Gaithersburg station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg MARC (formerly B&O) Railroad station, January 2007
Location	5 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Coordinates	39°08′29.5″N 77°11′35″W / 39.141528°N 77.19306°W / 39.141528; -77.19306
Line(s)	CSX Metropolitan Subdivision
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	MTA Maryland: 201 and 202
Construction
Parking	Garage
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	1884
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	525 daily  14.3% (MARC)
Services
Preceding station MARC Following station Metropolitan Grove towards Martinsburg or Frederick Brunswick Line Washington Grove towards Union Station
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Brunswick toward Martinsburg Blue Ridge Discontinued 1986 Rockville toward Washington, D.C. Brunswick toward Cincinnati (River Road) Shenandoah Discontinued 1981 Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Germantown toward Chicago Main Line Washington Grove toward Jersey City Ward toward Chicago
Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Passenger station and freight house, November 2010
Built	1884
Architect	Ephraim Francis Baldwin
Architectural style	Queen Anne attributed
NRHP reference No.	78001473
Added to NRHP	October 5, 1978

The Gaithersburg station is a train station in downtown Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is used by the MARC Brunswick Line. This line helps people travel to and from work. The station was also used by Amtrak trains from 1971 to 1986.

The old station building and a freight shed were built in 1884. They were designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin. These buildings are very important historically. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed. Today, they are home to the Gaithersburg Community Museum.

History of the Station

The Gaithersburg station was first built in 1884. It was part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) system. The B&O was a very important railroad company. The station was designed by a famous architect, Ephraim Francis Baldwin.

Station Buildings

The station has two main historic buildings. The first is the passenger station. It is a one-story building made of brick. It has a pointed roof called a gable roof. This station looks very similar to another station Baldwin designed in Laurel, Maryland.

About 90 feet (27 meters) away is the freight shed. This building was used to store goods that were being shipped by train. It is also made of brick and is about 45 feet long and 20 feet wide. It has several doors on its sides for loading and unloading. In 1905, the station was made a bit longer.

Changes Over Time

In 1971, Amtrak took over many passenger train services. The B&O passenger service at Gaithersburg was replaced by Amtrak trains. First, it was the Potomac Special, then the Blue Ridge in 1973. From 1976 to 1981, another Amtrak train called the Shenandoah also stopped here.

In 1978, the station and freight shed were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Amtrak stopped using the station in 1986. After that, it became a MARC station. MARC trains are mainly for people who travel to work.

Today, passengers usually get on and off the train from the road next to the station. However, if the train is very long, conductors might open an extra exit near the old platform. A modern parking garage and a bridge for people to walk over were built nearby. The garage was finished in 2000, and the pedestrian bridge in 2001.

Gaithersburg Community Museum

A former B&O Budd RDC train car on display near the station.

The Gaithersburg Community Museum is located in the old 1884 B&O Railroad Station. It also includes the freight house and a history park. You can even see a caboose there!

The museum shows exhibits about the history of Gaithersburg. It also has many old railroad items and equipment. You can see a steam locomotive called Consolidation #14. There's also a caboose and a special train car called a Budd RDC on display. They are right in front of the freight shed.

• Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed, Montgomery County, Inventory No.: M: 21-151, M: 21-157, including photo in 1974, at Maryland Historical Trust website