[comp.org.usenix] Washington DC

dave@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (David A Rasmussen) (05/03/89)

Just wanted to reccommend to folks like me planning to venture to DC sometime
around usenix, call your congressional or senator's office for pamphlets,
tour tickets, etc. I got Metrorail (subway) maps, touristy stuff, and a discount
hotel finder guide: 1-800-847-4832.

For the railnuts reading this, how much of Metrorail is above ground, and are
any routes "relatively" scenic? I'm only going to be there a day, so I figured I
might subway it around a bit to look the area over, if the subway is at all like
Bart.


--
Dave Rasmussen c/o Computing Services Division @ U of WI - Milwaukee
Internet: dave@csd4.milw.wisc.edu  Uucp: uwvax!uwmcsd1!uwmcsd4!dave
Bellnet: 414-229-5133. "Hey Mister, are you tall?" "Yes I'm tall but who
are all you weird little wonders?" - Tom 'Tbone' Stankus.

mangoe@mimsy.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (05/03/89)

Most of the completed part of Metro is above ground; most of that runs along
side various rail lines.  This may be interesting for railfans, but it means
that hardly any of it is scenic by conventional standards.

The most interesting *and* scenic trip is to take the yellow line from DC
into Alexandria.  Make sure that you are on the right hand (west) side of
the car.  This line pops out of the ground right behind the Jefferson
Memorial, and if you look back at DC as you cross the river you get a good
panorama of the city, crowned with the National Cathedral (which, I might
note, is four miles away from the bridge-- it's *really*big*!).  You pop
back underground immediately on the other side of the river, and then the
blue line comes in from the same side; if you are careful and eat lots of
carrots you can see the junction in the tunnel.  The next station is wierd
because there wasn't enough space to get everything straightened out again,
so it's on two levels.  You go underground for a while and the pop out again
at National Airport, where on the east side you get a good tour of the
airport.  Then you pass Potomac Yards-- ALL of it.  The best views of the
yards can be gotten by getting off at Braddock Road and proceeding as
follows:
   Head east to Henry St.
   North to Bashford La.
   East to Powhatan St.
   Powhatan forks; take to fork labelled "to Slaters La.".
This stretch of road loops around on a hill overlooking the south end of the
yard: you get a good view of the north bound hump.  If you want to see even
more, take the left fork of Powhatan, over the bridge, and head north along
US 1, which parallels the yards up to Crystal City.  This is quite a hike,
though.


The other thing, of course, is to go to Union Station, the second most
impressive public space in DC. (THe first is the National Cathedral.  It
requires a short hike from Metro.  Consult your maps for details.)  A visit
to the parking garage is a must for railfans since it looks straight down on
the station tracks.  Also, the red line between Union Station and Rhode
Island Ave. parallels the station leads; best view is on the way to Rhode I.
since the trip back goes around the wrong side of the Metro yard.

Also, if you go up to Landover on the orange line, you cn see the "100"
speed limit signs on the NE corridor tracks.  My experience, though, is that
this trip isn't very interesting unless you're there when something
high-speed like a Metroliner charges through.

C. WIngate

jaw@mtgzy.att.com (j.a.welsh) (05/03/89)

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 (actually, there is a
Catholic college on the Silver Springs line, and from there to Sil. Spr.
there is good train watching from the platform).  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.

louie@trantor.umd.edu (Louis A. Mamakos) (05/04/89)

> If trains are the scenery you want, Alexandria to the south
>and Silver Springs to the north have what you came for..

Please, its "Silver Spring", note the lack of plural on "Spring".  Silver
Springs is somewhere in FL, I think.  The locals here will instantly identify
you as a tourist if you mention "Silver Springs."



Louis A. Mamakos  WA3YMH    Internet: louie@TRANTOR.UMD.EDU
University of Maryland, Computer Science Center - Systems Programming

mangoe@mimsy.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (05/04/89)

j. a. welsh writes:

>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.

Do NOT try the Brunswick trip unless you have someone to come and rescue
you!  Brunswick is great for railfans, what with the yard and the nice fat
roundhouse (still in use), but you can't get back.  The trains only run to
DC in the morning and back in the evening.

On the other hand, you can get back from Balto.  It takes about an hour to
get up there.  Camden Station is also about 10 blocks (1/2 mile) from the
B&O Museum....  Unfortunately the trains only run during the rush hour,
although there is some pressure of service during the day.  If you can make
your way up to Penn Station, though, you can take AMTRAK back to DC-- you'll
need a cab to get there as it's halfway across town.

