2020: A Year in Review

Capital Transit 1470 immediately after arrival at the NCTM campus on July 15, 2020.

Simply put, NCTM lost almost an entire year of operations (we still, as of this writing, have no projected date of reopening.) The events we planned and were so excited for, including a very special $25 Day and Cavalcade of Streetcars, were off the table entirely as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the museum in March. Even normal administrative procedures, such as board meetings and bookkeeping work, had to be significantly adjusted to meet the new demands of a pandemic world. Yet through all of this, thanks to the tremendous efforts by our entire army of volunteers, we were able to take the dramatic year of 2020 and turn out several major successes. Here's a brief pictorial review of some of our 2020 accomplishments, and the people who made them happen.

January: DC Transit Day and Artifact Display

What ended up being the only major special event hosted by the museum in 2020 took place on January 25 as we celebrated the 58 anniversary of the end of street car service in Washington. DC Transit 1101, the very first PCC type street car to operate in Washington DC (and also one of the last) was in operation that day.

The 2020 DC Transit Day also included a display of rare Washington street car and railroad artifacts from both the museum's collection and a private collection. Our hope is to bring this display back in the future.

February: Toronto Transit Commission 4603 Truck Shipment

**IMAGE TAKEN PRIOR TO MASK AND SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES

In February, NCTM volunteers extracted the trucks from Toronto Transit Commission No. 4603 for shipment to an outside contractor for rebuilding. These are scheduled to return to the museum in 2021. 4603 has been out of service for years, and we look forward to returning the car to revenue operations. A special thanks to Matt Nawn, who has spearheaded this project and arranged many of the complicated business and mechanical logistics.

March: Museum Closed

On March 14, NCTM closed to the public due to the pandemic. At the time, museum staff anticipated only a two week closure. Obviously this ended up not being the case. DC Transit 1101 graced our social media accounts and website with a "NO PASSENGERS" destination sign photoshopped onto the front. 

April: Successful fundraiser

NCTM supporters, visitors, staff and members raised over $10,000 in just a couple days to help support COVID related expenses. We are always shocked at the sheer generosity of NCTM friends; if not for the support of such generous people, the museum would endure many other challenges.

May: TrolleyTime Throwback

In April we began streaming old Trolley Museum video programs as part of our new TrolleyTime Blog, launched in response to our COVID shutdown. These videos had not been publicly presented in years. In case you missed then, you can still check them out by going to our YouTube Channel: tinyurl.com/dctrolleyyoutube.

June: Trolley Continuities 

In June we published one of our most popular TrolleyTime blog articles - this one covered the many intentional similarities between the Trolley Museum and Washington's street car system. The badges that are part of the NCTM uniform, for example, are based off of authentic badges worn by Washington street car employees. You can view the article here: https://trolleytime.blogspot.com/2020/06/continuities-keeping-dcs-street-car.html

July: Scaled-back Operations Resumed

Our staff gradually resumed on-site activities over the summer. Here Motorman Spencer Morgan inspects the NCTM Demonstration Railway with President Wes Cox. Notice the significant accumulation of rust on the rails, a direct result of the shutdown museum operations. These inspection trips located several downed trees, branches and debris that needed to be removed.

August: Capital Transit 1470

Capital / DC Transit 1470 arrived at the museum in July, although the work didn't really begin until a few weeks later. The car's trucks were "locked up" after sitting for so many years, and NCTM volunteer crews began multiple major efforts to release the trucks. They were partially successful.

September: Story time

NCTM Director of Education Karen Lipson began recording story time videos for the TrolleyTime blog once the museum shutdown. We published one of her videos, which all come with followup activities, in September. If you have kids who might be interested in this book, head over to our YouTube Channel (tinyurl.com/dctrolleyyoutube) to view the video.

October: House keeping

NCTM Volunteers cleaned the Conduit Hall and painted the floor, both of which were badly needed. The pandemic closure has allowed our staff to take the time needed to ensure a clean museum is ready for visitors to return.

November: Trimming Trees

Regular inspections of the railway continued throughout the year; these inspections discovered many issues that required addressing, such as the trimming of nearby tree branches as seen here. NCTM Volunteer Anthony Vo captured these shots as volunteers tend to the many needs of a railway.

