Trains for the holidays

There are many model train sets scattered on tables/stands throughout the B&O Railroad Station in old Ellicott City (Main and Maryland streets) in addition to the permanent HO-scale model of the original thirteen mile track from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills that fills the side building (1885 freight house).

The Holiday Train Garden at the Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department, 4150 Montgomery Road, is from Dec 2 to Jan 1. See it, then cross Montgomery Road and take Old Columbia Pike down to Main Street to the train station. And after, go shop at some of the Main Street stores.

Mark Russo Creations creating art on Main Street 2023

This fall, artist Mark Russo painted some bright vibrant paintings on the boards of Great Panes and Phoenix on lower Main Street, Ellicott City. He cleverly made the two art pieces look like stained glass, on the building (Great Panes) which used to make and sell stained glass. Likewise the painting for the Phoenix includes an imaginative version of the brick wall breaking apart, and the phoenix (bird) rising. Unfortunately those buildings and two others will be demolished this January. So go down and see these creative paintings quickly!
ALERT the wall mural was torn down early, see below.

Andrew Ellicott - the first to write about a meteor shower in US 11/12/1799

Early morning, about 2 AM, on Nov. 12, 1799 Andrew Ellicott, who led his crew to survey the southern US border, recorded the hours-long shower of shooting stars, falling stars, shooting meteors or meteor shower off Florida.  The "phenomenon was grand and awful, the whole heavens appeared as if illuminated with sky rockets" and he feared some would fall on the ship.  The winds reversed direction and the temperature dropped 30 degrees to 56.  Humboldt saw the show while researching in South America and with Ellicott's descriptions, past sightings and another in 1833, Humboldt was able to "conjecture that at that particular period the earth was passing through a ring or belt of minute planetary bodies." Upcoming meteor showers HERE