the dwfma blog.

Did you know …

The Maryland towns of Bowie and Odenton are share a namesake, Oden Bowie.  Bowie was a successful businessman who had helped organize the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company.  After a few years of success the B&P was eventually swallowed by the PRR in the late 1800s.  Bowie eventually elft the railroad to serve as governor of Maryland from 1869 to 1872.

Both Bowie and Odenton are well-known local rail stops, ones originally serviced by the B&P and now serviced by MARC trains running over Amtrak rails running along the Northeast Corridor.

Of course, no Maryland history story would be complete without a connection to Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore.  Bowie’s wife, Alice Carter, was related (through her mother) to George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, father of Cecilius.

This will likely fleshed out later, but it’s a start.  Better research might help, too, especially since I read elsewhere that while Odenton is definitely for Oden himself, whereas Bowie was or may not be named more for his family (and specifically, a father or son).

Aren’t you glad you asked?

 (Originally stared August 31, 2009, at 12:54pm, and eventually posted nearly a year later.  Better late than never.)

Weather permitting, we planned to do a good five miles near and of the famed BWI Trail. Original sketches had us getting off the light rail at the BWI Business District stop, and then heading southeast along the trail toward either the Ferndale or Cromwell stops.  What happened instead was a briefly wet four miles of flat walking between the two latter stops. The Washington Capitals had made 5:00pm reservations with the Columbus Blue Jackets, so time was of the essence, and we decided the rain was just obnoxious enough that Cromwell-to-Ferndale was an acceptable consolation prize.  We managed to direct a self-dubbed “amateur naturalist” in his quest to complete the majority of the loop while waiting for his layover to end.

At some point we hope to complete the entirety of the 11-some-odd miles of the BWI Trail, and also slouch down the additional miles along the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail to complete our local FRN habits.

L&R:  Took the light rail down to Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie (an odd but official name). After traversing the parking lot across the street, we headed south on Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd/MD-684.  We took our first right, onto Dorsey Rd/MD-175, and here we left the road for a side trail (just pas W Central Ave) which lead behind Sawmill Creek Park.  Eventually we made a right, heading east on Stewart Avenue, which brought us over I-97.   The BWI Trail proper started just ahead, running along Stewart Ave.  After crossing Dorsey Rd (again), the trail continued along Aviation Blvd/MD-162.  We followed for about two miles until Ferndale Rd; at this point, time was draining away, so we took a right and headed east on Ferndale Rd to the Ferndale station of the light rail.  We caught a train home and hoofed it from the Meyerhoff back home.

Still to come: endless FRN babbling about the railroads involved.  We managed to ride along the entire potion of the Baltimore Light Rail that uses the old B&A right-of-way.

P.S. Those Google Maps do not lie; there actually is a cemetery within the airport.

[gmap]  Not shown: the pre-hike trips to various stores in search of temporary rain gear.

[gallery] Jill is all smiles, even in the face of rain.

Feeling fat and lonely, I took to the Jones Falls Trail.  I started at the Woodberry light rail stop, and ended up near the corner of St Paul and Mount Royal, before hopping into my whip and heading to the Giant.

While my exact route isn’t very exact, I would venture the overall walk was in excess of five miles and took just under two hours to complete, including the light rail ride from UBalt/Mount Royal to Woodberry.  The Chesapeake Bay Bay Gateways has the trip as “approximately five miles“, which sounds right, but TrailLink clocks the distance at almost eight miles, which does not seem to match their map but may still be possible if you purposely circle the entire reservoir and take a few other bike-friendly detours.

Well, whatever your math skills, the walk was fun, albeit cold.  My original plan was to get up early and hit both this trail and the BWI Trail, using the light rail as a shuttle.  Early-morning paper-fetching temperatures made either trip feel impossible, let alone both, so I sat back and listened to endless football talk.  By the time I left the house some time after noon, the temperature had warmed considerably, and I opted for the shorter of the two trails.  Catching the light rail from U-Balt/Mount Royal just after three, I was back in the same part of down before five.

[gallery]  [footmap]

Picture gallery
http://www.dwfma.com/gallery/shipley

Initial stab (Falcon to Md/Pa border)
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3223628

Entire route of our hike (including above)
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3223661

What’s left to do on NCR:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3224863

Hard to imagine I have been a MARC rider for over four years, and I am just now getting around to complaining about service, but this nugget was too hard to pass up:

REMINDER: Beginning Monday, August 3, 2009, MARC Train conductors no longer accepts bills larger than $20 as payment for tickets on board MARC trains.