December: Snow and Stingers

The museum's long inoperable tamper is going to a new home and was extracted from it's long time storage on Track 13 in mid December. Snow lingered on the group from a few days prior and made for what turned out to be the only significant snow-street car day of 2020.

~~~

As difficult as 2020 has been, we want to pause and extend a very special and warm thank you to all of our volunteers and staff who have worked so hard during this time to maintain the museum and advance museum projects. Everything on this (summarized) list of 2020 achievements was possible because of the contributions made by our volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for our team and take this moment to formally extend our appreciation to everyone who made a difference in this year.

We'd also like to extend our thanks to the many individuals who supported the museum this year; from those who donated on Power2Give, Facebook or by check, to those who follow us on social media or support the museum through a membership. We are very grateful for your support. While financial contributions are helpful, we always appreciate and value the moral support contributed by those who are friends of the museum. Our drive to continue through this difficult time is fueled in part by the support we receive from individuals like you. This is appreciated, and very much valued.

We certainly look forward to a better 2021; our wonderful volunteers have already made many adjustments to the museum, and we are essentially 100% ready to welcome our valued visitors back to the museum as soon as we are legally permitted. Once it becomes safe to do so, we will resume our typical programs and special events. All of us look forward to the day when this can finally happen.

Happy new year, we look forward to seeing you soon.

Under a Street car

 

A major component of street car restoration and maintenance involves working on the "bottom," "under carriage" or under side of the car. Street car trucks (the wheel sets under each car) require frequent inspection and lubrication due to the high-intensity nature of their use. To accomplish this work, NCTM shop crews use a bit trench located between the rails on track 14 in the museum car shop. This area is known as an inspection pit and allows crews relatively comfortable access to the underside of the equipment. The space is fairly dark, cramped and usually filthy, however its considerably easier, and safer, then jacking a street car up into the air every time it needs work.

There are two types of inspection pits, and NCTM has both. A normal inspection pit and a bridge pit. The image shown above is of the normal inspection put. But notice that it is only as wide as the rails. Many times, crews need to access the part of the street car that "hangs" outside of the area between the rails. To accomplish this, crews use the bridge pit, as shown below. In a bridge pit, the rails are mounted atop concrete pillars - like a bridge - which allows access to the sides of the street car under carriage.

Volunteers working in the bridge pit. Notice the rails are suspended in the air atop pillars.

Inside the "normal" inspection pit. Notice the lack of space beyond the rails. The bridge pit is visible in the distance.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from NCTM

 Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your friends at the Trolley Museum!

Throwback Thursday: NCTM B&O Excursion

#throwbackthursday - Long time members of NCTM might enjoy this! Throwback to September of 1962 when the Trolley Museum sponsored a special excursion to Hagerstown via the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The excursion, which cost $6.75 for adults (about $60 adjusted for inflation,) left from Baltimore's historic Camden Station and made stops at Riverdale and Silver Spring.

Much of this has since changed - the B&O Railroad no longer exists, having been merged with other railroads to eventually form CSX. Camden Station no longer serves long distance trains (only MARC regional commuter trains.) The Silver Spring station is now a museum with no rail service (although MARC does stop at a new station built nearby.) And Lloyd's Hobby Shop has since closed.

Artifact Showcase: 1934 Passes

Its TrolleyTime Tuesday and we're back with two more colorful Capital Transit street car passes, one of which expired 86 years ago today and the other which went into effect 86 years ago tomorrow.

 

Capital Transit Company 1934 Pass

The Capital Transit Company was famous for the colorful weekly transit passes they issued. Each pass featured an elaborate illustration on the front that reflected the season (and any applicable holiday) occurring when the pass was valid. Thanksgiving was no exception; this turkey-themed 1934 pass, valid on street car lines within the District, expired 86 years ago today, just a few days before thanksgiving. This pass is representative of thousands that the museum holds in the Mills Dean III Library.

We wish everyone a safe and happy thanksgiving.

Story time: Spaceships!

 Join us for story time with Ms. Lipson! Click the image below to view the video and download the activity.

