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Riverdale Railfans
Riverdale Park, Maryland is a small commuter station stop along the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, present day CSX Transportation. More specifically, the stretch of two track mainline between Relay, MD and Hyattsville, MD is known a CSX Transportation's "Capitol Subdivision".
The "division point" on the Western side of Hyattsville to the "Metropolitan Subdivision" which continues on through Washington DC, through locations such as Takoma Park, MD, Gaithersburg, MD and eventually Point of Rocks, MD and Brunswick, Maryland where it becomes the "Cumberland Subdivision".
At Point of Rocks the Metropolitan Subdivision ends and becomes the "Old Main Line Subdivision". The Old Main Line takes a more Northerly route between Brunswick and Baltimore, MD going through Frederick, Mount Airy and Sykesville to name but a few points of interest. This allows East-West freight traffic to detour outside of the Washington DC area, an important issue since 9/11 since railroads are known to ship massive amounts of HAZMAT or HAZardous MATerials.
The Capitol Subdivision runs generally Northeast to Southwest (Railroad refers to these as East and West respectively) and passes through locations such as Jessup, Laurel, Beltsville, Greenbelt and College Park, amongst others. As suggested by it's name, Baltimore was the Eastern terminus for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad which over the years has become the property of CSX Transportation. The largest rail carrier in the Eastern United States.
On a given day or twenty-four hour period, a "rail-fan" (hobbyist parlance for a Train Enthusiast) can reasonably expect to see 20 to 30 trains operate in both directions on this line. The majority of trains are long distance trains running between locations in the Northeast US such as Selkirk, NY and locations in the South such as Rocky Mount and Hamlet, NC. There are however trains that also pass through these areas bound for Cumberland, MD and points farther West such as Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Types of trains seen can vary, but pretty much cover the full spectrum of modern freight shipped by rail, everything from autoracks and intermodal containers to 100+ cars of loaded coal hoppers.
Over the years, the Riverdale Park MARC (MAryland Rail Commuter Service) station has become a regular gathering point for railfans to partake in their chosen hobby. The reason for this is pure conjecture, but most likely related to frequency of trains that pass the station. Other reasons may include; ample parking after rush hour, convenient access to US Route 1, and subsequently the Capitol Beltway (I-495), as well as proximity to convenience stores, and restaurants.
Perhaps one of the favorite eateries of Riverdale Railfans and locals alike is Dumms Pizza & Subs, on the corner of Riverdale Road and Lafayette Avenue (4704 Riverdale Road in Riverdale Park; Phone: 301-277-2208). Not only can railfans stay relatively close to the railroad tracks, they can purchase hot food and a reasonable price. The restaurant is co-located with a convenience store of the same name.
Riverdale Park is also well patrolled by Riverdale Park Police, and Prince George's County Police, and therefore provides a sense of safety hard to find in hours of darkness near railroad tracks.
Generally, the peak time to catch the largest amount of railfans at Riverdale is on Friday and Saturday evenings. Gatherings can be as few as two or three, to as many as twenty-five people, sometimes more. Weather can play a factor here, though some of the most determined railfans often take refuge under the East-West Highway Bridge in their personal vehicles to watch the trains.
It is widely thought amongst the railfans that the best time to see train activity is in the late evening hours into early morning. (10PM - 3AM) But as mentioned below, one should expect a train, at anyplace and at anytime where there are railroad tracks. And despite their size and power, trains can be unsettlingly quiet while travelling at speed due to the Doppler Effect on sound. Information on safety near railroad tracks can be found at the Operation Lifesaver Website.
The age variation of attending railfans is wide and varied, but generally consists of middle aged to older aged adult males. It is not at all uncommon however for young women, children and whole families to be present at the MARC platform. Of course, like it's been said about the railroad, "Expect a train, anywhere, anytime." The same pretty much goes for Riverdale Park, "Expect a railfan, anywhere, anytime."
Railfans visiting Riverdale Park can come from just about anywhere, most seem to reside locally in or near Prince Georges County. But others still routinely travel from Northern Virginia, and even as far away as NY and Chicago to visit their friends and colleagues at Riverdale Park MARC Station.
The railfans have become "a part of the scenery" for many railroad employees, everyone from CSX Police Officers, to the engineers and conductors on the passing trains recognize the railfans. Often, trains will be stopped at the Riverdale MARC platform awaiting clearance to proceed by the signals West of the platform. While stopped train operators will step off momentarily to chit chat with the railfans, talk about sports scores, or whatever just happens to come to mind. Trains often pass and will "play music" with their horns as a casual greeting to their "fans" always netting a friendly wave from the people gathered on the platform.
