Point of Rocks railroad station

This is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful railroad stations in America.

You can easily be captivated and transported back to 1873 when you stand on the platform of the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station. What’s even more fascinating is that it’s still used as a daily commuter station for the MARC train into Union Station (free t-shirt to the first GoDCer that shows me they commute from this station).

The station was completed in 1873, designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin, a prominent architect, who contributed many buildings to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

On May 1st, 1873, the Baltimore Sun printed an article about the upcoming opening of the station and new line from Washington.

Preparatory to putting in operation during the latter part of the present month the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, extending from the national capital forty-two miles to the Point of Rocks, on the Main Stem of the road, an excursion party set out from Washington yesterday afternoon over the new line of road, with a view of inspecting its track, bridges and other work, and thence pass up to Cumberland, and to some extent into the coal region.

By this branch road Washington city is put in direct communication with the entire West by a short line, without changes or break of connection, ever the whole system of roads owned or controlled or in affiliation with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and thus has all the advantages without cost to itself of over $36,000,000 of capital, which Baltimore and Maryland, through the citizens, the State and municipal governments, have invested in the great works which have mainly contributed to the present prosperous condition of Baltimore. From the fact that the excursion was intended for Washington bu few persons from Baltimore were invited to participate in the same, and those who did go from this city were principally officers of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and members of the press.

…

At 3 P. M. Captain Dukehart shouted “all aboard,” and in a twinkling the Washingtonians who had met the train at the depot at Washington entered the train, and in a moment afterwards the cars passed upon the rails of the Metropolitan Branch. Among the Washington notables were Gen. W. T. Sherman, of the armies of the United States; Col. Audenreid, chief of staff; Gen. Heintzleman, Gen. Porter, of the United States engineer corps … and representatives of the Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston press, in all sixty-five persons, which, which those from Baltimore, swelled the party to upwards of one hundred.

…

The train reached Point of Rocks at six o’clock, and a halt of about half an hour was made there, in order that the excursion might enjoy a lunch. After the lunch had been properly attended to the train moved on to Weaverton, where another halt was made, in order that Gen. Sherman and others for Washington might return in the St. Louis train. After bidding the General and his friends good-bye, the excursionists again entered their cars and started for Cumberland, which place they reached about twelve o’clock last night. To-day the pleasure-seekers will visit all the places of interest in and about Cumberland, and return home tomorrow night.

Three hours to Point of Rocks and six hours to Cumberland? Today, if you take the MARC train from Union Station at 3:30 p.m., you’re at Point of Rocks by 4:48 p.m. … and that’ll cost you $7.00.

instagram photo of the old railroad sign at Point of Rocks

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This photo begs further investigation (click on it for high-resolution).

Laurel, Maryland. July 31, 1922. “Two B&O freights wrecked in head-on crash at Laurel switch.” National Photo Company glass negative (Shorpy)

This looks like a massive train wreck (obviously), and what continues to amaze me is in those days, people would rapidly gather around a crash site to inspect it.

Two large freight trains were barreling down the same track towards each other when collided in a massive explosion of steel and coal. The Washington Post reported on it the following day, August 1st, 1922.

Six men narrowly escaped death yesterday afternoon when two freight trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company crashed in a head-on collision near Laurel, Md. David Ramsey, one of the engineers was taken to a Baltimore hospital suffering from a broken leg. The others escaped injury by jumping just before the crash.

Both engines and four freight cars were demolished and the passenger and freight service of the railroad company was tied up for several hours while wrecking crews removed the debris. Commuters between Washington and Baltimore who were unable to obtain a lift from passing automobilists were forced to walk to their destination.

Well that sucks. Not only are you in a giant train wreck, you need to walk to your final destination in the July heat of Washington. Great.

The accident occurred at a crossways near Laurel, where the east and westbound freights met in an open switch. The train crews hard hardly jumped to the ground when the heavily loaded freight cars crashed into one another, the eastbound engine being hurled 25 feet in the air.

