I have spent many years driving back and forth from the DC area to Charlottesville, VA on old Route 29. Portions of this route roughly parallel the old Southern mainline from Atlanta to Washington. For years and years, I can remember watching for the signal bridges all lit up and trying to read them to see if a train was approaching as we drove along. I also remember clearly that this entire section of RR was double tracked.
This past spring, I was driving along a portion of this same route when it suddnely occured to me that the line appeared to be single track in some locations and that I wasn’t seeing the old signal bridges any more. As I was driving and in a hurry, I didn’t have time to examine my impressions very closely. (Some time had elapsed between my trip last Spring and the last time I recall driving down that way.)
So, my question is, has the Norfolk Southern pulled up one of the mains? If so, when? And why???
I know they do not send nearly as much traffic up the line north of Manassas as they used to since the old Potomac Yard and their old interchange points were removed. Most of their traffic gets routed west at Manassas and eventually up to Hagerstown and Harrisburg over other lines.
The line I recall seeing this Spring was south of Manassas. It seems to me if they are building in new capactiy on the Manassas line west to Front Royal, that it would make sense to keep that second mainline south of Manassas on the old Southern.
I know here in Gastonia and Kings Mountain NC,Norfolk Southern could go ahead and take some more track out because i see a train about every three hours and sometimes longer.
This line was actually double tracked for its entire length back during the days of WWI/WWII but then later most of the double track came up. I am not exactly sure when this occurred–probably late 1950s early 1960s but I have never received an accurate answer to when most of the double track went bye-bye. I know that no significant track has come out or gone in over the last 23 years because my 1985 NS system timetables show the same track arrangements that exist today. As for signal bridges, I know just about all of them in Georgia except for one or two right outside Atlanta are still the same ones from the golden years, either the old Southern beam version or the C&O cantilevered type. Not sure if the pattern holds for the SC/NC/VA segments, although I know of many locations in those states where the old ones still exist. Jamie
The Southern converted its line south of Manassas to CTC controlled single track with long passing sidings and in 1987. One of the reasons might have been the C&O, which had a long-standing trackage rights agreement over the Southern between Orange and Alexandria, decided not to renew that agreement which meant less traffic. In no way has the Washington-Atlanta been downgraded.
Thanks, RudyRockvilleMD! I got to thinking- I had moved away from the area in 1986 for a number of years, so the line was altered after I had left. Now, I’m thinking I need to go see if I can get some pictures of any remaining signal bridges. (I also didn’t realize it had been that long between trips down that way!!!)
Of course, the NCDOT and the NCRR are paying NS to reinstall 9 miles of double track between Greensboro and High Point, and will be doubling other single track sections between High Point and Charlotte over the next few years. See the NCDOT rail Division website www.bytrain.org for details.
I run that line regular from Linwood NC to Lynchburg VA and have been all the way to Alexandria a few times. It’s a mixture of single and double the whole way. The 9 miles of track mentioned above is on my territory and is currently on hold due to permits needing to be obtained before another section can be graded. Thats what we were told anyway. They are also replacing all of the old signals with new ones. All of the ones on the new section to be double tracked have already been replaced.
Thanks, everyone. I guess the history is a little more complicated than I remembered! Appreciate everyone’s feedback. VRE seems to be the busiest player north of Manassas most days. No where near the traffic levels I remember on this line (Alexandria, VA to Manassas, VA) from 20-30 years ago. But, nearly always see something moving on the line from Manassas to Front Royal whenever I have to drive out that way!