Some of the most diehard railfans will stay at the MARC station for several hours, until the early hours of the morning, while others only stop by for 30 minutes or so. Occasionally the "Riverdale Railfans" will host a BBQ, where a member brings a portable grill and a railfan picnic ensues. The gathering of railfans over the years has become much more of a social event than it has for the trains. The trains create an interesting distraction once in a while, or even kick off discussion when dynamic conversation hits its inherent lulls.
As a railfan, one of the "benefits" of watching from the MARC Rail Station is the ability to see the Eastward facing "Color Position Lights" that govern Westward movement through the Riverdale Interlocking. If standing on the platform, looking towards Hyattsville the signals will be visible.
Because the signals are known as an "Absolute Control Point" they are continuously lit, usually displaying a "red board" or two side by side red lights. Railfans have become quite adept at translating the signals and understanding at least some of the rules the signals represent. To make this simple, if you see the signals displaying something other than red, there is a train approaching, though it may still be several miles away, it is coming.
These signals are a tell-tale sign of an approaching train, if they stay red for a long time, it is reasonable to assume that you probably don't have any Westbounds in the area. However, unless you go to other Westward facing signals about a mile away, you will be unable to tell if there is any Eastbound traffic. The exception to this is trains that are coming North along the "Alexandria Extension" out of Virginia, there are several grade crossings such as Upshur Street, Tanglewood Drive, and Decatur Street which trains are required by law to sound their whistles for. If you hear a whistle nearby, it's a 50-50 chance that the train will pass Riverdale Park, unless it goes West at Tanglewood Drive towards Cumberland.
Some of the freight trains you are likely to see, though schedules can greatly vary from day to day: (Source: http://www.bullsheet.com/news)
* - denotes trains that due to operational constraints may transit to Baltimore via the Old Main Line Subdivision. This is performed Ad Hoc by the train dispatchers in Baltimore, MD and has no discernable pattern.
** - DISCLAIMER - This listing is not all inclusive, and may not include extra coal trains, grain trains, detour trains, maintenance trains, executive trains, or light engine movements between Baltimore and Benning Yard in Washington DC. I have intentionally left out the MARC trains from this listing as well. A listing of MARC trains and their schedules is available at the MARC Schedules Page for Riverdale Park/College Park.
Also see: A Riverdale Railfan's photo journal of the CSX tracks, with some good historical links
The below article appeared in the Gazette on August 23, 2007. There are a couple of group photos in the article as well. It mentions Chris Benjamin, who many of us know as 'the train guy' at the Farmers Markets. Great article! AND IS FOUNDER OF THE THE RIVERDALE MODEL RAILROADERS HO/O SCALE CLUB!!
http://www.gazette.net/stories/082307/portnew182116_32371.shtml
The Riverdale Railfans Association Yahoo group is at:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/riverdalerailfans/
Lots of great photos, and a lot of good information as well.
The "division point" on the Western side of Hyattsville to the "Metropolitan Subdivision" which continues on through Washington DC, through locations such as Takoma Park, MD, Gaithersburg, MD and eventually Point of Rocks, MD and Brunswick, Maryland where it becomes the "Cumberland Subdivision".
At Point of Rocks the Metropolitan Subdivision ends and becomes the "Old Main Line Subdivision". The Old Main Line takes a more Northerly route between Brunswick and Baltimore, MD going through Frederick, Mount Airy and Sykesville to name but a few points of interest. This allows East-West freight traffic to detour outside of the Washington DC area, an important issue since 9/11 since railroads are known to ship massive amounts of HAZMAT or HAZardous MATerials.
The Capitol Subdivision runs generally Northeast to Southwest (Railroad refers to these as East and West respectively) and passes through locations such as Jessup, Laurel, Beltsville, Greenbelt and College Park, amongst others. As suggested by it's name, Baltimore was the Eastern terminus for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad which over the years has become the property of CSX Transportation. The largest rail carrier in the Eastern United States.
On a given day or twenty-four hour period, a "rail-fan" (hobbyist parlance for a Train Enthusiast) can reasonably expect to see 20 to 30 trains operate in both directions on this line. The majority of trains are long distance trains running between locations in the Northeast US such as Selkirk, NY and locations in the South such as Rocky Mount and Hamlet, NC. There are however trains that also pass through these areas bound for Cumberland, MD and points farther West such as Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Types of trains seen can vary, but pretty much cover the full spectrum of modern freight shipped by rail, everything from autoracks and intermodal containers to 100+ cars of loaded coal hoppers.
Over the years, the Riverdale Park MARC (MAryland Rail Commuter Service) station has become a regular gathering point for railfans to partake in their chosen hobby. The reason for this is pure conjecture, but most likely related to frequency of trains that pass the station. Other reasons may include; ample parking after rush hour, convenient access to US Route 1, and subsequently the Capitol Beltway (I-495), as well as proximity to convenience stores, and restaurants.