Remembering the last day of street cars

This photo (left) of DC Transit 1101 at the Peace Monument on the last day of street cars has been a favorite among our visitors and social media followers, and remains one of the most iconic images from that historic day. NCTM Member and Trustee Thomas Petersen recently paid a visit to the site and took the picture on right, which we matched up with the original image taken almost 59 years ago.

This January will mark the 59th anniversary of the end of street car service in Washington. Although it is highly unlikely that we will be open at that time, we will publish several commemorative activities on our TrolleyTime Blog (trolleytime.blogspot.com) to mark the occasion.

TrolleyTime will return this Thursday with story time videos and activities for the kids!

Artifact Showcase: Capital Transit Company Bus Rollsign

 Capital Transit Company Bus Rollsign

Click to enlarge images.

This week we're featuring a rollsign from a 1940s Capital Transit bus (the Capital Transit Company operated a large fleet of buses in addition to the traditional electric street cars.) This particular linen rollsign was made by the Hunter Illuminated Car Sign Company, in Flushing, New York, and is dated August 27, 1947, as shown in the image above. A feature of transit vehicles for decades, traditional rollsigns are largely obsolete now, with digital electronic technology replacing the old material rollsigns in virtually all modern public transit. This particular sign features 20 exposures for destinations in and around the DC area, a few of which are shown here, and likely came out of a bus built by the White Motor Company in the late 1940s.

The NCTM Mills Dean III Collections Library holds dozens of historic rollsigns similar to this one, including multiple from street cars - stay tuned for a future edition of TrolleyTime when we feature rollsigns from the museum's collection.

For more information on this rollsign and a view of all 20 exposures on an identical one, we invite you to visit rollsigngallery.com (click HERE.)

The rollsign shown is held in a private collection. Our thanks to Joseph Chemerys / RollsignGallery.com for assistance with this brief article.

Land Transportation Word Search

 NCTM Director of Education Karen Lipson has made another word search for the trolley and transportation enthusiast. Feel free to download and share if you feel up to a challenge.

Click here to download.

(Kids) Street car Web Quest!

 Street car Web Quest!

NCTM Director of Education Karen Lipson has created this web quest as today's TrolleyTime activity. All answers are found on the NCTM website.

Children and teens (ages 18 and under ONLY) may send in the web quest sheet and, if answered entirely correctly, will receive one NCTM logo computer sticker.*

*Supplies are extremely limited, first come first served. No submissions will be accepted after Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF web quest sheet

 Calling all kids! NCTM Director of Education Karen Lipson has made a transportation themed word search! See if you can find all of the words:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Artifact Showcase: Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad

We're pleased to showcase two rare items from the early days of interurban rail transit in Maryland. The Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, a steam railroad, was formed in March of 1886 following the bankruptcy of the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad. Just 17 years later, in February of 1903, all of the AW&B's capital stock was purchased by the newly formed Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway to serve as their Annapolis division. The AW&B fully ceased to exist in 1908 when the WB&A completed formal purchase of the AW&B's property and franchise.

To learn more about the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad, click here to view our article from August 27.

DC Streetcar Facility Tour

Inside DC Streetcar's Benning Road shop and dispatching facility.

On July 17, 2017, NCTM members and volunteers were invited for a special tour of the new DC Streetcar facility on Benning Road in Washington. 

Here are a few pictures of the facility - at the time, DC Streetcar was still in the process of moving into the building.

(Click on images to open in larger format. Additional photos, with descriptions, are available on our Facebook page: facebook.com/dctrolley/photos)

Haagsche Tramweg-Maatschappij (HTM) 1329

 

HTM 1329 as seen by Bill Monaghan, April 2018.

La Brugeoise et Nivelles, 1971
The Hague, Netherlands

Principal Features

• Double truck, Single end PCC city car
• Four motors
• ACEC control
• Pantograph collector
• Electric brakes

History

HTM 1329 represents a unique success story of the American PCC car in Europe. Nowhere else in Europe did so many "American style" PCCs operate than in Den Haag. After the Second World War, Haagsche Tramweg-Maatschappij (HTM) had, like many European systems, an urgent need for new equipment to replace war losses and worn-out stock. In the case of the capital of the Netherlands, many cars had been "requisitioned" by the occupying German forces in 1943-44 and shipped to the Reich to replace trams lost in Allied bombing. In its postwar planning, HTM adopted a progressive approach to its rolling stock and, unlike many European cities, Den Haag's relatively spacious streets permitted consideration of the American PCC car.
 
