Needed, a nice clear photo of.....

Glad to oblige. R. J. Walpole of TM Books & Video scratchbuilt an O scale model of my hometown station, built by the Philadelphia & Reading Railway in 1914.

Here is the real station under construction

Here is the station in service, with lots of little details that add character.

The "umbrella" P&R station three miles north at Hamburg is unusual because both Main Line tracks curve past it. Tracks in front of stations are usually straight, but that was not feasible here.

A Berkshire or a bullet-nosed steamer didn't run on the Reading's Main Line, but the Iron Horse Rambles did.

Baldwin delivered G1-sb 4-6-2 #201 in deep blue with imitation gold leaf striping and lettering. Her Reading "black diamond" smokebox number plate and herald on her tender were unique. She was called "The Bluebird." No color photos of her have been discovered, so a full-color painting of her would be well received. Here she poses with a Jersey Central 4-6-2 as the Lebanon Valley Branch is about to pass under the Sixth Street Bridge in Reading. The renowned "Outer Station" is out of view to the right. This station was built in the middle of a wye. The Lebanon Valley Branch provided the "legs." The Pottsville-Reading-Philadelphia Main Line connected the ends of the "legs." The East Penn Branch to Allentown joined the Main Line as they enetered Reading Yard. As many as 74 passenger trains a day stopped here.

Beieve it or not, the Reading & Northern has a blue engine today - the "Four-and-a-Quarter," former Gulf-Mobile & Northern 425. She has run on the Main Line past Hamburg and Berne.

Hello there Reading Fan, did you get my email about Wednesdays at the Port Clinton museum? Just wondering.

Yep, that I did. Just got back from the 2012 ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Youth Gathering in New Orleans last Monday. This week we are hosting 65 children in Nuremberg Community Vacation Bible School. I am really eager to come to Port Clinton and see you again.

Hi Luke, got any pic's for me? I love the color of this train (second from the bottom) that Phil sent. And these stations! Wow...

Point of Rocks Maryland.

Mike, where is this exactly in Maryland? 

Google map Point of Rocks MD.  Nearest large town Fredrick, MD.

 It is very close to the C&O Canal path/Potomac River.  We spent some time here, lunch break, on Day 5 of our Pittsburgh to DC bike trip last summer. We accessed the station from the Canal towpath via Canal Road and Commerce Street then road the bike through the parking lot to the station. I was kidded about padding my milage for the day.  Ended the day's ride at Whites Ferry, the last operational ferry across the Potomac.  

A really busy spot on the CSX main.  You can catch the Amtrak Capital Limited here. There is also heavy commuter service and a large park and ride lot to the metro DC area.

Another link. Click on the underline phrases to link.

And a surprising W&LE (Wheeling and Lake Erie) freight.

Fran;

Mike has posted some great shots of the Point of Rocks station which, BTW, is a national historic landmark.  I would caution that because of its beautiful architecture and convenient location, many artists have painted it over the years -- with and without B&O trains.  Not sure how important a factor that might be but didn't want you to be surprised later on.

Poppyl

You're right about that!  Must be one of the most frequently depicted stations around.  A large painting of the Point of Rocks station (winter scene) hangs over the fireplace mantle in my living room...an ever-present reminder of the few years when I lived in Maryland.

Had the privilege to see awesom photos of this station! Wow! I have traveled past and Thru Fredrick many times but never took the time to appreciate this! Beautiful. If I'm not mistaken if o e wants to photograph it for personal use it's fine, but if for resale purpose you must have consent, which probably isn't given to anyone. I will look into or call someone concerning me doing a reproduction of it in Oil. I don't want to get into Copyright hot water huh? 

But thanks for all the great Pic's. 

The station we have in Oakland MD is pretty awesome in itself, but I can't post it with IPad! Maybe someone else could post it. Oakland MD. 

Fran, there are really few or no copyright issues concerning the photographing of buildings in the US.  First of all, buildings had no copyright protection at all before 1990, so any building built before then is completely public domain.  And, after that date, there is an explicit exemption of photographs of public buildings from the building's copyright protection. 

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#120

So, have fun--no worries.  The current copyright laws are ridiculous enough, let's not worry about things that are still allowed.

Fran:  Do that beautiful building justice in Oil.

Mike

Wonderful! Thanks for posting the link! I feel FREE to do it! So many wonderful stations out there that I was never aware of! 

I think I will focus on this station first. No train at all, just the beauty of that building! Gorgeous! Thanks Mike