly a New Haven unit of the same number:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=171781&nseq=56

Finally, I will simply comment that Martinsburg is a good base to check out several tourist railroads and rail museums, including operating steam and traction.  Three of these--the Potomac Eagle in Romney, W.Va., the Western Maryland Scenic, and the East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company--are only 90 minutes' driving time from Martinsburg.  The furthest afield for a day trip is the Strasburg Rail Road, and it's only three hours's away.

http://www.potomaceagle.info/

http://www.wmsr.com/

http://www.ebtrr.com/

Going out a little further, but no more than 3 hours' driving time:

http://www.baltimorestreetcar.org/

http://www.dctrolley.org/

http://strasburgrailroad.com/

http://www.borail.org/

Just 25 miles to the north, in Hagerstown, Md.:

http://www.roundhouse.org/index.shtml

http://sites.google.com/site/westernmaryland202/

Enjoy.

[J3a-614]

Ah, Pipefitter likes early EMDs; he'll appreciate this photo link to shots on the Potomac Eagle tourist train that runs on the South Branch Valley.  I'll leave it to him (and you) to explore, simply because there is so much here:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?offset=0&where=search|-2|-2|-2||-2|potomac eagle|15|1||||||||-2|-2||-2|-2|||15|-2|-2||||||1||1||||&newdisplay=5

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?offset=0&where=search|-2|-2|-2||-2|south branch valley|15|1||||||||-2|-2||-2|-2|||15|-2|-2||||||1||1||||&newdisplay=5

http://www.wvrails2010.com/

Enjoy.

[pipefitter]

Ah, Pipefitter likes early EMDs; he'll appreciate this photo link to shots on the Potomac Eagle tourist train that runs on the South Branch Valley...

Yes he does I guess that's because I saw when I was growing up near the B&O. Steam had left the scene so recently that there were still echos and artifacts left behind. I saw F's, Geep's and passenger trains equipped with triple headed E's to get them over the Alleghenies. And there were "honorary" EMD's my Dad called the "Budd Cars." I like ALCO's too, they sound great.

I rode the pre-steam WM Scenic with magnificent FPA4 and RS3 locos in "Fireball" paint and the next day on the Potomac Eagle with their geep in the beautiful MoPac inspired scheme. The Cumberland Holiday Inn had a great weekend package deal.

Robert