Eastern Railroad Discussion > So. Maryland Sighting

My son wrote to me describing this scene in Charles County this past weekend. Anyone know specifics?

On Rte 301, on the Maryland side of the Potomac River Bridge, there's a
coal-fired power plant with a fairly large rail setup, usually full of
various coalporters waiting to be unloaded. I've also seen an old GP7 that serves as a switcher there. Friday night, though, we saw
more old stuff: An Alco RS2 and an F-unit. Both appear to be working and were in fairly good condition on the exterior(the F unit had quite a bit of rust, though.) The Alco was painted black, but has lettering that I couldn't read. The F unit is brown, with a wide yellow stripe on the
side along the side vents, again with a road name that I couldn't read.

Sounds like Mirant Morgantown to me. Scott Harris (CR3317) knows this area, he's there like every weekend b/c of the MAC's. It was Conrail's Popes Creek & Herbert Secondaries before the split. CSXT serves the line now for coal train to the 2 Mirant plants.

They, and the Chalk Point plant at one time (still?) have/had 3 x-Washington Terminal RS1's there for power. The Cape Cod unit was brought in, and I heard about the GP7 somewhere to replace one of the RS1's at Morgantown, but nothing more on it.

vrsfan wrote:

> Sounds like Mirant Morgantown to me. Scott Harris (CR3317)
> knows this area, he's there like every weekend b/c of the
> MAC's. It was Conrail's Popes Creek & Herbert Secondaries
> before the split. CSXT serves the line now for coal train to
> the 2 Mirant plants.

I would say every weekend is quite the stretch, especially this time of year with so many obligations. I do hit the area about once or twice a month though (though have only been to Morgantown four times). As VRS noted, they're CSX coal trains in the yard, operated for the most part 24/7 out of Benning Yard in Washington, DC.

Ashame you didn't see any of the White Smily faces while you were there...


CR

The F-Unit was originally from the Indian Head Central, a now defunct tourist operation that used to run a few miles north of Morgantown on an old Navy branch. It broke down and has been sitting their for over a year now. The GP7 looking locomotive is a leaser and is used to move the hoppers around. I do think the RS1's are still in service, but I am not sure on that one. This used to be my old stomping ground before college and haven't had the opportunity to railfan the line throughly before I started school down in Atlanta.

Patrick

These are some pics from many, many years ago when I first started to railfan of the ALCOs before the other engines invaded.

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There are four ALCO RS1 locomotives that are/were recently serviceable in southern Maryland -

Pepco 1 (Chalk Point MD) ex WATC 56

Pepco 2 (Chalk Point MD) ex WATC 51

Pepco 3 (Morgantown MD) ex WATC 42

Pepco 4 (Morgantown MD) ex WATC 45

IIRC, at my last visit, Pepco 3 was having problems, so the F unit was brought in to pinch-hit, and was supposed to be taken away when the geep arrived.

.. also at Morgantown is another RS1 for a parts source (it never ran here), this one from the CIRR, was built originally for the C&EI. It is parked in back along with few old flatcars, including ones from the NYC, LV and MILW

The yellow geep is actually a GP18, originally from the GTW, now leased from Relco (RLCX).

The F unit was built for the GM&O , delivered as an F3A. It was serviceable last I heard, not broken down.

Not terribly far away in Virginia are two more RS1 units of WATC heritage.

mns8el

mns8el wrote:
> Not terribly far away in Virginia are two more RS1 units of
> WATC heritage.
>

You forgot the VA Power RS1 at Dumfries, VA, still wearing the number 67.

I was heavy into loco data in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and noticed that all of these RS1s were situated not to far from each other. I made a few phone calls and got permission to shoot the RS1s at both PEPCo plants, and the VA Power plant. Solite was reluctant to allow photos, although I have seen several shots from others that were "taken" there. The PEPCo plant mgr at Morgantown was considering buying the Solite units at one point. I guess that fell through.

Actually, the unit at Possum Point is one of the two in Virginia I was referring to (it is now in standby service, a GE from the Mt. Storm plant is now the primary unit).

One of the two Solite units has been scrapped, the other is now in Newington, with an ex-WATC nee-RI GP7 operating at Sealston. Photography at Sealston is still problematic, Newington is much easier to access.

mns8el

Thanks for the update.
I made my "ALCO Safari" in December 1994, and was able to shoot 6 of the 8 RS-1s. Not bad for 1994!

Is it known if any of the RS-1s are for sale?
I have'nt talked to the Morgantown plant manager since 1997. He seemed real happy with the units when we were there.

Thanks for the info! NG

I'm not aware of any for sale, but the Virginia power plant one wasn't doing much, but it seemed "safe". I do worry the Mirant/Pepco ones, though - if the geep works out, wouldn't be hard to switch to something a bit easier to get parts for these days.

As for the pix of the Solite units, maybe I know you from VRFE?

mns8el

mns8el wrote:
> As for the pix of the Solite units, maybe I know you from
> VRFE?

I never shot the Solite units. The plant mgr at Morgantown went to look at them for purchase in 1995, and he sent a couple of prints from his visit. I have called Solite a couple of times since, and still get denied.

If VRFE is that Northern VA railfan group on Yahoo, I'm not a member. I'm not interested in anything in Northern VA except the W&OD, which is a trail now. CSX and NS do nothing for me, and I'm not much on commuter rail either. I also try to avoid groups where you have to be approved to be a member. That's usually an indication that there are some huge egos involved, and I can do without that. Just want to talk trains, and older ones when possible.

Speaking of power plant ALCOs, I swung by the VA Power plant in Chester, VA 3 weeks ago, and caught the old ex-B&M S3 outside the gates, coupled with the R/W/B depressed center flat VAPX 20000. Shot off the top of the cut, from the shoulder of a public road. I have'nt heard anything about this unit since the early 1980s.

>That's usually an indication that there are some huge egos involved, and I can do without that. Just want to talk trains, and older ones when possible.

Yikes -

Never been accused of having a huge ego before - VRFE is a group I moderate - simply use the approval process to filter out the spammers (not unlike what paying $7 to join does indirectly for TO) - those who post "Great Site", and similar spam on the various Yahoo groups are usually drive-by spammers that won't bother lists who require human interaction to join. Keeps a lid on the virus-hoax spreaders, also I find. Anywho, VRFE is primarily a sightings list -current ops, that is - but no dedicated focus on VRE.

Back to Alcos - you are no doubt familiar with the ex-DW&P RS11 up in Winchester at the pasta plant. Alive and well, last time I checked - think you'd have to drive to Georgia or New York to find a real live RS11 nowadays...

mns8el

mns8el wrote:

> Back to Alcos - you are no doubt familiar with the ex-DW&P
> RS11 up in Winchester at the pasta plant. Alive and well, last
> time I checked - think you'd have to drive to Georgia or New
> York to find a real live RS11 nowadays...

Yep, have shot it several times. I always get requests from trading buddies for active ALCOs, and that is usually the first one I send. I may have a copy or two left of the S-6 that was there prior to the RS-11. I know I have prints. I'm not sure if I have any extras of the PEPCo units left. I shot four 36 exp. rolls between the 3 power plants that day.

The ex-NF&D RS36 2 (where have I seen that before?<BG>) is in Delaware, at the Delmarva power plant, near Indian River. It is owned by the Delaware Coast Line RR, and is almost in her original scheme the last time I visited.

Now for a Northern VA connection...
The C&O ALCO S-2s that ran on the W&OD were leased to the Atlantic & Danville Rwy (later NF&D) from 1959-1962.