Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of Baltimore & Ohio’s Metropolitan Branch in 1873 with an excursion trip on Memorial Day. The anniversary excursion train from Silver Spring to Brunswick, Maryland consisted of six Bombardier Multilevels and two MPI MP36PH-3Cs. The original Barnesville MARC Station Depot, constructed circa 1873, was demolished in the 1950s. However, the 1930 metering station building was installed at the location of the original depot. It was moved to Barnesville from Rockville, MD in 1977. It is the first metering station for the Washington area gas supply, this building was saved from imminent destruction by concerned citizens dedicated to both the preservation of the visible past and the revitalization of the railroad. The metering station building now serves as the Barnesville MARC Station.
From B&O RDCs to MARC bilevel coaches pulled by electric locomotives and diesels, the Maryland commuting scene has evolved, while trolleys, aka light rail vehicles, are back.
