Capitol Limited at Point of Rocks, Md., 2014.
Color digital image showing the eastbound Capitol Limited (Washington-Chicago) passing the historic depot in Point of Rocks, Md.; image dates to August 2014.
- Digital Image Details
-
- Date Archived:
- December 19, 2014
- Geography:
- Northeast
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Route:
- Capitol Limited
- Date Created:
- August 15, 2014
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
The eastbound Capitol Limited, led by P-42 No. 197, passes the historic depot at Point of Rocks, Md., just a stone's throw away from the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park and the Potomac River.
Likely designed by prolific Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) architect E. Francis Baldwin, the depot, noted for its tower and cupola, stands where the B&O's mainline from Baltimore and the Metropolitan Branch from Washington converged and continued west over the Appalachian Mountains. The picturesque Victorian-Gothic Revival building was completed in 1873 and is a popular background for rail photography. Baldwin and his staff would design numerous depots for the B&O across the state of Maryland.
Point of Rocks made a cameo role in early American railroad history, as both the B&O and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal desired use of the narrow right-of-way between the river and hills. In the 1830s, the companies went to state court over the issue, but both were eventually allowed to build on it.
Photographer: Chuck Gomez for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.