Two sample PCCs, HTM 1001 and 1002, were built in St. Louis by St. Louis Car Co. and shipped as bodies and parts, together with another unit, to La Brugeoise et Nivelles in Brugge, Belgium, for assembly. La Brugeoise became the principal Transit Research Corporation-licensed builder of PCCs in Europe while ACEC in Charleroi, Belgium, manufactured the electrical equipment.
 
Delivered to Den Haag in July 1949, HTM 1001-1002 were very much like American all-electric PCCs, save for having a rear set of doors on the back platform as these were two-man cars. Their 2.54 meter width proved a bit too wide for clearances and in 1950 were split down the middle and narrowed to 2.20 meters. In 1952 they were reconfigured for one-man operation. In 1974 they were completely rebuilt to resemble the new 1300s.
 
The final group of PCCs for Den Haag were HTM 1301-1340 and motorized trailers HTM 2101-2130. These were the first PCCs with solid state circuitry boards and HTM 1336-1340 also had chopper controls. HTM 1301-1335 were delivered by February 1971, and in October 1972 the first car with chopper controls, HTM 1336, was delivered. In body style, these cars were generally like HTM 1201-1240 but without the body moldings. As such, they were the last PCCs manufactured in the world that still retained much of the original PCC curvilinear body design dating back to 1936.
 
A era ended on 30 June 1993 with the last regularly scheduled PCC operation in Den Haag although the motors of many of the cars now power the newest articulated trams in the city.

Société Des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (STIB) 1069

 

STIB 1060 at our 2016 Night Photo Session hosted by Bill Monaghan. Matt Nawn poses with his 1949 Plymouth at the side. Photo by Bill Monaghan.

Les Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles, 1907
Brussels

Principal Features

• Single truck
• Single end

History

This streetcar was built in 1907 by Les Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles (Belgium). The car was in passenger service in Belgium until 1975. In 1984 it was restored to its original condition and converted to dark green livery for Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando Florida where it was used to transport golfers. NCTM acquired the streetcar in 2004 and more recently has been using it in passenger service, especially in warmer weather.

Blackpool Transit Services 606

Blackpool Transport Services 606

English Electric, 1934

Blackpool, England

Principal Features

Double end
Open-air summer tourist car
Trucks: two by English Electric
Motors: two, EE327 OS56C
Center-mounted extra-long trolley pole
Compressed air brakes

History

In 1933, Blackpool Corporation Transport (BCT) General Manager Walter Luff was looking for replacements for the traditional "toastrack" (open) trams running on the Promenade. Luff recognized that the toastrack cars were dangerous for the conductor and nearing the end of their useful mechanical lives. Collecting fares, the conductor moved along the running boards on the outside of the car while trying to avoid colliding with trackside obstacles, such as traction poles, because there was no center aisle in this type of tram.

Walter Luff approved a design for an open topped car with a center entrance and central walkway. The design allows the conductor to collect the fares safely and the passengers to board and alight safely. Known as "the boats" with their ship-like streamlined appearance, they have become one of the most iconic designs among Blackpool trams. All cars are virtually identical, except for the prototype, which has shorter body panels. English Electric constructed a prototype car, and BCT responded with an order for eleven more cars. The cars were numbered BCT 225 to 236.

Labor shortages and lack of passengers greatly reduced use of the boats during World War II. After the war, the boats returned to service on the seaside promenade route once more.

All twelve cars remained in service until after the North Station route closed in 1963, when there was a general reduction in the number of trams available for service. At that time, four cars (229, 231, 232 and 234) were put in storage and eventually scrapped in 1968. At that time the remaining boats were renumbered BTS (Blackpool Transport Services) 600 - 607.

In the 1970s, interested parties in the United States acquired BTS 601 (Western Railway Museum) and 603 (San Francisco Municipal Railway); in 2013, 605 also went to San Francisco. Four of these cars (225/600, 227/602, 230/604, and 236/607) are still in Blackpool and most of them are in operation on summer weekends.

At the end of the 2004 season, BTS withdrew the boats as part of a fleet reduction exercise. Following a number of complaints and a huge outcry by the public, four cars were returned to service during 2005 and have remained in service ever since, proving their popularity.

