Heading North
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2008
- Messages
- 178
Yesterday, I rode MARC's Camden Line from Union Station to Baltimore, a trip I've been meaning to take for a while that just happened to fit my schedule. Even though being dropped off "downtown" is convenient, I don't really plan on taking it again unless I have a good reason to; much of the ride was slow, and there's nothing in particular to see. Anyhow...
I rode the 5:51pm express, which only makes four stops before Baltimore (Muirkirk, Laurel, Savage, and Dorsey). We pulled into Dorsey and sat for a few minutes, then BACKED UP from the station quite a bit to wait (a mile, maybe?) for a DC-bound MARC train to pass. We then switched to the DC-bound track and ran forward again, straight through the Dorsey station, and continued to Baltimore.
I tried to figure out the strange move. I'm guessing there's no interlocking north of Dorsey that could be used, and even if we'd waited for the DC-bound train to pass, pulling in on the wrong side could confuse passengers (although honestly, how many people are boarding to go north at that hour on a non-Orioles game day?)... but it seemed awkward and time-consuming, nevermind how confusing it was. It hit me that you wouldn't see trains backing up like that as a matter of routine meetings. Any thoughts?
I rode the 5:51pm express, which only makes four stops before Baltimore (Muirkirk, Laurel, Savage, and Dorsey). We pulled into Dorsey and sat for a few minutes, then BACKED UP from the station quite a bit to wait (a mile, maybe?) for a DC-bound MARC train to pass. We then switched to the DC-bound track and ran forward again, straight through the Dorsey station, and continued to Baltimore.
I tried to figure out the strange move. I'm guessing there's no interlocking north of Dorsey that could be used, and even if we'd waited for the DC-bound train to pass, pulling in on the wrong side could confuse passengers (although honestly, how many people are boarding to go north at that hour on a non-Orioles game day?)... but it seemed awkward and time-consuming, nevermind how confusing it was. It hit me that you wouldn't see trains backing up like that as a matter of routine meetings. Any thoughts?