Railfanning 6-13-2011

Hi, Friend Paul Woodring was visiting the area from Ohio during the week of June 13 and we arranged to go out and photograph along the Metropolitan Subdivision that Monday. Our first stop was at Germantown, MD. Even though this area has become very built up over the years there are still some nice photo angles. In the first picture a MARC train is deadheading into Washington, DC.

A few minutes later Q226 came through on Track 2.

Our next stop was Barnesville, MD. The first train was D765, the train that carries garbage from the transfer station in Rockville, MD to a steam generating incinerator in Dickerson, MD. The steam is sold to a Mirant Energy power plant across the fence. The residue from the incinerator is shipped to a landfill, I think in Ohio.

After an empty coal train passed we relocated to Point of Rocks, MD. where we waited about an hour until Q278 came east.

A few minutes later R648 resumed its westbound trek.


We then move on to Brunswick, MD. CSX stages coal trains here for delivery to the Mirant Energy power plant in Dickerson as well as for their plants in Chalk Point and Morgantown, MD. This coal train has been staged on the normally westbound tracks and is heading east.

Shortly thereafter Q398 came east past another staged coal train and a cut of gravel hoppers.

Finally, E642 stopped to change crews before continuing west past WB tower. Rumors have been circulating that the tower would close shortly and its operations taken over by the dispatcher in Baltimore. However, the operator told us that they had just learned the tower would continue to in service for at least another 3 years.

Our final stop of the day was at Lander Road just west of Point of Rocks where we photographed Q217.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.