Perhaps one of the favorite eateries of Riverdale Railfans and locals alike is Dumms Pizza & Subs, on the corner of Riverdale Road and Lafayette Avenue (4704 Riverdale Road in Riverdale Park; Phone: 301-277-2208). Not only can railfans stay relatively close to the railroad tracks, they can purchase hot food and a reasonable price. The restaurant is co-located with a convenience store of the same name.
Riverdale Park is also well patrolled by Riverdale Park Police, and Prince George's County Police, and therefore provides a sense of safety hard to find in hours of darkness near railroad tracks.
Generally, the peak time to catch the largest amount of railfans at Riverdale is on Friday and Saturday evenings. Gatherings can be as few as two or three, to as many as twenty-five people, sometimes more. Weather can play a factor here, though some of the most determined railfans often take refuge under the East-West Highway Bridge in their personal vehicles to watch the trains.
It is widely thought amongst the railfans that the best time to see train activity is in the late evening hours into early morning. (10PM - 3AM) But as mentioned below, one should expect a train, at anyplace and at anytime where there are railroad tracks. And despite their size and power, trains can be unsettlingly quiet while travelling at speed due to the Doppler Effect on sound. Information on safety near railroad tracks can be found at the Operation Lifesaver Website.
The age variation of attending railfans is wide and varied, but generally consists of middle aged to older aged adult males. It is not at all uncommon however for young women, children and whole families to be present at the MARC platform. Of course, like it's been said about the railroad, "Expect a train, anywhere, anytime." The same pretty much goes for Riverdale Park, "Expect a railfan, anywhere, anytime."
Railfans visiting Riverdale Park can come from just about anywhere, most seem to reside locally in or near Prince Georges County. But others still routinely travel from Northern Virginia, and even as far away as NY and Chicago to visit their friends and colleagues at Riverdale Park MARC Station.
The railfans have become "a part of the scenery" for many railroad employees, everyone from CSX Police Officers, to the engineers and conductors on the passing trains recognize the railfans. Often, trains will be stopped at the Riverdale MARC platform awaiting clearance to proceed by the signals West of the platform. While stopped train operators will step off momentarily to chit chat with the railfans, talk about sports scores, or whatever just happens to come to mind. Trains often pass and will "play music" with their horns as a casual greeting to their "fans" always netting a friendly wave from the people gathered on the platform.
Some of the most diehard railfans will stay at the MARC station for several hours, until the early hours of the morning, while others only stop by for 30 minutes or so. Occasionally the "Riverdale Railfans" will host a BBQ, where a member brings a portable grill and a railfan picnic ensues. The gathering of railfans over the years has become much more of a social event than it has for the trains. The trains create an interesting distraction once in a while, or even kick off discussion when dynamic conversation hits its inherent lulls.
As a railfan, one of the "benefits" of watching from the MARC Rail Station is the ability to see the Eastward facing "Color Position Lights" that govern Westward movement through the Riverdale Interlocking. If standing on the platform, looking towards Hyattsville the signals will be visible.
Because the signals are known as an "Absolute Control Point" they are continuously lit, usually displaying a "red board" or two side by side red lights. Railfans have become quite adept at translating the signals and understanding at least some of the rules the signals represent. To make this simple, if you see the signals displaying something other than red, there is a train approaching, though it may still be several miles away, it is coming.
These signals are a tell-tale sign of an approaching train, if they stay red for a long time, it is reasonable to assume that you probably don't have any Westbounds in the area. However, unless you go to other Westward facing signals about a mile away, you will be unable to tell if there is any Eastbound traffic. The exception to this is trains that are coming North along the "Alexandria Extension" out of Virginia, there are several grade crossings such as Upshur Street, Tanglewood Drive, and Decatur Street which trains are required by law to sound their whistles for. If you hear a whistle nearby, it's a 50-50 chance that the train will pass Riverdale Park, unless it goes West at Tanglewood Drive towards Cumberland.
Some of the freight trains you are likely to see, though schedules can greatly vary from day to day: (Source: http://www.bullsheet.com/news)
* - denotes trains that due to operational constraints may transit to Baltimore via the Old Main Line Subdivision. This is performed Ad Hoc by the train dispatchers in Baltimore, MD and has no discernable pattern.
** - DISCLAIMER - This listing is not all inclusive, and may not include extra coal trains, grain trains, detour trains, maintenance trains, executive trains, or light engine movements between Baltimore and Benning Yard in Washington DC. I have intentionally left out the MARC trains from this listing as well. A listing of MARC trains and their schedules is available at the MARC Schedules Page for Riverdale Park/College Park.
