Middle River Station had been located near Harrison Avenue. It is no longer extant.

Link: photo source

This edition of the Stemmers Run Station is a product of the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad (PB&W) circa 1900. It was preceded at this site by a wooden depot built in 1838 by the similar-sounding Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B), a successor company of the Baltimore and Port Deposit Rail Road (B&PD).

Link: 1997

After passenger service ended during the 1950s, PRR and Amtrak used the structure for for Maintenance of Way (MoW) and storage purposes.

Links: info at RailroadForums, 1997

As Amtrak's need for the old station declined, so did the general condition of the structure. With its roof collapsing, the station's end is near unless resources can soon be found for restoration.

Stemmers Run becomes Northeast Creek in this vicinity. Judging by appearance, this quad-track bridge dates to around 1930 when the line was being electrified.

In the distance, a short spur had peeled off to the right to serve Locust Grove Furnace. Race Road now follows the spur.

Link: 1997

As dusk approaches, northbound AMTK 2010 leans into the start of one of the sharpest turns in the area. That's the I-695 Baltimore Beltway in the distance.

This right of way dates to the 1830s as part of the Baltimore and Port Deposit Rail Road (B&PD) chartered to build from Baltimore to the Susquehanna. The B&PD built little if anything before, in 1836, being reorganized into the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore RR (PW&B). PW&B built southwest from the Susquehanna River to Baltimore, meaning this arch likely dates to soon after the reorganization. It is the oldest stone arch survivor I have found along the line. It was widened about 1930 to carry more tracks via the addition of a concrete arch on its inlet side (shown at right). The concrete strips and larger rubble on left probably shore up erosion.

The masonry skill demonstrated here is not as refined as in B&O's stone arches of the same period. B&O emphasized, some would say overemphasized, stonework engineering and architecture possibly because the company's organizers were Freemasons.

Some days it's difficult to keep the shiny side up. Chesaco Park Station had been located in this vicinity.

Like B&O during the 1830s, PW&B was less concerned about curves than about grade. Now Amtrak is stuck with these track curves, or is it? It could pay to swap alignments with CSX between Susquehanna and Bayview. CSX's route is much straighter, thanks to having been built by B&O after railroads had learned to minimize curves.

The Severn Avenue bridge rises behind, a grade-separation project of 1975.

PW&B (or B&PD) built box culverts too during the 1830s. This is one of few that has not later been totally replaced by concrete or steel.

This Baltimore-bound train has just passed under the I-695 Beltway for the second time in less than a mile. I-695 bobs and weaves its way through this area as a compromise combination of the ill-fated Windlass Freeway and Patapsco Freeway. Back River Station had been located near the overpass.

Link: Amtrak 650 in 2010

For an unknown reason, the de-icing lamps are lit on this stiflingly hot August day as a northbound is about to complete a trip through Bay View Yard and cross the quad-track Moores Run bridge. Moores Run feeds into the Back River, so sometimes this is called the Back River bridge.

Link: Amtrak 653 in 2010

Three versions of signals are all saying nothing but Stop to traffic exiting Bay View yard trackage. In fact, with just two lamps the leftmost signal always displays Stop. Stop can be modified into something less restrictive by lights below it.

Along the NE Corridor in Maryland, pole signals like these are greatly outnumbered by overhead signal gantries. The leftmost signal is a PRR original. The small signal in the middle employs the Pennsy dwarf style on a pedestal. The rightmost signal, with a characteristic array of bright bolts, is a newer model manufactured by Safetran.

Link: Todd's page about PRR signals

Those original PRR signal heads on the left of the prior photo were replaced and deposited trackside. They look larger when seen up close. The disks are about 3 feet in diameter. My knowledge of PRR signals made by US&S Co. is limited, so if anyone can share some interesting details about these, please email me.

Amtrak shares Bay View Yard with NS. Tracks near the middle are kept clear for trains not stopping, such as this northbound.

Links: NS Interstate Heritage unit in 2012, NS leaving yard

Southbound AMTK 633 rolls under a signal gantry updated during 2022. The bright bolts dotting their face identify these new signals as Safetran models.

The closest track leads to Sparrows Point.

Change for: PRR Sparrows Point Branch tour starting at Sparrows Point

Bay View Yard (dark strip right to left through center) occupies roughly 100 acres. It is bisected underneath by a diagonal North Point Boulevard. An arc of unfinished I-95 is starting to take shape in the form of bright vertical tabs at top and bottom about 2/3rds from the left. I-895 crosses over the tracks near bottom left. B&O's/CSX's Bayview Yard is the smaller area parallel on the north side in the left half.

Bay View is NS's largest yard in Maryland.

Bay View Yard is oriented east-west. The south side of the yard is Norfolk Southern turf, easily seen from North Point Boulevard. The pole line on the left still follows the route of the original grade crossing.

The 1927 aerial at left shows grade separation underway for what had been Back River Road. As part of expansion to handle World War II rail traffic, during 1943 a second bridge was added parallel on the south side of the first. In the view above, NS 7571 is crossing the newer of the adjacent bridges.

Link: 1931

The first grade separation bridge for one lane of road traffic each way was still on duty about 100 years after its construction. That year of 1927 is stamped in the concrete at center.

A steep climb up from Lombard Street nets this view of the Norfolk Southern side of the yard.

Before 2000, most railcars were not rolling canvas for taggers. This photo was shot on film during Conrail's final month of operation prior to its split between NS and CSX.

There's something incongruous about this style mailbox at a rail yard.

The Amtrak side of the yard hosts various MoW equipment. Loram's LMIX 506 Railvac (left) cleans ballast.

The red RWP sign is a new one on me. "Roadway Worker Protection" was all I could dredge up online.

A couple NS horses rest within view of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in the distance.

To the right is Norfolk Southern's Bay View Yard Office. PRR and NS prefer the two-word version: Bay View. B&O and Hopkins prefer the single word version: Bayview. I try to keep up here, but probably use the wrong version sometimes.

With height limited by I-895, instead of a signal bridge this location gets four signals on poles.

This catenary maintenance vehicle has been named in honor of Dave Johnson. It has been parked here since around 2005. There is a Dave Johnson that has been MARC's Chief Transportation Officer, but I do not know if it is the same person.

Link: 2013

A lack of windows in PRR's Bay Tower suggests it is being allowed to deteriorate.

Links: 1953, 1974, 1975. 1975. from tower 1975, 1995. 2010, 2011

A closeup of some of the previously-mentioned signals...

Links: 1978, 2003

B&O also had a Bayview Yard, now used by CSX. In this view from above, it's the yard on the left. In the adjacent Amtrak/NS yard on the right, it appears only one electrified track is clear for Amtrak service.

Bay View Yard is sandwiched between I-895 on the west (bottom) and a then-new I-95 on the east (top).

Link: LoC source photo
Change for: B&O Philadelphia Branch tour starting at Bayview

When zooming in, that's Amtrak under the wires on the left, NS on the right.

Link: Todd's Bayview page