Gaithersburg's growth and prosperity can be attributed to the coming of the railroad. These photos show a view from the tracks, looking towards Germantown.
| Name | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Toomey | 5/18/09 | In 1951 a B&O passenger train struck a car at this grade crossing. All four occupants of the car were killed and entire train overturned. At the time there was only a watchman at the crossing but he had gone off duty at 10 pm thus there was no protection at the crossing except for a bell and a flashing light. |
| Jonnie Lefebure | 7/23/10 | In the old photo here, the gentleman to the far left is probably the crossing guard in front of the guard shack. The guard held a stop sign much the same as road work flagmen do today. I remember well the aforementioned accident, as we lived in what is now the civic center. The steam locomotive ended up on its side just past the rt 355 overpass visible 'way down the tracks in the recent photo. The repair to the tracks and righting of the train took several days, if not a week. Also, a man was later killed by a train at the location of the immediate foreground of the photos. The story was that he was drunk, bent down to pick up a rock from the rail bed to throw at a fellow drunk, but chose a poor time to bend down for a rock. I was at home at the time, heard the screeching of the train wheels, ran down the tracks to where the diesel locomotive came to a stop, thinking there might be a crumbled car in front of the diesel. I later found out what really happened. |
| Jonnie Lefebure | 7/24/10 | Another memory triggered by this old photo--to the right of the boxcar, a fertilizer mill was constructed, which obviously been demolished. In the late 50's, Billy Broschart and I would test our rock throwing skill by trying to break out the glass window lights on the topmost level of the mill. We'd stand across the tracks at the edge of a woods there so's to run for cover if needed. |
| Fred | 2/22/12 | @Jack, I went to school w possibly one of your children but I definitely knew a couple Toomey kids, not sure if from GHS or St Martins or Gaither Dr/ Deer Park. But i knew/know folks in our family. @ Jonnie I went to grade school and HS w Regis and Richard. I knew some Broschart's but "Billy" doesn't ring a bell. |
| Jack Toomey | 4/10/12 | Most people are not aware that Gaithersburg had a Wye track where trains could be turned around. A long time ago commuter trains didn't go further than Gburg so there was a need to turn the locomotive around so a big "balloon" track was built to the left of the eastbound track. If you look carefully you can still see some of the track between the mainline and the unused parking lot. |
| Jack Toomey | 4/10/12 | I think that you have the wrong family. None of my children went to the schools that you mentioned. |
| Jack Toomey | 4/17/12 | Before the B&O began their reconstruction of the railroad west of Gaithersburg the two tracks ended here. West towards Point of Rocks it was a one track railroad except for the Barnesville Hill. |