Guys,
Are there any models available of Silver Spring Station? Is that a turn of the century type? If not what era is it from?
Mike Maurice
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OK, I'll be the first to bite...
Since I grew up in Washington, D.C., and frequently rode the B&O into and out of town summers to visit Mom's family in Wisconsin, the easiest station for us to use was....
Silver Spring, Maryland.
Is THIS the Silver Spring of which you're inquiring?
Re your question as per the Maryland site.....No model that I know of. And it was more a 1930-ish structure, I'd guess.
It would make a nice model, though. Brick, single story, platform roofs extending out either side. There was a pedestrian underpass to reach the far side platform of the double track main. The freight yard adjacent was also the site on which the Beano held publicity events, showing off their new passenger train service, for instance.
Of course, for me the real piece de resistance was the Gifford's ice cream parlor across the street!!
Gone forever.
THAT was the Silver Spring in my life!
KD
KD,
Good to know, it seemed quite an interesting structure to model being as it was red brick if you are interested it was pictured in "a year of train trivia for August 4th, 2014. published by B & O Railroad Museum as a desk calendar. Thanks for giving the details which were left out.
Thanks!
Mike Maurice
The Silver Spring Station -- a classic B&O strucuture -- was rebuilt back in the early 2000's with, I believe, a mix of private and public funds. It currently serves as a meeting space that can be rented out for group and community events.
This web site has some interesting stuff on the rehab:
The Silver Spring station houses a museum, open a few days per month. One gentleman, Fred Shirmacher(SP?), a regular fixture of Montgomery County MD's model railroad/HO scene, volunteers there. The old HO layout that Fred helped build, that was at the Gaithersburg freight house for many years is there along with other displays. It can also be rented for private functions.
He mentioned that during WW2, there was hope by the town to rebuild the original station. Due to the war effort, it was not permitted but a "remodel" was permitted. The town's idea of a remodel was bulldozing it and building the station you see today on the old (or at least part of) foundation. FDR regularly used the station, in addition to the now gone University station, to avoid crowds at Union Station.
Fred took me down to the basement and showed me much of the original stone work, coal chute, boiler, etc. Facts above may be a bit off, memory is a bit foggy. Here are some lousy photos I took last I visited earlier this year.
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If any OGR members are in the area and interested, The Washington DC Chapter NRHS is holding its August Meeting there on Friday Night, August 15, at 8 PM. It is free and open to the public. OGR Member BandOBill (yours truly) will be presenting a pictorial review of selected Steam Excursions from the 1970's to the present. Yes, NKP 765 will be among the stars, and even the OGR Webmaster (or at least his back) can be seen.
Yeah! Rich's back!