Wrecking crews were quickly sent to the scene of the wreck, and emergency telephone connections established with the train dispatcher’s office at Baltimore.

Passenger trains of the Baltimore and Ohio were sent out over the tracks of the Pennsylvania road to Overton, Md., then to the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio.

Officials of the railroad at the scene of the wreck refused to place responsibility for the accident, and busied themselves at once to clear away and repair the 50 yards of track torn up by the collision.

I’m shocked that nobody was killed in the accident. Can you imagine the panic and sheer terror of the crew as they saw the other train coming at them down the track?

Here’s another angle of the wreck.

July 31, 1922. Train wreck at Laurel, Maryland. “2 Freights Crash at Laurel Switch — B&O Trains Wrecked,” Washington Post, August 1, 1922 (Wikipedia)

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The post Massive Head-On Train Collision in Laurel appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

This is a guest post by Aaron. He also wrote a really popular post on red metro trains.

“Full size mockup of partial Metro station 1968″ from Stanley Allan’s book describing Metro’s early plans.

Construction of the sample station, 1968. (Chicago Historical Society via GMU.edu)

At first glance, this looks like a mundane promotional photo from the early days of Metro’s Judiciary Square station.  It isn’t.  You’re looking at a full-scale “experimental” station built in 1968 to practice underground building techniques.  It wasn’t underground.  And it wasn’t at Judiciary Square.

“Washington’s first experimental Metro subway station, wide enough for two trains but far too short for even a single car, is taking shape – above ground – on the site of a former cemetery off Rhode Island Avenue ne.

Although it will never be used by a passenger or a train, it is expected to solve problems of construction techniques, lighting and acoustics for the 25-mile basic city subway system.”-Washington Post 5/17/1968

WMATA spent $69,000 for the sample station in May 1968.  After just a few weeks of construction, it measured 64 feet in width, 30 feet in height, and just 17 feet in length.  It marked a key milestone in the capital subway project — a massive planning and engineering effort that started in the 1950s.

Materials used in each station: “Six basic building materials — Exposed structural concrete, red quarry tile, white granite, aluminum acoustical panels, porcelain enamel steel for graphics and solid bronze for railings and escalator and elevator cladding.” (Allan, 1994)

“For the Glory of Washington”

Concrete arch of the sample station pictured on the cover of Stanley Allan’s book, “For the Glory of Washington: A chronicle of events leading to the creation of a system-wide architectural concept for the design of the Washington Metro Stations, December 1965-November 1967” (1994)

Stanley Allan was the project manager for Metro’s architect, Harry Weese Associates.  Allan compiled hundreds of pages of early plans for the transit system in a 1994 book.  He chose to put a photo of the “experimental station” on the cover, describing it with pride:

“Full scale mock-up of a proto-typical vault section, built for the purpose of studying the technical aspects of concrete formwork, general constructibility, concrete and reinforcing steel placement, the cost analysis of these factors and the time to do the work as projected for a full 600′ long station vault.

“When completed it was a mock-up for platform paving including the edge strip, for the railings, lighting, concrete finishes, and acoustical treatment.  It served as an excellent public relations interface with the press, public officials, the general public and technical advisors.”

Testing was a success.  Metro’s now-familiar concrete arches were an inexpensive way solve several problems.  A 1974 article described the construction process and the results:

“At the Rosslyn bi-level station, deepest in the system, there is an illustration of the massive structural work involved.  Most of the system’s high-arched stations are in deep trenches cut under the street and then covered over.  But the Rosslyn station has been cut through rock.  A huge contraption on wide rails and supported by hydraulic jacks is used to hold it tightly until the concrete has set.

