Woodside station (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad)

Woodside station was a train station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) Metropolitan Subdivision in the Woodside neighborhood of Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. It was erected in 1890 in connection with initial development of the Woodside suburb.

Woodside
General information
Location8800 3rd Street, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910
Line(s)Metropolitan Subdivision
Former services
Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station
Kensington
toward Chicago
Main Line Silver Spring
Forest Glen
toward Chicago

History

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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad passenger facility

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The station was designed in the Victorian style at the direction of Benjamin Leighton, a real estate developer involved with the development of Woodside and other segregated suburbs along the Metropolitan Branch. Leighton sought to increase property values by establishing a direct connection to the railroad. The station was built in the southern part of the neighborhood on 3rd Street, between its present-day intersections with Ballard Street and Noyes Drive.[1]

Intermodal connections

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Pedestrians could connect between the B&O station and the Forest Glen Trolley station three blocks away, at the intersection of present-day Georgia Avenue and Ballard Street.

Fire and replacement

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According to a collection of photographs taken by B&O employee E.L. "Tommy" Thompson, Woodside station burned down in the 1920s.[2] Rather than replacing the station, the B&O constructed a section house at the site. The section house was conveniently located, allowing crews a place of refuge in close proximity to the railroad's new interchange with the Georgetown Branch.[3]

Future

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Upon the opening of the MTA Purple Line, the area will be served with a direct light rail connection for the first time in almost a century. Light rail trains will be accessible at the 16th Street–Woodside station, on the opposite side of the original B&O right-of-way.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Woodside Historic District, MHT State Historic Sites Inventory Form, June 1994" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  2. ^ "The Georgetown Branch: Gallery: Photos of E.L. "Tommy" Thompson". Georgetown Branch Blog. Ben Sullivan. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  3. ^ "B&O Metropolitan Branch Modern day photo tour". TrainWeb. TrainWeb. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ^ "16th Street-Woodside". Purple Line. MDOT Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved 4 November 2022.