Junkyards around Baltimore - Old and New (Catonsville, Elkridge: Home Depot, tax)

[Mike from back east]

Was thinking back to my youth, and how there were so many automobile junkyard / salvage yards in that southwest area near where I used to live. I'm 60, went to Catonsville HS, class of 1966. I grew up around Arbutus, Halethorpe, Relay and Lansdowne, and that whole SW Baltimore County and City area seemed to have a ton of junkyards. I'll try to name them, but memory fades after so many years. Here are some of the ones I recall:

- Gittings. Baltimore Beltway at Washington Blvd, between Lansdowne and Arbutus. Used to be huge. Now a Home Depot there.

- Daniels. Washington Blvd and Lansdowne Blvd. Barely a mile east of Gittings. I remember how awfully dirty the road looked heading into that place, covered with oil.

- Eichelman. Washington Blvd and Lansdowne Blvd, next to Daniels, on the east side of Daniels. Big place, well organized rows of cars in the field.

- Daniels, again. Washington Blvd, at the bottom of the hill in Morrell Park, by the old Western Maryland Railway line. Gone now I believe, replaced by the building of I-95 through that part of town. Also very dirty looking.

- There were some down along the B-W Parkway, but memory fades if these were in Westport or outside the Beltway, or both. These are some of the one that President Johnson's wife (Lady Bird) complained about as being so ugly, so a law got passed that made the yard owners erect tall fences to shield the eyes of people driving up/down the highway.

- United Iron and Metal, on Wilkens Avenue. I recall the huge piles of scrap cars, trucks and railroad cars in there, along with an old Army tank at one time. IIRC, United Iron and Metal bought one of the very first large pieces of salvage gear for over $1M, which was a lot money back in the 1970's. It was either a car crusher or an auto shredder, can't recall which. To keep this machine well fed with scrap cars, I think it was Governor Marvin Mandel who had a law passed that taxed junkyards for keeping junk cars on hand for more than six months. I think the tax was $5 per chassis, per every six months it sat in the yard. THAT kept the flow of cars headed to United Iron and Metal.

I can't really recall any junkyards located in other areas around Baltimore, my home town, but I'd bet there were some out east of town on Rt 40 or up Bel Air Road. Please add them and any stories you have to this thread.

[kr3ith]

Crazy Rays

located in North Point Rd between 95 and 895

they charge a dollar to get in, you can pull the part out yourself or can have someone to do it for you but the selection sucks and they dont have and inventory so maybe for some parts that arent compromise whit a colision its worth it

i was trying to get a window regulator but i couldnt find one and the one i found the window was left donw so it was probably rusted and i didnt bother to get it out

i got a control for the thremostad just to find out it wasnt the same and realize mine just came loose and a lil bit of soldering fix it that was like 25 bucks

got the knobs for free (i left them in my tool bag :P)

havent look for another junkyard since

[Mike from back east]

KR, gads, that reminds me of the time I went to a junkyard in Lorton, VA to get some odds and ends for my 76 Pacer, things like window cranks and a knob for the stick shift. It's a trip to walk around big old junkyards and see all the old cars.

I recall another junkyard in Lansdowne, very small one, long gone. It was across Lansdowne Blvd from Lansdowne HS, and is now a bunch of warehouse places. One night, about 35+ years ago, there was a fire. It was mesmerizing to watch the flames leaping up in the air, and every so often there'd be a deep sounding whummmmp as a gas tank popped. The FD had the fire out quickly enough, but it was something to see.

[dkf747]

I went to a junkyard in Beltsville last week. It's a bit further southwest of Baltimore than you meant. They had the part I needed without needing to go into the yard and pull it. Th yard is in the industrial area near rt. 1 and Odenhal rd.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I went to a junkyard in Beltsville last week. It's a bit further southwest of Baltimore than you meant. They had the part I needed without needing to go into the yard and pull it. Th yard is in the industrial area near rt. 1 and Odenhal rd.

There were certainly some along US-1, from Elkridge to Laurel, but I cannot place them now. The MD State Police called US-1 "Blood Alley" when the drinking age in DC was 18 and in MD it was 21. Young dudes drove down to DC, got soused, then fell asleep at 2-3 AM driving north, cross that yellow line and boom, another blood soaked junker for a junkyard on US-1.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

There were certainly some along US-1, from Elkridge to Laurel, but I cannot place them now. The MD State Police called US-1 "Blood Alley" when the drinking age in DC was 18 and in MD it was 21. Young dudes drove down to DC, got soused, then fell asleep at 2-3 AM driving north, cross that yellow line and boom, another blood soaked junker for a junkyard on US-1.

Thankfully, there wasn't any blood on the part we got.