BTS loaned BTS 606 to the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival where a special tramway was built through the exhibition site. Painted in blue and yellow, (different from the usual green and cream livery), BTS 606 became the first and, to date, only Blackpool tram to operate in Scotland. The car returned to Blackpool following the end of the festival in September 1988.

In 2000, BTS transferred BTS 606 to the Gerald Brookins Museum of Electric Railways in exchange for BCT 147, a traditional double deck car, which has now been restored back to its 1924 condition and operates Blackpool.

The Museum purchased BTS 606 in 2009 from the Lake Shore Electric Railway Museum, successor to the Brookins Museum. This streetcar is often operated during summer and is on display in Street Car Hall. Not only does it offer a special ride without a roof, but passengers have the opportunity to ride in a double-end car and understand how they work if there is not a loop to turn around at the end of the line. Blackpool uses double-decker trams, so the pole on this streetcar was designed to reach the wires that were that much farther overhead.

Story time - Nimoshom Follow Up Activity

(The story time video is available on our Facebook page, @dctrolley) 

Follow Up Activities for the story Nimoshom and his Bus

By Penny M. Thomas & Karen Hibbard

 

 

 

 

Activity Option 1: Do you remember a time you took a school bus to go somewhere?  Maybe you take one every day to school or went on one for a special occasion to attend a field trip.  Draw of picture of your destination.  Write about your memories from that trip.

 

 

 

 

 

Activity Option 2:  Think of a place you would like to visit where another language is spoken.  Create a handbook that includes basic words and/or phrases you might need when visiting and their English translations. You may need to research some of the answers..

Happy Labor Day!

 

Happy Labor Day from the Trolley Museum!
Today we take a moment to recognize the hard work and effort our volunteers and staff dedicate to the museum. From our Operations staff to our Maintenance and Restoration teams, from the Administrative and Executive staff to the Education team, the tireless efforts of these men and women have kept the Trolley Museum open and operating, successfully, for over 50 years.
While we remain closed due to COVID-19 government orders, the efforts of our dedicated teams continue, both remotely and in person, in anticipation of our eventual return to operations.
We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Labor Day; we look forward to the opportunity to serve you again soon!
(Photo by Bill Monaghan.)

Washington Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad

Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad

Prior to the DC Metro, prior to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor high-speed rail service, prior to MARC Commuter Rail, prior to Baltimore Light-rail Link and prior to luxury motor coaches, there was the WB&A. The cities of Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis, and many communities in between, were linked via clean, efficient, fast and state-of-the-art electric railroad interurban service - courtesy of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad - self proclaimed "the greatest double track interurban electric railway in the world."

(An interurban is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a fairly heavy but fast electric train, something between an urban trolley and a full-fledged long-distance train, that offers more frequent service than an ordinary railway.")

1908 map from a timetable of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. The dark line labelled "AW&B RR" is the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, part of the WB&A. Note the presence of the Chesapeake Beach Railway (CB Ry) towards the bottom of the map.

The WB&A began operations with two lines, the Main Line from Washington to Baltimore and the Annapolis Branch (later dubbed the South Shore Line,) formerly the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore Railroad (acquired 1903) from Annapolis Junction to Annapolis. The Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line at this point changed names to the Maryland Electric Railways Company (and more commonly known as the Annapolis Short Line), and electrified their line between Annapolis and Baltimore. It wasn't until 1921 that the Annapolis Short Line was acquired and incorporated into the WB&A system as the North Shore Line.

The WB&A could achieve speeds of 60 miles per hour on their main line between Washington and Baltimore, however their trains could not make the trip faster than the commuter services offered by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The WB&A instead advertised "fast" trains, with significant emphasis on their cleanliness, frequent and dependable service and the pioneering electric technology that powered them.

