Trains FROM the Planes at College Park, MD

And, down on the museum floor.........

Hey...there is my hand spinning the turntable! 

I cannot stress how tremendous of a facility the College Park Aviation Museum is. The history is tremendous, the museum is beautiful and the planes are fascinating. I've been coming every year, for the Labor Day and Christmas show for years and will continue to do so for as long as I'm able. I and many other Trackers have shared plenty of laughs, smiles,  and a few tears in this tremendous facility. The staff has become family to us over the years and I always look forward to seeing them. All of the aircraft are originals or replicas of those flown at College Park in it's history. 

Here is my photos...

The museum has this terrific porch up on the roof for viewing the runway. Very few planes use this airport and takeoffs/landings per day can be counted on one hand but it is the Oldest Continuously Operating Airport in the World. 

Out in the distance is the old B&O Mainline. A MARC commuter run, inbound to Washington was pulling into the station just to the left when I was leaving this evening. The B&O played a big role in the airfield, bring people to air shows and providing display track/equipment. I understand the Clinchfield #1, the 4-6-0 now entombed in the B&O Museum was displayed here one weekend in the 1980s during an air show. Air Shows were an annual event at the field until 9/11. In 2009, for the airport's 100th Anniversary, special permission was granted from the FAA and Government for one last airshow, likely the last one to take place on this field because of security concerns and its proximity to the Capitol. 

One of the many "firsts in aviation, which give the airfield it's name the "Field of Firsts", is the first controlled helicopter flight in 1924. This Berliner (SP?) is the original and the museum shows a short home move of it flying in 1924 at College Park. Wild machine! The props spin within a foot of the pilots head!

Hey, I'm in there running trains!  LOL

Great post and photos! I love all things terrestrial (i.e. trains) and ET (planes) and what a perfect confluence of the two. I would love to visit that museum. My favorite picture is the "oh crap!" moment on (or is it off?) the turntable. Love the expressions on the kids' faces.

The granddaddy of all aviation museums I have seen is the one at the Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. You could easily spend an entire weekend there trying to see everything.

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing with us.

The TT operator needs training, it's supposed to be aligned with the locomotive before proceeding.  And, I doubt all those cars will fit on the TT.

That's a neat little museum....and the layout looks pretty neat too! 

--Greg

At home, I rarely run with smoke, due to spousal concern. So, it was really interesting to let my diesels open up. I particularly liked the 3 levels of Legacy smoke: low, medium, and "blew out a turbo."

At shows, I normally run the diesels on low, and the steamers on max.

B&O Bill,

It was nice to visit and chat with you and the other Tracker members at College Park yesterday. That's a great setting with the full size planes and the O Gauge trains. You can't help but like everything you see there!

I'm sure I'll run into you again at another show or train meet.

Regards,

Ken

Likewise, Hotbox! If you can, check out the B&O Museum next week, 12/22-12/29.  The layout will be almost twice as big, and in a figure 8.