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B&O Time Freight
by Andrew Harmantas
Oil on Masonite
Original Painting
Image size 16" x 28" Framed size 16½" x 18½" (metal gallery sectional frame)
Going east out of Washington, DC, the B&O tracks quickly hit rural country after going through
Silver Spring. They are punctuated by an occasional small town and the county seat at Rockville. This
was back in the early 1950s, when steam still was in service, and the mega urban boom was years away. Small
farms hugged the right of way, and most roads back then were narrow two-lane affairs, making train travel the
faster choice, for both passengers and freight shippers. Rail traffic was fairly heavy, with at least two trains
an hour, and every fifteen minutes during rush hour. Steam no longer hauled premier passenger trains, but
was plentiful on passenger locals, as well as mail, commuter and freight trains. This lasted up until the
DC city government banned steam locomotives from the city with an anti-smoke ordinance. My
after-school activities often included a bike ride for only a couple of miles to Garrett
Park, or the crossing at Randolph Road, to watch the trains. It was always a treat
when one of the T-3 class Mountain engines came into view, with their longer
wheelbase and unique design. I always enjoyed that show.
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