Commuters are encouraged to use the Self-Service Ticketing (SST) Kiosks located at most stations whenever possible to purchase daily tickets as well as weekly, monthly, and Senior/disability discounted tickets. SST’s accept all major credit and debit cards; cash or vouchers of any kind cannot be used.

Thank you for riding MARC Train Service.

August 5, 2009 3:22 PM

Let’s ignore both the grammar and the timing. We are familiar with articles, conjugation, and adverbs, and in MTA’s defense, they did send a similar notice some time before the change. (Of course, “some time” translates to the Thursday morning before the policy takes effect on Monday, so that’s not much notice.)

Instead, focus hard on these two points.

1. MARC train personnel are no longer accepting bills larger than $20.

This will affect a lot more people than most readers would think, but for purposes of safety, and placating those ticket-punchers who are biding time until their pensions kick in, we’ll accept this change as a necessary reality.

2. Commuters are “encouraged” to use the self-service ticket kiosks.

Makes sense. If you’ve ever stood at an Amtrak counter and waited for the next lunar eclipse while a bored Amtrak employee checks your ID, prints your ticket, talks to their supervisor, and leaves their desk (not usually in that order), you know the kiosks are worth a worthwhile alternative. Except a good chunk of MARC commuters have some sort of employer- or government-based pre-tax voucher program (like SmartBenefits), and since “cash or vouchers of any kind cannot be used”, kiosks are not an option.

In other words, MTA is refusing large bills, and encouraging commuters to use machinery which refuses cash of any denomination.

The MTA proves, once again, to be nothing but a group of shakedown artists.  News emerged today that their MARC commuter rail service will running under a modified flavor this coming inauguration day, January 20, 2009.  This day is a weekday, a Tuesday, one previously unidentified in any MARC or MTA literature as warranting a modified schedule.

Instead, here is how the MTA plans to get themselves paid:

MARC Train
Inauguration Day: Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines will operate between 5 AM and 9 AM and between 4 PM and 9 PM. MTA monthly and weekly passes, 10-trip tickets and previously purchased one-way tickets will not be accepted. All trains will be reserved and tickets must be purchased in advance. For the Penn Line, there will no service north of Penn Station.

Add to which indignity, they are taking their sweet time telling riders how much those special tickets will cost.

Details about schedules and tickets will be available Friday, December 12

Try not to pass out as you hold your breath. In the meantime, read for yourself about the ridicularity.

Took me a few years, but I finally have proper Gwynns Falls Trail miles under my boots.  (This total does count the few steps between the marina and the boathouse down near Middle Branch, often taken at a brisk, ethanolly pace.)

After the softball success of Baltimore RC picnics, I packed a bag and parked at Carroll Park (trail head T6).  Headed northwest to Leon Day Park (trail head T4).  Plenty of FRN moments along the way, although most of the pictures will be delayed while I sit on rolls of Yorkable film.  Weather was pleasant enough.

The MARC view just south/west of the West Baltimore station looks entirely different from the ground.  I also managed to nab shots of the Carrollton Viaduct, which should go well with the shaky pictures of the Thomas Viaduct from this past July.  Stood next to a few bits of rail, waiting patiently for heavy metal, but eventually left … only to hear the rumblings of empty cars barrell past my just-previous spot.  The runs back and forth made up for any early meanderings I made while adjusting my overpacked bag and checking for new text messages.

An effin’ repeater, but then it’s damn hear impossible to shuttle a single car.

Pictures are on dwfma.com. Here’s a footmap.  Rock on.

What better way to celebrate the anniversary of the historic opening of the Thomas Viaduct, than an obscure hike to and around the stones themselves?

L&R: Started at the Avalon parking area, near the intersection of Gun Road and Glen Artney Road, and headed east to the visitors center.  In an effort to reach the famed Thomas Viaduct,  I decided to forgo common sense, and took to the rails themselves.  Soon after reaching the Y-track which houses the obelisk, I became especially freaked out.  After a few hurried shots, I risked life and limb and poison ivy to put boots onto River Road.  Heading west, I crossed over Gun Road into some dense vegetation, passing some nice water before eventually emerging near another parking lot.  After grabbing a few pictures of water and tunnels, I then took to the park road (seemingly unlabeled at present) and headed east back toward Gun Road.  I took Gun Road north briefly, taking a few decent shots of the railroad crossing before hightailing it back to the Falcon.

[pedometer: a mere 2.5mi]
[gallery]
[park website]