In addition to their standard service between Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis, the WB&A would run special trains servicing the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Camp (Fort) Meade in Odenton and the now unused race track in Bowie. 

Eventually, the increased use of automobiles hurt WB&A traffic, and the railroad slowly began a state of decline in the 1920s. August 20, 1935, was the last day of service on the WB&A; the railroad was sold at auction, with most of the equipment and infrastructure scrapped. The former North Shore Line of the WB&A was purchased by a group known as the Bondholders Protective Society, which created the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad Company. The new Baltimore and Annapolis operated passenger trains between the two cities until 1950, after which the trains were replaced with buses - freight service on the B&A continued until 1968, when rail service ended entirely.

Few remnants of the WB&A and B&A remain today. Of the entire system, two pieces of equipment are known to survive: former WB&A freight motor number 1 and B&A diesel number 50. The freight motor is preserved at the Western Railway Museum in California (more info HERE and HERE) and the locomotive at the B&O Railroad Museum in Maryland (more info HERE). Most of the track has been torn up, with a multi-use trail occupying many portions of the old right of way. One of the WB&A's Baltimore terminals survives, as well as a few electrical substations. A couple sections of track survive in Annapolis and Odenton. Recent road construction in Annapolis revealed surviving WB&A track in Church Circle for the first time in years.

This article represents an extremely condensed history of the WB&A. The full WB&A story begins in the mid 1830s; Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Morse and Civil War encampments are all included in this extensive history. There are two books which we highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the WB&A:

EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR: A CHRONICLE OF THE WASHINGTON, BALTIMORE AND ANNAPOLIS ELECTRIC RAILROAD by Lt. Col. John Merriken. **This book has been out of print for years. To our knowledge, there are no vendors that sell this book in a retail setting. Your best opportunity for obtaining a copy of this book is to search eBay and Amazon - prices vary greatly.

THE ANNAPOLIS AND ELK RIDGE RAILROAD 1837 — 1885 by Daniel Toomey and Steve Hammond. This book is available by mail order from the Anne Arrundell County Historical Society for $15 plus shipping and sales tax for Maryland residents.

The National Capital Trolley Museum is fortunate to hold a significant collection of WB&A and predecessor railroad material in our Mills Dean III Library. For this special edition of TrolleyTime, we are pleased to share a few artifacts and images from our collection and a private collection.

PLEASE NOTE: These are rare artifacts and photographs which are the property of the National Capital Trolley Museum or a private owner. Please do NOT copy or reproduce these images. We invite you to share this article by copying the article URL/link at the top of the page; please feel free to send or post the link. We appreciate your cooperation.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Annapolis Short Line 55, built 1913. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

Annapolis Short Line 30 at Bladen Street. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

Baltimore terminal on Liberty Street in 1908. This building survives today Notice the size of the interurban car, inside the building, next to the man. The WB&A interurban cars were essentially full size railroad vehicles - in other words, heavy and massive. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

CLICK HERE to view this building on Google Maps.

The other side of the Baltimore terminal building as seen on a postcard.

WB&A interurban car and bus on grounds now occupied by the Naval Academy. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

WB&A car crossing the Severn River. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

Washington Terminal, January 1921. New York Avenue and 12th Street. J. Merriken Collection, NCTM

WB&A Today:

Surviving concrete bridge - the tracks originally ran on the top. The existing modern steel bridge carries the WB&A trail over the stream and bridge, and is not original to the location.

WB&A Right of Way. This image was taken from the WB&A trail - the tracks continued into the brush, roughly following the telephone poles seen at left.

Site of the WB&A's massive Academy Junction shops and yard. This site was last occupied by the Nevamar Materials Company, which used a few of the remaining WB&A shop buildings. Nevamar closed in 2004, and all of the remaining buildings, including the remaining WB&A structures, were eventually demolished. The site remains empty and abandoned, as pictured here.

WB&A substation in yellow box; top image, Maryland State Archives via annapolisrailroadhistory.com. Bottom image shows the substation today, part of the Graduate Hotel (formerly Loews) in Annapolis, via Google Maps.

Ride, walk or run on the WB&A trails: Click here - More info and a map: Click here