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From: jis@mtgzx.att.com (j.mukerji)
Newsgroups: comp.org.usenix,rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Washington DC
Message-ID: <5020@mtgzx.att.com>
Date: 4 May 89 15:20:34 GMT
References: <2358@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> <5165@mtgzy.att.com>
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Organization: AT&T, Middletown NJ
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In article <5165@mtgzy.att.com>, jaw@mtgzy.att.com (j.a.welsh) writes:
> In article <2358@csd4.milw.wisc.edu>, dave@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (David A Rasmussen) writes:
>   
> > For the railnuts reading this, how much of Metrorail is above ground, and are
> > any routes "relatively" scenic?
> 
> A fair amount is above ground, but in this newsgroup you have to define
> scenic.  If trains are the scenery you want, Alexandria to the south
> and Silver Springs to the north have what you came for.

The Red Line passes by the Union Station "yards" between Union Station and
Rhode Island Avenue. It also parallels the B&O mainline at Silver Spring.
At its other end it crosses the Capital Beltway between Medical Center and 
Grosvnor(sp?) on a rather graceful curved viaduct. then it goes underground
again to emerge parallel to the B&O mainline at Twinbrook. From there it
parallels the B&O mainline to Shady Grove. It is fun to watch the Capitol
Limited charge by from the platform of Twinbrook or Silver Spring stations.

> Potomac Yard is beautiful
> only to the railfan (anybody have a Pot Yard activity report?), but you get
> a short but pretty view of DC from a bridge over the Potomac River just
> before you plunge into a tunnel.  Visit Washington Union Terminal, it is
> by every report a masterpiece of restoration, and pick up MARC timetables
> while you are there.  If possible, ride MARC to Brunswick, MD, that should
> be scenic enough for you (the Potomac River, mountains and tunnels).  If
> you can ride to Baltimore, ride the B&O/Chessie/CSX route, that will
> take you over the historic Thomas Viaduct.

Union Station is highly recommended. The parking garage gives you a
fantastic vantage point for watching trains. There is a railrodiana shop in
the station complex where you can browse/buy rialroad books/magazines/video.
And of course you can watch the sea of passengers board and disembark from
an endless stream of corridor trains.

In addition to all that, if you are into trains try the Orange Line to New
Carrolton, and watch Amtrak Metroliners charge by from the platform of
Landover or New Carrolton stations. 

If you are into watching planes take the Blue Line to National Airport and
watch planes there.

If you are into watching streams of automobiles travelling at relatively
slow speeds most of the time then take the Orange Line to Vienna and get
your fill of cars from the median of I66!

-- 
Jishnu Mukerji, 
mtgzz!jis, jis@mtgzz.att.com
+1 201 957 5986
AT&T Bell Laboratories, MT 3K-423, 200 Laurel Ave., Middletown NJ 07748