This turned up in a link from my Facebook page--a collection of photographs from Life, apparently mostly not used (typical of news photography in general) on this subject. It's quite a record of this facility, and some of the photos are indeed spectacular, including the shot that initially caught my eye of the twin turntables at the engine terminal at Ivy City.

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/10 ... c2784.html

See path to other photos in the collection at the right.

Thank you so much for sharing that link. The images are spectacular, and appear to all be by Alfred Eisenstaedt, probably the most famous news photographer of his generation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Eisenstaedt

I had not been aware of the double turntable at Ivy City -- wow. What's more, it looks like there may have been a third turntable closer to the station itself and not associated with a roundhouse. Could this have been for turning observation cars in the coach yard? (I believe the PRR had one of these at Sunnyside, as did the LIRR at Richmond Hill.)

Several of the images show the wonderful fluted columns on the platform canopies, some of which are still there and which I've always admired. Is there any chance a few of these could be preserved in Amtrak's planned mega-renovation of Union Station, or will all of the old trackside structures be swept away? And what does the future hold for K Tower?

-Philip Marshall

Thank you for the compliment, Phillip.

I'm afraid I can't answer too many of the questions you have, but I can tell you the turntable near the station is still there, or else it's another one near the same location. It's relatively short compared to some others, but I think you're right, it was (and is) meant for turning things like observation cars.

One of the sad things about Washington Union is that it seems for every good thing that happens (the general restoration some years ago) we get things that go for the worse. This includes an amazingly ugly and huge parking garage over much of the platform area, and the whole concept of burying the platform area in the new proposal. I don't know how well the latter would even work without electrifying everything in the terminal, including the MARC trains and other Amtrak intercity trains that use the station now.

The turntable which was adjacent to Track 1 and the Power Plant was removed several years ago. As a geographical reference NS Marco Polo is on Track 7 on the west side of the Terminal and there are no lower numbered tracks in regular use.

There is a new (probably the same one relocated) turntable on the east side north of the coach yards and the enginehouse near New York Ave and 16th St NE. This is used both for locomotives and the odd observation car. I have not yet had the opportunity to ride this one.

GME

Folks might enjoy the recent (Oct 2015) Trains Magazine which has a trackage map for Wash Union Station in its heyday and today.

http://trn.trains.com/issues/2015/october-2015

and for info on the planned renovations to the station, download the pdfs from this page:

http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0866

Just a minor observation, important only to PRR freaks, the switcher, #29, is a B6sa 0-6-0. A gentle reminder that one still exists, waiting for restoration.

Significant Other maintains that this may qualify me as a railroad artifact over which the lot of you can quibble the worthiness of preserving.

As a sidenote to this discussion, my first trip through the station, after a week as tourists in DC, was to board a B&O train for Jersey City connecting with a steamer to Fall River and an Old Colony train to our new home near Boston, three years before these were taken. That was an overnight trip taking the better part of a day and a half. Train all the way would also have required either an overnight trip in a sleeper or so many hours in coach that Mother might have resigned. Now, while it still takes the better part of a day I can have breakfast at home and dinner at a reasonable hour where ever I'm staying.

GME

Thanks for the description. Did the B & O's bus take you all the way from the Jersey City station to the Fall River dock?

I have a similar situation in my house. My wife says I lie about my age. She says I am not 60 years old, but am at least 160 years old! She says I know too much about old stuff, and am too comfortable around old stuff, in particular trains, that I must have lived back then!