Passenger Trains > Couple Washington DC questions

My next trip to Washington is coming up, and I want to try and get a few rush hour shots at Union Station this time; my plan is to spend 30 minutes or so one morning in the parking lot on the east side of the station throat.

Do Virginia Railway Express trains simply make their Union Station stop on the through tracks and then continue to Ivy City, or do they pull north into the interlocking and then reverse onto the platform tracks?

As a general rule, both MARC and VRE locomotives face outbound from Washington, correct?

Thanks in advance.

VRE trains stop on the lower level, the passengers get off, and the trains to Ivy City to layover.

Are you thinking about the parking garage above the west side of the station?

Yes, I've almost always seen the locomotives on the south end of VRE trains and on the north or west end of MARC trains.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/17 13:35 by knotch8.

The best place to catch morning action at WAS is behind the former REA building which is adjacent to the tracks just NE of the station, right at the east throat. Parking may be a challenge, however you'll get great shots of Amtrak, VRE and MARC trains. The lighting is great here in the morning. Lots of railfans shoot from here--it is a perfectly legal location.

Diesel and electric engines on MARC trains are always on the EAST end, facing towards Baltimore. Here's a shot taken at the Seabrook, MD MARC station.

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At least for originally for MARC, the idea was to keep the diesel exhaust out from under the overhead parking structure, as much as possible, anyway. Also, locomotives on the outboard end made it easier to get them off for fueling at the diesel pit at Ivy City, or to the maintenance shop for electrics.

G.F.Payne
Bal'mer, MD