My Own Georgetown Branch Website
http://sluggyjunx.com/rr/gb/
The site I built and maintain with photos, documents, my research findings and progress on my own model railroad.
My Flickr page with Georgetown Branch images
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cpl_clegg/collections/72157677685955303/
A collection of photos of the GB.
My Georgetown Branch page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetownBranch
A group dedicated to updates on my progress where I share posts, images and updates.
Kelly Regan’s Georgetown Branch Layout
https://finescale360.com/georgetown-branch/
An HO scale layout focused on the same branch line. Lots of cool info!
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Society
http://www.borhs.org
Dedicated to the preservation of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. An excellent Archives and knowledge base.
Capital Crescent Trail
http://www.cctrail.org
Half of the Georgetown Branch has been paved over and is now enjoyed by commuters, hikers, bikers, and others. The site has a few vintage images of the GB in action, a detailed history and notes on landmarks along the trail. A must-read for all who are new to the GB.
B&O RR Photo Tours – The Georgetown Branch
http://www.trainweb.org/oldmainline/metgb1.htm#top
A wonderful site with photo tours of the B&O from all around the region. The recent completion of the B&O tour is no exception. The tour spans the entire line with photos and descriptions of many landmarks along the way including links to other photos for greater context. A really wonderful resource for anyone interested in the line.
Silver Spring Trails
http://www.silverspringtrails.org/
A site dedicated to building a network of trails in lower Montgomery County. There is a section on the Capital Crescent Trail featuring such items as the opening of the Rock Creek trestle and the ongoing trail status. Contains some neat info and photos.
Library of Congress: American Memory
http://memory.loc.gov
An invaluable research tool on the internet! Try searching for the following “georgetown waterfront washington” (for a HABS/HAER study of the C&O Canal aqueduct, w/ some photos that have rails in them, and some vintage shots of the waterfront), “bethesda maryland” (general Bethesda shots, some of Griffith Consumers Co. fuel facilities which was served by the B&O). Go ahead – try your own search criteria – if you find anything neat, let me know!
Baltimore and Ohio Group
https://baltimoreandohiorailroadlist.groups.io/g/main
A great place for discussions regarding the B&O. A note – the group migrated from Yahoo! in late 2019. As a result, the archives for this group are going to be obliterated. I have preserved nearly every reference to the Georgetown Branch in my “Georgetown Branch Notes”, some of which can be found on my website.
Georgetown University Library Special Collections: Photos
http://www.library.georgetown.edu/dept/speccoll/i/page/our_neighborhood.htm
A neat collection of old photos around Georgetown University. Several shots showing the waterfront from mid 1800’s on.
D.C. Underground: Heavy Rail
http://www.belowthecapital.org/rail/
A neat site devoted to the underground (and some above ground) rails in Washington, DC. There are some great photos of the “GSA, Coal & Ash House, West Heating Plant”, which was the terminus of the Georgetown Branch for all of its later years. This is located at the East end (railroad West) of Georgetown Yard. Nice! (*scroll to the bottom of the page)
Abandoned Railroads of the US
http://abandonedrailroads.homestead.com/md_georgetownjct_georgetowndc_bo.html
A site devoted to its namesake, there is a page devoted to the GB. Mainly a quick description of the remaining right-of-way, this page has a few photos.
NRHS (National Railway Historic Society) – DC Chapter, DC RR History
http://www.dcnrhs.org/learn/washington-d-c-railroad-history/timeline-of-washington-d-c-railroad-history
An extensive timeline of historic events in Washington DC railroad history including the GB. Puts the history of the line into context with the rest of the region as well as points out some key events in the history of the line.
DDOT Back In Time
https://ddotlibrary.omeka.net
DC Department of Transportation, Historic Archives. Includes hundreds of old photos, many pertaining to the area around Georgetown.
Great site. I grew up in Bethesda – when not overseas (U.S. State Dept. dependent). I attended and graduated from BCC High School in 1971. “The tracks,” played an important part in the history of Bethesda, MD. I broke up with my first high school girlfriend in a deserted coach car on a side track next to Maloney Concrete. When the weather was good, while at BCC, some buddies and I would skip school and hop the train down to Georgetown. The cargo was usually coal for the GSA power plant, or ingredients for the flour mill. We would study Sir Isaac Newton’s principals of gravity by throwing coal off the side and watching it travel at the same speed as the train until it hit the ground. We would also walk on the cat walks on top of the box cars, being careful not to get hit by low branches. Finally, we were always on the lookout for the railway men who would harass us, if they saw us. We would hang out in Georgetown for hours and then hitchhike back up Wisconsin Ave. to home.