21-07-15 PHOTOS: A Line Redemption

In 2015 Amtrak reversed the orientation of most of its Eastern long distance trainsets, placing the baggage car on the rear and blocking the view out the back of the train. This ruined much of the utility of Amtrak's LD service, limiting photo opportunities to the extended station stops at crew change locations. Up through 2015 I had undertaken a twice yearly journey via Trains 79, 19 and 20 to visit a friend near Gainesville, GA, but since then I had only made the trip one additional time in 2018 with no rear view so I wasn't expecting much on this journey. However I was shocked to find that due to Covid related staff shortages baggage services were temporarily suspended on Train 79/80 allowing for an old school style rear window survey and video documentation of the former RF&P Main Line, CSX A-Line and former Southern H line too the way to Greensboro. You can find all of the still photos here ( mirror ) along with a separate video post here.

Upon departing Washington Union Station via the First Street tunnels we passed a VRE trainset in the new CP-VIRGINIA storage track with MP36PH-3C #V55.

Approaching the Long Bridge we passed the northbound Lynchburg Regional Train 174 with P42DC #180.

Passing Milepost 107 on the former RF&P Main Line, construction on the new Potomac Yards WMATA station could be seen in the background.

Passing by Marine Base Quantico the future third track was laid, but not in service. This segment of the third track extends to ARKENDALE interlocking near milepost 71.

Amtrak Regional Train 94 and CSX ES44AC #916 as distributed power south of Fredericksburg.

The new VRE Spotsylvania station and CROSSROADS interlocking. Not in service for several years, this station extends the VRE Fredericksburg Line several miles south to the location of the storage yard.

The Ashland, VA station having recently benefited from a platform refresh.

Amtrak P42DC #133, seen here at Richmond, was leading my Train 79.

CSX AC4400 #327 leading a Herzog stone train on the Richmond Belt Line.

The south end of Collier Yard will be where the future 110mph direct S-Line to Raleigh will branch off. It also saw an extension of a second main track to Stony Creek. The second track was already working as we passed a northbound CSX manifest freight at CARSON, where the second main track used to end.

Also since 2015 the diamond with the old NS branch line to Norfolk from the south at Emporia had been removed

The CSX dispatchers were really feeling the heat, both literally and metaphorically as the normal Summer temperatures had triggered a blanket 60mph speed restriction on the A-Line and Sperry Rail Service hi-rail truck #770 was out at Delmar likely finding further restrictions.

The area north of Rocky Mount had always been a source of congestion and the state funded additional double track and crossovers in an attempt to relieve it. However my train still had to perform a pull in-back out type pass to meet Amtrak Train 92 at the new BULLOCK interlocking.

The problem turned out to be a local train with CSX SD40-3 #4228 working track #2 adjacent to the new Mid-Carolina Intermodal Terminal and the Juice Train with CSX CM44AC rebuilt #7011.

CSX SD40-2 #8254 and SD40-3 #4299 were switching cars at the south end of Rocky Mount yard.

At Raleigh the new station, high level platform and related signals were all fully operational. This included BOYLAN interlocking being expanded with a 4x1 track diamond crossing.

Of course heading back onto the single track H-Line at Fetner Jct in Cary my heat delayed Train 79 had to wait for an eastbound NCDoT Piedmont Service train with F59PHI #1797 on the rear to pass.

Passing over the famous 11 Foot 8 Bridge in Durham. Since my last trip the bright had been raised an additional 8 inches, yet trucks continued to hit it on a regular basis.

The Piedmont Corridor has seen its own improvements such as a new controlled siding east of Burlington.

Seeing P42DC #133 off at Greensboro about an hour late. I should mention that almost all of the delay was a result of heat restrictions on CSX owned track. Because Norfolk Southern knows how to run a railroad, its owned track saw no such restrictions.

A LORAM rail grinder was revealed in the Greensboro MoW yard upon the departure of Train 79.

The Greensboro intermodal transportation center is still looking fine over a decade after its rehabilitation.

Upon the arrival of my southbound Crescent Train 19, I was treated to one of the 10 brand new 69000 series Baggage-Dorm cars recently purchased by Amtrak. These are regularly assigned to the Crescent freeing up space for revenue passengers in the two sleepers.

Well that's all for my southbound journey. Next time I'll be headed back north and handing out around Washington Union Station.