“The coffering effect — for strength — is created by using forms that look like inverted bathtubs.  Once the contraption — called a “form jumbo” — is in place, a section of the arch 106 feet from one side of the tunnel to the other and 66 feet long, can be constructed in about two weeks.  Concrete is forced into place under pressure. The final effect is to produce an attractive station requiring no paint, and whose walls are ingeniously out of reach of most potential graffiti artists.”-New York Times, 9/10/1974

To put the 1968 “experimental station” in context, it’s worth mentioning that ground was broken for Metro’s first real station on December 9, 1969.  The system opened March 27, 1976.  It’s unclear when the sample station was destroyed to make way for the current Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood station.

About That Cemetery…

Harmony Cemetery plaque at Rhode Island Avenue Metro station (via The Historical Marker Database)

The Post‘s first mention of the “experimental station” described its location as, “the site of the former Harmony Cemetery at 8th place and Rhode Island avenue ne., just east of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad overpass.”

Red Line commuters walk past a small sign at the current above-ground Rhode Island Avenue station that pays tribute to some of the earlier underground inhabitants.  Added to the station in June 1981, the plaque notes that bodies were reinterred in a Maryland cemetery.

More About Metro

We discussed several of WMATA’s early plans including an around-the-world subway tour when we showed you this bizarre bright red Metro train. We’re researching a few more interesting early Metro topics.  If there’s anything about the transit system you’ve always wanted to know, ask us in the comments below.

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The post Metro’s 17-Foot Long “Experimental Station” appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

This is a guest post by Aaron. He also wrote a cool one on the 1940 U.S. Census.

Undated mockup for Metro rail cars (probably 1967-68).

We suspect you’ve ridden Metro for many years – without seeing anything quite like these stunning “glossy red” train cars.  They were part of the original plan.  Sure they’re sleek and sporty but they never progressed beyond the drawings and models seen here.  Why not?  And where did this space-age mockup come from?

Small model of Judiciary Square station prepared in 1968. “HWA recommendation for the vehicle color – glossy red.”

We’ve stumbled upon a treasure trove of old Metro plans.  We’ll share the most fascinating images and stories in the coming weeks.  Today we’re focusing on those bright red train cars.  They were directly inspired by subway cars spotted in London in the mid-1960s. It’s a great story – but let’s quickly cover some basic Metro pre-history.

Metro opened in 1976.  Subways don’t appear overnight.  Planning started in the 1950s.  We all know and love WMATA but we may not be familiar with it’s predecessor, the National Capital Transportation Agency.  NCTA and the District’s Commission on Fine Arts called the shots as Metro came into being.  They picked Chicago-based Harry Weese & Associates (HWA) as the system’s architect.

London and Berlin

London subway sketches by HWA staff.

Weese and his team traveled the globe in a whirlwind survey of subway systems.  It was March 1966, just days after the architect signed a contract to design Metro.  The HWA crew visited 18 city subway systems in 42 days.  Each yielded new insights.  They came away with subway maps, photos, and very extensive notes.

Quick sketches from Bob Reynolds, HWA’s design leader for the project, show early concerns for stations, trains, and riders.  They note materials, color, light, pedestrian flow, escalators, signage, and staff uniforms.

When they first visited London, the HWA team noted brightly colored stations and trains:

“[Train cars] painted red were especially attractive.  The cars had groved [sic] wood floors, luggage racks and side seating.  Smoking was permitted in certain cars.” -Notes of Stanley Allan, HWA Metro project manager, April 1966.

Weese’s contract required the architect to present design concepts for “transit vehicles.”  A second trip took HWA staff back to London and Germany in summer 1966 to meet officials responsible for the design and upkeep of train cars:

“We were particularly impressed by the painted exterior of the trains.  The beautiful Berlin chrome yellow was our favorite, as was the English red used for so many London trains.  We subsequently selected a bright, glossy dark green color for Washington.” -Stanley Allan, 1994.

