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Todd's Railfan Guide to
Hampstead MD
Part of the Baltimore Railfan Guide

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Hampstead used to be on one of the two Western Maryland Railway routes out of Baltimore. This route went north from Emory Grove (Reisterstown), into Pennsylvania, through Porters Sideling, where it split into two additional lines. One went northeast into York PA, the other went west to Hanover, New Oxford, Gettysburg, and then rejoined with the mainline at Blue Ridge Summit PA.

Hampstead's big attraction is an ex Western Maryland Rwy depot. The Depot was recently rehabed, maybe the 2005 or so timeframe, and looks really nice.

There is also a B&O / Chessie System caboose next to the depot.

Hampstead also used to the home to DeWalt's headquarters, but once it got bought by Black and Decker, it was just a manufacturing facility for DeWalt's power tools. I believe the facility has been shut down in favor of cheaper labor and went south to Mexico :-(. BTW, Black & Decker's HQ is in Towson on Joppa Rd, but it was bought by Stanley Tools in (I think) 2009 or 2010.

If you are into fire departments, you're well into volunteer country this far out, as there are three of them on this map alone, and another two down in Reisterstown. For more info on the fire companies:
Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Company - Station 41 - Engine 412 & 413/Squad 414/Medic 415/Utility 419
Boring Volunteer Fire Company - Station 42 - Engine 422 & 424/Floodlight 423/Air Unit 426/Brush 428/Utility 429/Engine Antique 421
Arcadia Volunteer Fire Company - Station 43 - Engine 431, 432 & 434/Brush 436/Utility 437 and 438
Glyndon Volunteer Fire Company - Station 40 - Engine 401& 403/Truck 404/Utility 408 & 409
Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company - Company 2 - Engine 23/Engine/tanker 24/Truck 2 & 2-1/Utility 2/Ambulance 28 & 29/Brush 25
A Baltimore County website which lists all of the fire stations in the county.
Carroll County website which does the same.
Hampstead, BTW, is in Carroll County, not Baltimore.
FYI - Baltimore Co has 25 paid and 33 volunteer companies, while Carroll Co has 14 volunteer companies.

Getting Here

Hampstead is way north of Baltimore, and north of a town called Reisterstown. Reisterstown is at the end of i795, which branches off of the Baltimore Beltway on the NW side in Pikesville.

From the Beltway, take i795 till it comes to it's end, staying to the left when it splits to go to Westminster. Go straight thru the first traffic light, which will lead you around a gently curving to the right road to Reisterstown Rd, aka, MD route 30.

Map