- Q138* - Eastbound Intermodal trailer train between Chicago, IL and Baltimore, MD
- Q137* - Westbound Intermodal trailer train between Baltimore, MD and Chicago, IL
- Q171 - Westbound/Southbound Intermodal trailer train between Baltimore, MD and Jacksonville, FL
- Q172 - Eastbound/Northbound Intermodal trailer train between Jacksonville, FL and North Bergen, NJ
- Q173 - Westbound/Southbound Intermodal trailer train between North Bergen, NJ and Jacksonville, FL
- Q174 - Eastbound/Northbound Intermodal trailer train between Jacksonville, FL and North Bergen, NJ
- L176 - Eastbound/Northbound Intermodal trailer train betwen Jacksonville, FL and South Kearny, NJ
- Q216* - Eastbound Automotive Carriers (loads) between Detroit, MI and Twin Oaks, PA
- Q217* - Westbound Automotive Carriers (empties) between Twin Oaks, PA and Detroit, MI
- Q226* - Eastbound Automotive Carriers (loads) between Louisville, KY and Baltimore, MD
- Q261*- Westbound Automotive Carriers (loads) between Baltimore, MD and Lordstown, OH
- Q276 - Eastbound Automotive Carriers (loads) between and Toledo, OH and Jessup, MD
- Q341* - Westbound mixed freight between Baltimore, MD and Cumberland, MD
- Q343* - Westbound mixed freight between Baltimore, MD and Cumberland, MD
- Q370* - Eastbound mixed freight between Cumberland, MD and Philadelphia, PA
- Q373* - Wesbound mixed freight between Philadelphia, PA and Cumberland, MD
- Q405 - Westbound/Southbound mixed freight between Philadelphia, PA and Rocky Mount, NC
- Q406 - Eastbound/Northbound mixed freight between Rocky Mount, NC and Philadelphia, PA
- Q409 - Westbound/Southbound mixed freight between Selkirk, NY and Waycross, GA
- Q410 - Eastbound/Northbound mixed freight between Waycross, GA and Selkirk, NY
- Q411 - Westbound/Southbound mixed freight between Cumberland, MD and Richmond, VA (Baltimore is an intermediate point.)
- Q413 - Westbound/Southbound mixed freight between Baltimore, MD and Richmond, VA
- Q414 - Eastbound/Northbound mixed freight between Richmond, VA and Cumberland, MD (Baltimore is an intermediate point.)
- Q438 - Eastbound/Northbound mixed freight between Hamlet, NC and Selkirk, NY
- Q439 - Westbound/Southbound mixed freight between Selkirk, NY and Hamlet, NC
- Q702 - Eastbound/Northbound garbage train (empties) between Richmond, VA and Selkirk, NY
- Q703 - Westbound/Southbound garbage train (loads) between Oak Point, NY and Collier, VA
- Q705 - Bi-directional garbage train that makes daily roundtrip between Sealston, VA to Jessup, MD and returns to Sealston. (Empties up, loads back.)
- Q740 - Eastbound/Northbound Tropicana Orange Juice Train (Loads) between Bradenton, FL and Greenville, NJ
- Q741 - Westbound/Southbound Tropicana Orange Juice Train (Empties) between Greenville, NJ and Tampa, FL.
- Q751 - Daylight rock train, arrives at Riverdale Park from Millville, WV, and then reverses down the Alexandria Extension to Bladensburg, services the Balden Construction Materials Facility in Bladensburg, then returns to Brunswick, MD.
- Q753 - Nighttime running of Q751, same modus operandi.
- D740 - Daily Road Switcher that services various lineside industries between Brunswick, MD and Jessup, MD. Can be seen daily servicing Washington Post in Greenbelt, Muirkirk Industrial Park, amongst other locales. Generally recognizable because it has a GP40-2 type locomotive on both ends of the train, and often runs rather short.
Also see: A Riverdale Railfan's photo journal of the CSX tracks, with some good historical links
The below article appeared in the Gazette on August 23, 2007. There are a couple of group photos in the article as well. It mentions Chris Benjamin, who many of us know as 'the train guy' at the Farmers Markets. Great article! AND IS FOUNDER OF THE THE RIVERDALE MODEL RAILROADERS HO/O SCALE CLUB!!
http://www.gazette.net/stories/082307/portnew182116_32371.shtml
Track talking: Residents bond over love of trains
======================================
The Riverdale Railfans Association Yahoo group is at:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/riverdalerailfans/
Lots of great photos, and a lot of good information as well.
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Latest page update: made by theemdnut4139
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