Red, Green, or Colorless

Signing the initial Metro contract. March 10, 1966. Pictured, left to right: John Rannells (NCTA architecture director), Owen Malone (NCTA legal counsel), Warren Quenstedt (NCTA deputy administrator), Harry Weese, Stanley Allan (HWA project manager), Robert Reynolds (HWA lead designer)

Green trains?  It’s hard to find any more discussion of that color option.  By 1967, top members of Weese’s staff moved from Chicago and opened an office on K Street.  They adopted “elements of continuity” to guide their design work as the project grew in scope and complexity.  Metro’s color palette was a key part of that framework.  They returned to red:

“We recommended the color of the trains would be a glossy red, like the ones we admired in London, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo.  Against the otherwise muted background of the stations the red trains would offer a dynamic and exciting movement of color to the station environment, in addition of [sic] the clothing of the patrons.

This idea was denied with a decision to avoid the painted approach, with all of its alleged costly maintenance problems and the need for a paint shop at the yard.” -Stanley Allan, 1994.

NCTA became WMATA and the board’s chairman, James P. Gleason, was particularly fond of the bright red design.  HWA’s conceptual notes were handed to Carl Sundberg, the Detroit-based industrial designer who would craft the train car exteriors.  Sundberg wasn’t a fan of paint.  The Post covered the ensuing color clash in May 1970:

Washington Post, 5/11/1970

“The visual elements were incorporated into the full-size mockup of a car that was put on public display in 1968.  That car is silver with a wide, dark-gray horizontal strip bracketing the area of the tinted windows and a narrow red strip near its front end.

When the mockup was ordered, Gleason insisted that a smaller painted model also be built.  It is tomato red – a pleasing contrast, Gleason insisted, to the ‘rather sterile’ concrete color of the arched station roofs.

‘You know, people don’t buy aluminum (colored) automobiles,’ Gleason told his colleagues.  ’They buy red ones and green ones and blue ones.’

[Sundberg] dissented sharply.  It would be a shame, he said, ‘to paint over nice stainless steel or aluminum.’ Besides, an associate added, painting would cost $9,000 more over the life of each car.” -Washington Post, 5/11/1970

You know how this story ends.  Cost concerns killed the sporty red Metro car.  When trains started rolling on March 27, 1976 they were as they are today: unpainted aluminum.

This GoDC guest post was written by Aaron.  He has a few more stories on Metro’s early plans lined up – and he still has a stack of books checked out of the library.  Anything you’ve been wondering about Metro’s original plans?  Ask in the comments or contact Aaron.

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The post Shiny Red Metro Trains appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

Last week, we did a quick post on Fort Lincoln Heights. Now, I’d like to focus a little more on Deanwood, the former neighborhood of both Nannie Helen Burroughs and Marvin Gaye.

1. Before the Deanwood metro … way before

Deanwood’s metro stop recently had a dubious label attached to it. You’ll read later in this post that a different kind of danger was present in Deanwood over a hundred years ago.

I thought it might be interesting to share what the area around the metro stop looked like in 1907. Below is the Baist real estate atlas for the area near the current metro stop.

Deanwood in the 1907 Baist Real Estate Atlas (Library of Congress)

Play around with the current map below. The road above labeled Anacostia (near 5122 and 5118) became Anacostia Freeway (295), M is now Meade, N is Nash and L is Lee.

2. Frightful railroad crossing accident kills a prominent lawyer

The Baltimore Sun had a special dispatch from Washington on August 21st, 1897, detailing a horrific accident at the Deanwood crossing of the Baltimore and Potomac railroad tracks.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.–One of the most frightful accidents which has occurred here in years took place this evening at 6 o’clock at the Deanwood crossing of the Baltimore and Potomac tracks when Judge H. O. Claughton, a prominent lawyer of this city, and Miss Villa Custis lost their lives by being struck by a train.

Judge Claughton and Miss Custis had been out driving and were returning to the city. As they approached the railroad crossing at Deanwood the whistle of the New York express due at this time blew. Gateman Baker attempted to lower the gates to prevent the carriage from passing over the tracks. As he did so he saw that the gates would strike the top of the carriage, so he immediately raised them again. By this time the horses had passed upon the tracks, and in a moment more the carriage would have been over.

