This project is currently in an Exploratory Study phase being conducted by the Brunswick Main Street Design Committee.

Railroad View Park is meant to be a multi-faceted project, implimenting multiple themes, designs, and purposes, each with their own targeted audiences and benefits.

For the specific benefits expected from this project, visit the Community Benefits Page.

The park would be primarily organized as a railroad park, with a pavilion, sidewalks, and various amenities to better the experience of those who watch passing trains, and serve as a 'base camp' for railroad photographers during their visit trackside. Beyond this the park would encorporate various exhibition techniques to give visitors a unique look at the history of Brunswick and the railroad, memorialize various structures of note from the community's past, and encourage safety around railroad property. These historic exhibits would include pieces of railroad equipment and hopes of relocating and preserving the adjacent Railroad Interlocking Tower after that structure's eventual retirement. The park could serve as a gateway between the C&O Canal and MARC parking lot to give visitors a proper first impression of the community, and direct and encourage them to visit local businesses and attractions which they might otherwise overlook. And finally as a community park it would offer a relaxed and shaded atmosphere with benches and picnic area, trees, a playground, and an open area for entertainment during community events.

Overall Layout and Landscaping

Pavilion and railfan amenities

At the southeastern corner of the property a pavilion like structure would be constructed. This would be the primary structure of the park. It would measure roughly 20' x 40' or thereabouts and would be handicap accessible/ADA compliant.

• Accessible from the Train Watching sidewalk would be a lower level serving as public restrooms, a necessity considering there are no public restrooms in the downtown area with the exception of those in a few restaurants and businesses.
• On top of the restrooms would be constructed a pavilion similar to the common picnic pavilions of other community parks. A shallow sloped roof would cover a concrete pad area, supported by wooden and brick posts. On the north and half of the east faces would be brick walls adding greater support, decorative appearance, and protection of electronic devices .
• Within the pavilion could also be located a water fountain, and vending machines which would be beneficial to those using the park as well as providing a source of income for ongoing maintenance.

On the pavilion and around the park would be lighting to improve safety in bad weather and poor lighting conditions. The lighting could be arranged to also allow for better nighttime photography while discouraging the use of camera flash which could distract railroad crews.

• The park could be open 24 hours or have a policy of being closed during the latest hours of the night.

At various locations within the park and within the pavilion, speakers would present local railroad communications through a radio scanner, a commonly used method by railfans for detecting the approach of trains. A small map at each of these locations would provide reference for common reporting locations. As well as the scanner, a computer screen inside the pavilion (protected in some way from damage) would display a dispatcher array of the local rail line which would show the general location of trains between Washington D.C. and Cumberland. This would assist in improving the train watching experience and could help visitors know when they have time to visit a local restaurant or store before the next train will come past.

As has grown common with parks such as this, free electrical and Wi-Fi access should be provided, which would further expand the scope of use. A map showing popular photography points and safe distances for viewing would be provided for those who wish to venture outside of the park to photograph other angles.

Historic Exhibits

Exhibits around the park would tell the history of buildings and sites in the area which, like the YMCA, have been lost to antiquity.  These would be likely small presentations of a photograph with details as the caption, with larger displays in the form of wayside panel displays similar to those used by the National Park service.  Some of these would include the Roundhouse and Engine Complex, Freight Transfer shed, Wenner's Mill, the Imperial Theater, various hotels and restaurants, etc.  The history of some existing structures may also be included among these.

Train display

Alongside the excavated and preserved foundation wall of the YMCA would be located a display of one or two pieces of historic railroad equipment.

This should be a locomotive of some sort, and be similar to if not historically a piece that was used in Brunswick at some time. While a caboose would be a fine addition to the park at some location, this particular display area would be better served primarily by a locomotive, as cabooses have become the most commonly displayed piece of railroad 'rolling stock' since their retirement.

Depending on what type of equipment is acquired, a special shelter may be constructed to protect the top of the piece from the weather, thus preventing common problems which would lead to excessive maintenance. This can be seen in the provided example at the Hagerstown City Park with their steam locomotive display.

As can be seen in the park overview renditions, the proposed display would include at least one piece of rolling stock (A modified coach or boxcar) painted to replicate the Chessie Safety Centers which traveled the region in the 1970s and 80s.  Like the original safety centers, these displays would be used to educate the public regarding safety around railroad property.  Idealy, this would be in the form of exhibits developed as part of the park project in partnership and under the guidance of Operation Lifesaver (oli.org).

This could be designed to remain open at all times, or volunteers could be enlisted to open parts of this equipment for interior public viewing at scheduled times.  Parts of this exhibit could also be opened as part of an agreement with the Brunswick Railroad Museum which could incorporate these pieces along with the park itself as part of formal scheduled tours.

An option for future consideration if a volunteer based program was used could also be the installation of a simulation program, wherein the locomotive's actual controls could be tied into a computer system and an incorporated screen could simulate the use of that locomotive in the Brunswick yard during the facility's heyday.

WB Tower

Located directly across the first set of railroad tracks from the park is a structure known as “WB Tower”, WB standing for “West Brunswick.” Constructed around the time of the expansion of the railroad yard in 1907, WB is now one of the last American Interlocking towers in operation.

An Interlocking Tower is a structure used to control signals and the alignment of 'switch tracks' on the railroad. Commonly located where multiple railroad lines intersected, some like WB were used in areas where main line and train yard tracks join together. Most of these towers have 'mechanical' switch systems, using large levers connected to a series of moving rods to make the needed adjustments. WB Tower uses a less common mechanism in which small knob-like levers at a desk to control an air pressure system. Various generations of computer based systems now provide control and communications options, however the WB knob array is still in place.

Today, regional and central operating centers remotely control dozens of interlockings at a time through computer systems and train tracking monitors, leaving interlocking towers like WB obsolete.

Eventually Brunswick will be upgraded to a full computer system and WB will be retired. If no agreement or funding is in place on that day for the relocation of the tower, like other towers of the area it will ultimately be demolished out of legitimate liability concerns by the railroad company.

Playground

At the present, Brunswick City Park and West End Park playgrounds are both approximately a half mile from the downtown area. Visitors to Brunswick have little option for a kid-friendly place to relax during their visit without walking out of their way. Parents downtown also have little option but to walk or drive to one of these parks.

Railroad View Park would provide a full playground, themed to match the park. The activities and layout of the playground would mimic aspects of Brunswick, railroad operation, and local history.

Unlike either of the city parks, this playground would be completely fenced with gated access for greater safety, and could be under camera surveillance as with the rest of the park to even further protect children from harm or abduction. The playground equipment, like the picnic tables and benches in the park, would be made of post-consumer recycled plastic.