The Glen Echo Trolley Line

In a continuing effort to fill the Internet with all sorts of inane and useless information, I am adding this page to document what little is left of the Glen Echo trolley line, which ran from Washington, DC to (where else?) Glen Echo, Maryland.

While riding my bicycle along MacArthur Boulevard in November, 2010 and again in January, 2012 I noticed that the remains of several trestles are visible from the road. It did not take too much remembering to associate them with the DC Transit streetcar line that ran to Glen Echo. (yes, I am old enough to remember!)

What I will document here are the remains that are visible at the following locations:

• Wilson Lane
• Sycamore Store (Walhonding Rd.)
• Foxhall Road at Canal Road

But first, a little about Glen Echo.

Glen Echo

According to the National Park Service website, "Glen Echo Park began in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly, which taught the sciences, arts, languages, and literature. By the early 1900's Glen Echo Park had become the premier amusement park serving the Washington area until 1968. In 1971, after the federal government obtained the land, the National Park Service began managing the park." Several of the highlights of Glen Echo are the Spanish Ballroom (which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and where dances are still held) and the beautifully restored 1921 Dentzel Carousel.

However, for the purposes of this page, the front gate of Glen Echo has a streetcar similar to those that ran to the park.

Riders from Washington would arrive on the tracks closest to the photographer (me). Passenger returning to Washington would board the streetcar where it is shown.
As can be seen, the car is in need of a "touch-up". A real Capital transit street car is in the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Md. If you are in the Roanoke, VA area, stop by the Virginia Museum of Transportation where a REAL DC Transit street car is on display. Note that the tracks are still embedded in the concrete.

Wilson Lane

If you walk to the trail going down to the Clara Barton Parkway, and then bear to the left, you will come to the roadway used by the trolley. If you look to the right, you will see the roadbed swing around to the left, forming a loop. About 75 yards down the trail, you can see (barely) where the trolley would rejoin the main roadway from the right. This loop was used to turn the trolleys around for the return trip to Glen Echo, and then to Washington.

Opposite the intersection of Wilson Lane with MacArthur Boulevard you can see the remains of one of the many trestles on the trolley line. This trestle (as well as all the others has access blocked with fences. At this point (2012) I think that the only thing holding these structures up is the rust on the supports!

Sycamore Store (Walhonding Rd.)

Just east of Glen Echo, across from a building labeled "Sycamore Store" is another trestle.

There is a parking area near the trestle, and it it visible from MacArthur Blvd. However, there is also a path that will take you down under the trestle to a walkway down to the Clara Barton Parkway. The sign says it all!
If you walk under the trestle, there is a circular walkway from which you get a "parkside" view of the remains.

Foxhall Road

At the end of MacArthur Blvd. is another trestle, and some remaining track work hidden in the weeds.

While this is technically not part of MacArthur Boulevard, it is still part of the same line. This trestle is located in Glover Archibald Park and Foxhall Road, at the intersection of Canal Road.
From the underneath, one can see just how delicate the remaining structures are. When you look at all of the trestles on the line, you can see that ( compared to railroad trestles) these structures are really very lightweight.

There are many places along the route where the path of the trolley line still exists, but they are fading quickly.

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