RAILFAN GUIDES of the U.S.

 

Railfan Guide to the
National Capitol Trolley Museum
Colesville (Wheaton) MD

General Info
Getting Here
Maps
Pictures
 



 


General Info:

The Washington DC and Baltimore "metroplex" area is actually pretty lucky to have TWO streetcar museums within about 25 (air) miles. 

The NCTM and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum actually had a common beginning, with a collection of vintage cars stored at Lake Roland in Baltimore County in the mid 60's.  The cars were moved out of Robert E. Lee park in 1968 (Wikipedia incorrectly states 1966 - pictures of some of the cars are on my Green Spring Branch page).  They ran their first car in 1969.

In 2003, they suffered the worst catastrophe that ever happened to a U.S. trolley museum, where one of their trolley barns burned, and took eight pieces of equipment with it :-(

After a long, long wait, the state finally fulfilled it's desire to construct a cross-county highway, but it necessitated going right through the middle of the museums property!  The result tho, is a much needed facelift, with two new trolley barns and a beautiful visitors center.  The state also paid to construct all the new track, and as a result, the run is about twice as long as it used to be prior to the highway construction.  The foundation for the "old" buildings is buried under 40 feet or so of dirt used to build the highway upon.  The ticket price is seven dollars, and is worth every cent of it!


Getting Here:

You have many options, especially now that the new Cross County Interconnector opened on 7NOV2011. 

If you're coming down US 29, I would take Briggs Chaney road west to Bonifant, then take a left on it till you cross New Hampshire (MD 650) and arrive at the museum. 

If coming "down" I-95 from Baltimore, and you have a Pass, take the ICC west and get off at New Hampshire, go about a quarter mile north to Bonifant and hang a left heading to the museum entrance.

From the Washington Beltway, 495, I would come up New Hampshire (or US 29/Columbia Pike to New Hampshire and then taking a left on it) to Bonifant road, taking a left on it.

From the Gaithersburg area, or somewhere along the MD 355 corridor, it's your choice, of which there are many... use your GPS or check a map.


Maps


In this aerial shot, you can see where the old right-of-way used to be on the south side of the ICC.


Satellite view of the "new" museum.


Pictures

    HTM (Den Haag, Netherlands) car #1329 staged for the next run.

          The visitors center.

        Inside one of the trolley barns.

    Approaching the trolley barns.

  The original passing siding looking towards the new loop and the ICC.

  Lookin up the hill from the new loop towards the original passing siding... spring switches are used out on the line, but not in the yard.


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New 11/4/2011
last Modified: 06 Nov 2011