C. Wingate

shore@mtxinu.COM (Melinda Shore) (05/04/89)

[]
j. a. welsh writes:
>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.

Actually, if you're going to go to Brunswick you may as well do Amtrak
to Harper's Ferry, WV which is just a few miles west.  It's a very
beautiful place at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers,
and has tremendous historical interest as well.  There are some good
hikes around the area.  Slightly touristy, but very highly recommended.
-- 
Melinda Shore                                     shore@mtxinu.com
Mt Xinu                                  ..!uunet!mtxinu.com!shore

jis@mtgzx.att.com (j.mukerji) (05/04/89)

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

mangoe@mimsy.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (05/05/89)

Several people have mentioned a freight yard on the Metro red line between
Rhode Island Ave. and Union Station.  Sorry, guys, but it isn't there
anymore.  It was taken up last year.

C. Wingate

prgclb@ihlpy.ATT.COM (Blesch) (05/11/89)

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?
> --
> Dave Rasmussen c/o Computing Services Division @ U of WI - Milwaukee

I don't know about scenic, but I do know that at least one of the
above-ground routes is controversial.  I think it's the line to
Silver Spring - correct me if I'm wrong.  As another respondent noted,
there are places where Metro parallels conventional railroads, and I
remember reading about one or more freight train derailments spilling
across the Metro tracks.  Some people are worried that someday, an
errant box car or tank car will land right on top of a subway car,
doing to the subway car what the stone does to the jar in the old
saying, "whether the jar hits the stone or the stone hits the jar,
'tis bad for the jar."

Carl Blesch

mjt@super.ORG (Michael J. Tighe) (05/12/89)

>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?

Metrorail is comprised of about 70 miles of track. Most of the track in
downtown DC is underground, and the track that leads out to the suburbs
is above ground. I am not sure of the percentages. As for scenic, there
is none that I know of that is worth riding just for the view.
-- 
-------------
Michael Tighe
internet: mjt@super.org
   uunet: ...!uunet!super!mjt

decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) (05/13/89)

> > For the railnuts reading this, how much of Metrorail is above ground,
> > and are any routes "relatively" scenic?
> 
> Metrorail is comprised of about 70 miles of track. Most of the track in
> downtown DC is underground, and the track that leads out to the suburbs
> is above ground. I am not sure of the percentages. As for scenic, there
> is none that I know of that is worth riding just for the view.

I suppose this doesn't exactly qualify, but the escalator between
the Rosslyn metro station and the surface should be experienced
at least once in both directions.

Dave

sph@adelie.Adelie.COM (Scott P. Herzig) (05/15/89)

In article <5630009@hpisod2.HP.COM> decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) writes:
>
>I suppose this doesn't exactly qualify, but the escalator between
>the Rosslyn metro station and the surface should be experienced
>at least once in both directions.
>
>Dave

Before taking the escalator there, though, make very sure that you
are not afraid of heights.  A dizzy spell at the Rosslyn station
could be fatal...:-)

				<S>

-- 
Scott P. Herzig				Phone:	+1 617 499-6353
Adelie Corporation                 	
Cambridge, Massachusetts		UUCP: ...harvard!adelie!sph

johnk@grebyn.COM (John Kennedy) (05/16/89)

In article <5630009@hpisod2.HP.COM> decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) writes:
>
>I suppose this doesn't exactly qualify, but the escalator between
>the Rosslyn metro station and the surface should be experienced
>at least once in both directions.
>
>Dave

I understand that the Bethesda stop's escalator is even longer.  Supposedly
the longest escalator in the free world :-).


-- 
John Kennedy            |        Second Source, Inc.
johnk@opel.UUCP         |        Annapolis, MD

allyn@hp-sdd.hp.com (Allyn Fratkin) (05/18/89)

In article <5630009@hpisod2.HP.COM>, decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) writes:
> I suppose this doesn't exactly qualify, but the escalator between
> the Rosslyn metro station and the surface should be experienced
> at least once in both directions.

another spectacular escalator on the metro is the north end of the 
dupont circle station (q street, i think) on the red line.

i thought the woodley park/zoo station (one station north of dupont circle) 
had the longest elevator...

-- 
 From the virtual mind of Allyn Fratkin            allyn@sdd.hp.com
                          San Diego Division       - or -
                          Hewlett-Packard Company  uunet!ucsd!hp-sdd!allyn