Nostalgia & History > 2 Penn Central EMU Shots

1. EMU Class MP54 #698, The Dinky, the dinky on the Princeton Branch at Princeton Jct on August 1971.

2. Train 400 passing the Capital Beltway Station in Maryland on July 17, 1970.

Photos by Poger Puta.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/16 13:16 by MartyBernard.

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in photo #2, the track in foreground appears to be a gaunlet (not seen very often)   wonder if nearer track was for passenger loading and outer track was for freight and/or higher speed passenger trains.

It looks like the EMU is also on a gauntlet.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

boejoe Wrote:
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> in photo #2, the track in foreground appears to be
> a gaunlet (not seen very often)   wonder if
> nearer track was for passenger loading and outer
> track was for freight and/or higher speed
> passenger trains.

RNinRVR Wrote:
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> It looks like the EMU is also on a gauntlet.

correct on both accounts

AND, I note that the lead unit is a combine (just about as rare as gauntlet track!)

boejoe Wrote:
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> in photo #2, the track in foreground appears to be
> a gaunlet (not seen very often)   wonder if
> nearer track was for passenger loading and outer
> track was for freight and/or higher speed
> passenger trains.

Capital Beltway station - I knew it will. I grew up in nearby New Carrollton and spent MANY days as a kid sitting on the platform watch the passing parade of trains.

As for the Gauntlet tracks, Capital Beltway had two platforms. The northbound platform was located between No.1 and No.2 track and the southbound platform was along side No.3 track. In the picture you're looking south with track numbered right to left 3, 2 and 1. The gauntlet tracks brought stopping passenger trains closer to the platform. Passenger trains not stopping at Capital Beltway and freight train used to straight move which kept them way from the platform.

Wikipedia article on Capital Beltway station with picture of Gauntlet

BTW - The switches and signals at "Lanham" were controlled from nearby Landover tower which is where I began my railroad career. 

So train 400 didn't stop at Capital Beltway?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/16 16:12 by timz.

timz Wrote:
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> So train 400 didn't stop at Capital Beltway?

No. The Washington to Baltimore 400 series commuter trains stopped about a quarter mile north at Lanham Station road. The Capital Beltway station was setup for passengers arriving by car or by bus. The was no access by foot to the station unless you climbed over the fence separating the station from the nearby apartment complex .... as some young railfan often did ....

MARC began stopping at New Carrollton when that station opened in October of 1983.

The photo of the MP54's at Capital Beltway Station brings back memories of riding these "rattletraps".  In the mid-1970's, there were two commuter trains that ran on the NEC from Baltimore to Washington DC in the morning, and returned to Baltimore in the evening, using the MP54's.  By the time I got to see this service, some of the cars were painted in PC green and some remained in the PRR red.  The trains were three or four cars each.  The last run using the MP54's was on April 28, 1978.  Silverliner style equipment took over on May 1, 1978. 

My first train ride was on one of those, not sure of the date, but mid 70's. My Dad took me for a train ride from Balto to Wash and back.