Photography At Union Station, Washington

i believe the entrance is the one from the platforms? its a nice design, partly because it makes you feel like you are just entering the station, and have not yet (this creates a nice welcoming feeling but also a feeling that the platforms are not part of the station. in addition, is that low platform the
only one on the upper level?

back on topic...
i am usually pretty good witha officials, and they understand if i am in the wrong place. the following is a typical conversation i have with officials, this one being what i remember from US:

"photography is dissalowwed here sir, please go back into the station"
"oh, sorry sir, i'll go back in. thanks"

i usually try to avoid the same official should i do photography in another part of the station (not going to the next platform behind his back!).

and if i buy a VRE ticket, will i be able to take photos down there? what if i don't actually get on (i mean this half-jokingly, but would like to know in case i actually can)?

benltrain wrote: if i buy a VRE ticket, will i be able to take photos down there? what if i don't actually get on (i mean this half-jokingly, but would like to know in case i actually can)?

I suppose you can get away with it like that, you wouldnt be breaking any rules if you walked passed the doors since you would count as a ticketed passenger. One thing I am almost positive of hearing is that I remember hearing that you must wait until they call for your train to board. About the tickets, I would rather purchase a MARC ticket than VRE, although the choice is yours. There were more of their trains sitting at Gates A-H, next to the Amtrak equipment and you can probably get better photos of the electrics and MARC. While I was at US, no VRE trains were present. Perhaps they were already on their way to their destinations or they are located at different gates or on another level, not sure. Maybe somebody can verify if this is corrrect?

Mike

benltrain wrote:

GeorgeF wrote:

Hudson Terminus wrote:True, US has all of the lines to see in DC, only, you won't actually get to see much there.

Re: My comment above: New York Avenue is one very short stop away on Metro from Union Station. Much better viewing there, I think, than at WAS. But see my comment about taking pix.

amtrak trains are not stopped there, so you get less photos of less trains. you also won't be able to see VRE, and possibly both of the MARC lines (do not know this myself).

Nope, you see *every move* at the NY Avenue Metro stop! That Metro stop is near the north throat of Union Station. All VRE moves, which operate with passengers south of WAS, come from, or go to, the yard north of there. While Amtrak doesn't stop at the NY Avenue Metro station, every Amtrak train passes by there. Even when a train originates at WAS, it would move between the yard to the north and WAS to the south, unless it was serviced in WAS (and these all go north and pass that Metro stop anyway). Indeed, the lower level tracks are so busy during weekday rush hours, that the VRE moves are scheduled. MARC trains also pass by. Every one! Note: ALL MARC trains use the upper level; ALL VRE trains use the lower level. There are no run-throughs (alas!)

FL9 wrote:While I was at US, no VRE trains were present. Perhaps they were already on their way to their destinations or they are located at different gates or on another level, not sure. Maybe somebody can verify if this is corrrect?

VRE trains are all in the yard to the north during the workday, and virtually all are at their endpoints evenings and weekends. There's no room to store them in the station – MARC uses, I think, every foot of track they can – and VRE needs access to the lower level (tunnels) anyway. You can't do that without a backup move from the upper level.

I was able to photograph a big bell, the Christopher Columbus monument and the big fountain outside. I even took photos of the pigeons. I only took one or two photos inside the station because I was nervous.

Because I was in a hurry to catch a train, I wasn't able to photograph many trains.

Hope this helps.

The posted photography rules for many rail systems are listed here:

http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/photopermits.html

As per this thread:

WMATA (DC METRO) - Photography is 100% legal on WMATA property. See the above link for a PDF of this rule that you can print out and carry with you.

Amtrak - Photography is only allowed on the platform while boarding or detraining from a train you are ticketed for. At Union Station I have successfully taken photos of Amtrak trains from the platform while boarding and detraining trains that I was ticketed for. I was not hassled. This was as recently as January 20, 2006. Click the link below for those photos.

http://www.railfanwindow.com/gallery/album253

MARC & VRE: I am not aware of their photo policies. However, if Union Station is Amtrak property, then Amtrak's rules would apply while on MARC and VRE platforms.