Just caught up with Erik Ledbetter's news brief on B&O austerity stations in Maryland. Unfortunately the Germantown depot was not the only station on th Met branch to succumb to fire. We lost the Derwood station and the Dickerson station was also badly damaged, but was repaired under the same program as Germantown's. The beautiful little brick depot at Gaithersburg was purchased by the city from CSX and serves as the focal point for its Olde Towne section of business district as well as part of the town's rail atifact collection, along with the restored freight house. Both were designed by E. Francis Baldwin. Just last year, the city also constructed an amphitheater on the grounds of the city hall designed in style to match the arhitecture of the depot (for better or for worse). Susan Cooke Soderberg wrote a great little book outling the history of the Metropolitan Branch, with sequential photos of all the original stations. It was published by the Germantown Historical Society.<br><br>

If anyone is passing through the Washington, DC, area and would like to see an original, now restored B&O austerity station, Kensington, Maryland, is very convenient to the Washington Beltway (I-495) and of course is served by MARC (check their web page for schedule).<p>From the Beltway, exit onto Connecticut Avenue North. Kensington is only a couple of miles up the road. Just past a boarded up gas station and the Safeway parking lot is a street coming in from the right (Howard Avenue) immediately before the bridge over the B&O Metropolitan Branch (CSX). Turn right onto this street. Follow it past Kensington's "Antique Row" and you will see the restored station ahead of you on the left (two-tone green with Chinese red trim and a new slate roof). <p>Happily, Kensington Station is treasured by the local community. In fact the slogan for Kensington's recent centennial was "Where the train still stops and the people still walk."<p>From late afternoon through early evening, Kensington is a terrific train watching spot. You can get dinner within walking distance at the Kensington Cafe or Cafe Monet (anyone can give you directions). But, try this instead.<p>For dinner, take Strathmore across Connecticut Avenue and across Beach Drive into Garrett Park (next railroad-sponsored town west on the line and named for you-know-who). Take any street to the right into Garrett Park and meander your way to the tracks and the town's single-building post office, town office, store, and what-have-you. In that building you will find a great little restaurant only 50 yards from the main line. Kensington's dry but this one serves wine. If the weather's nice, you can get an outside table with a view of the tracks.<p>Phil Padgett<br><br>



ebt4evr@aol.com

The E.F. Baldwin stations in Maryland, along with Maryland Area Rail Commuter's (MARC's) restoration program, are such a good story that RyPN is working on a full-length feature. Kevin Gillespie is doing some research for us, and hopefully we'll have a full story on Baldwin's Queen Anne-style brick masterpieces and his wooden austerity stations later this year.<br>



eledbetter@rypn.org

A mile below Baldwin's beautiful Gaithersburg station on the other side of the track is Hershey's Restaurant. They have a big picture window overlooking the tracks. They are famous for their fried chicken, and their hot fudge sundaes are to die for!! My wife and I had dinner there with friends on a Saturday evening a couple of months ago, and there must have been eight trains going through while we were eating. They also have a full bar. I drink Scotch and had two there with dinner.<br>



kevingillespie@usa.net

Another good place for train-watching and dining is right down the tracks from the Gaithersburg Station. Buffalo Billiards is a restaurant-bar and pool hall built in the basement of the old grain and feed elevator. One whole wall that faces the tracks (it is right on the tracks) is glass. Hersheys, by the way, is in Washington Grove and the old depot was right across the tracks from the restaurant. I think they have a painting of it as well as other railroad pics.<br>



JMFouchard@aol.com

Hershey's has been renovated since your last visit, and their are pros and cons. The pro is that they have opened their picture window overlooking the tracks which is where we sat. The con is that the train pictures are gone! I know it's in Washington Grove, but most of our beyond the Beltway readers wouldn't know the difference. I'll have to check the other place out. I remember running out of Chris's one night to photograph a black WM SD-40 in the late 70's. My wife and the waitress thought I was nuts! I wish Chris's had a better view of the tracks.<br>



kevingillespie@usa.net