Nostalgia & History > MARC Engine #85

MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) Engine #85 was a F9PH engine rebuilt by Morrison Knudson of Boise, Idaho for the commuter trains being operated primarily over the Chessie System (B&O) Railroad Lines between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and from Brunswick, Maryland and Washington, D.C. with a few commuter trains actually operating from Martinsburg, West Virginia.  The #85 originally was a B&O F7A unit built in August 1952 for freight service.  It was renumbered three times as B&O 947, B&O 4590, and finally B&O 4557 until it was retired around 1980.  The Maryland DOT purchase the engine from the Chessie System and sent it to Morrison Knudson to be rebuilt for passenger service and was renumbered as 7185.  When the engine was repainted in MARC Train colors, it emerged as #85.  The photo shows the engine and train picking up passengers at the St. Denis Station located in Relay, Maryland for a special excursion trip as the train is actually on the original "Old Main Line" and will be heading west up through Ellicott City, Maryland (originally known as Ellicott Mills) which was the first terminus of the B&O Railroad.
Photo from the RRP files, now in my collection.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

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Good catch - There certainly seem to be a lot of passengers.
Bob

Oh, you don't mean the current MARC #85.  This one is now ACWR #271.  Gerry