Just then the express, going at the rate of sixty miles an hour, crashed into the team, apparently striking it between the horses and the carriage. In a moment the air was filled with splinters and flesh, and the horses, carriage and occupants disappeared from view. The train was stopped as quickly as possible and backed up to Deanwood, and the conductor and trainmen gathered up the wreck.

The body of Judge Claughton had been thrown a distance of seventy yards and that of Miss Custis nearly as far. Both lay at some distance from the track. They had been killed instantly, apparently, by the tremendous shock. At one side of the road lay the horses, both dead. The carriage was in splinters. An incoming train was stopped and the bodies placed on it and brought to this city.

An inquest will be held tomorrow to determine, if possible, where the blame lay. The gateman is the only witness to the accident, and he says that he did all that was possible to prevent it. The team the Judge was driving was an elegant span of horses and they were coming down the road at a fast clip. At the crossing there is a slight cut, and, it is believed, that the view was obstructed by houses and a fence, so that the occupants of the carriage had no idea they were in danger until they had been struck. Their bodies showed bu slight wounds.

Miss Custis is a daughter of Dr. W. B. N. Custis, of 112 East Capitol street.

Judge Claughton was born in Westmoreland county, Va., May 20, 1828. He was consul at St. Martins, West Indies, in 1850-1, and in 1873-6 he was a member of the Virginia Senate. In the latter year he removed to this city, where he soon accumulated a large and lucrative practice. He was made a professor at the law school of the National University in 1882, and has ever since been in the faculty. He was one of the counsel in the famous Potomac flats case, now pending before the United States Supreme Court.

Is it me, or is it weird that a 69-year-old man is out for a drive with the daughter of a local doctor? The papers did state that Judge Claughton and Dr. Custis were friends. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it seems odd. In the 1880 U.S. Census, Claughton is listed as married to Jennie, with two daughters, a son and two adopted daughters — the judge’s father, a servant and cook also lived in their home on 3rd St., just north of the Capitol Building. Maybe he was a widower by 1897 and maybe it was just an innocent ride to the country.

After a little digging, I found out that Custis was 28 years old at the time. By 1897, Claughton no longer was living near the Capitol, having a residence at 1740 P St. NW and there was no mention of his next of kin in the article.

Hiram O. Claughton household in the 1880 U.S. Census

The Pennsylvania Railroad was declared responsible for the accident, having been negligent in sufficiently protecting the Deanwood crossing. The gates at the crossing were lowered and raised manually and it was company policy to only lower them when the oncoming train was in sight. There were two 12-hour shifts operating the gate, with the day man being paid $45 a month and the night man receiving $40 for his shift.

3. President Roosevelt’s train at Deanwood

I stumbled across an interesting, but very brief, mention of the President passing through Deanwood over a hundred years ago. This was in the Washington Post on November 23rd, 1902.

The Pennsylvania Railroad informed police headquarters last night that the President’s special train of four cars, from Philadelphia, would remain on a siding at Deanwood from 4 o’clock this morning, until 7:30 o’clock, at which hour the Executive wished to be awakened. the train, scheduled to leave Philadelphia at midnight, arrived in the city at an unseasonable hour. It was thought best not to disturb the President’s rest by rousing him before his usual hour of rising.

President Roosevelt was in Philadelphia on November 22nd to attend the dedication of the Central High School for Boys during the day and at night, he went to the celebratory banquet of Founders’ Day at the Union League. The party went quite late and Roosevelt boarded his train home at the Pennsylvania Railroad station.

Teddy Roosevelt in Philadelphia – November 22nd, 1902 (Library of Congress)

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• Gonzaga, Sidwell Friends, St. Albans and Farewell to a Local Legend (ghostsofdc.org)

MrsAntonette

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