The Chesapeake and Allegheny Live
Steamers is Baltimore's live steam club, and is located in Leakin Park in
western Baltimore City.
The main track is for 1/8 scale
trains, and has a gauge of 7 1/2". There is approximately 3400 feet of 7
1/2" gauge track. The main line is double tracked, so we can run
trains in both directions, but since they are loops, operation is pretty limited
compared to, say, White Creek in Michigan. Nevertheless, it gives us the
opportunity to show off what we have.
There is also track for 1" and 3/4"
scale trains, but it not quite as extensive. There is approximately 1630 feet of
4 3/4" track on the ground, and 1050 feet of 4 3/4" and 3 1/2" track elevated.
Public operations are on the 2nd
Sunday of the month, between 11am and 3:30pm.... April thru October.
There
is also a club run day on the 4th Sunday of the month in case you are visiting
from out of town and can't make it on the 2nd Sunday.
Members also take
their trains to most of the local train shows in Timonium, and have been known
to show up at Cabin Fever in York PA,
now held in April (it used to be in January.)
The easiest way is to come in via the I-70 stub that is
INSIDE the Baltimore Beltway, I-695.
If you are north (like I-83 or I-95 from PA, DE, or NJ)
or south (say I-95 from DC or VA, or I-97), come around the Beltway to I-70
at exit 17 and head east.
Go all the way to the end of the interstate, and refer
to the second map below.
If you are in the downtown area of Baltimore, it may be
easier to come out Route 40, Baltimore National Pike, and then hang a right
onto Security Blvd. If you are down around the stadiums or Baileys Wye
however, take I-95 south to the Beltway and then take 695 north to I-70, it
will be much quicker.
Below is a map of the Leakin Park area off of the
east end of Interstate 70 and Security Blvd, adjacent to Catonsville, so let's go over the info on it:
CALS is at the
Green circle.
If you are coming to CALS by way of the Baltimore Beltway, take I-70 into
Baltimore, it will bring you to the end of the highway pictured on the map, then:
You have two options in RED and
YELLOW,
To take the RED exit, you'll have to go to the very end of the interstate and make
a U-Turn. Then follow the
BLUE arrows to CALS.
If you come on a public run day, park in the "black" parking lot, following
the BLUE arrows, or, If coming on a private run day, take the entrance a
little earlier on Windsor Mill Rd where the ORANGE arrows are,
You can
also get off at the Security Blvd exit off of 695 and come down that road,
but you have all those traffic lights!
If you're hungry, there are a few
fast food joints on Security Blvd.
Getting back on to I-70 or the Beltway is easy off of Ingleside
Ave at the ramp in
PURPLE. If you stayed on Ingelside,
it would take you into Catonsville (eventually).
If you follow the PINK arrows to leave, it will
take you back into Baltimore via RT 40: Edmondston Ave and Franklin St.
This will take you right by the West Baltimore
MARC station which affords the railfan great pictures of NB NEC
trains! The NB trains come straight at you for about a mile or so, and
then curve to your right just before hitting the station platform.
If
you leave heading east on Windsor Mill (the BLACK arrows), it will take you
to Gwynn Falls Pkwy, which will take you over the old Western Maryland R-O-W
and bring you up on the backside of Mondawmin Mall, which is where the first
of the underground Metro stations is. This and the above railfan spots
at West Baltimore are in less than desirable neighborhoods, although not
unsafe, but I would still not recommend railfaning alone.
