22-09-03 PHOTOS: Roanoke Train 151

As explained in my previous video post, Amtrak initiated a second daily Regional train between Washington, DC and Roanoke, VA in July of 2022. This allowed for same day round trips in the southbound direction with the morning departure of Train 151 from Union Station, a few hours in the mid-day to get lunch and explore Roanoke and finally the late afternoon return trip to DC via a rerouted Train 66. The sweetener was that the overnight Train 66/67 equipment made use of an old Metroliner first class car with half a coach of 2+1 seating at the end of the train adjacent to the cafe. This not only provided easy access to the complimentary business class beverages, but also a rear facing window from which one could take photos and video, the former of which can be found here ( mirror ). Part 1 will cover the southbound trip to Roanoke via Train 151 and Part 2, the return trip on Train #66 (although technically it was the same train for both directions).

Unfortunately, all of the photos I took on my phone, including most of those I to Washington Union Station, were lost when my photo decided to brick itself after I had neglected to save off the images. Therefore, here is another angle on Amtrak P42DC #139 coupling onto the head end of Regional Train 3151 on lower level track #24.



The project to reactivate track #22 was also progressing with much of the mezzanine and stairway structure having been completed.

After departing Washington Union Station and crossing the Long Bridge over the Potomac, Train 151 traveled via the RF&P through Alexandria before switching onto the former Southern RR main line at CR TOWER.

Although practically dead for through freight movements, the northern 30 miles of the Southern Main sees Virginia Railway Express commuter service and transfer runs to the CSX interchange at Alexandria or Norfolk Southern's DC area transloading facility shown here with both local and road freight units awaiting the begining of the work day.

Manassas is the second stop after Washington, DC and the penultimate stop of VRE's Manassas Line.

Up though 2015 I had multiple opportunities to take rear facing photos from the back of northbound Amtrak Crescent Train 20, I had yet to get any northward facing photos on a southbound train. Today I not only had that opportunity, but also got implied verbal consent to stand in the rear vestibule allowing for higher quality photos like this of the Rappahannock River truss bridge.

Amtrak's Culpeper station is one of several that benefit from the increased frequencies on the Southern corridor, going from 10 round trips a week in 2005, to 2.5 a day in 2009 and now 3.5 a day.

Orange, VA no longer sees any stopping trains, but is the point where the Cardinal enters/exits former C&O territory en route to Washington Union Station.

Train 151's only extended "smoke stop" took place at Charlottesville where P42DC #139 is seen staring at a Clear signal indication governing the diamonds at JC CABIN where the three a week Cardinal Train 50/51 cross back over the Southern Main to/from the C&O Main Line at Clifton Forge and ultimately Chicago.

Late model NS C44-9W #9929 was on a dump siding south of town possibly having suffered from a stack fire.

A northbound intermediate approach diverging indication on the siding track between TEEL and RED HILL literally signaled the passage of northbound Crescent Train 20 from New Orleans.

The same thing happened at the next siding between APPLEGATE and HAMNER with the passage of northbound Regional Train #152 from Roanoke.



The Southern RR high level viaduct over the James River was built in 1912 as part of a belt line to eliminate the need to climb in and out of the James River Valley to the Lynchburg Union Station downtown.

Through trains on the belt line stopped at Lynchburg's Kemper St Station. The storage tracks at seen here were installed in 2009 to support the original Regional Lynchburg extension. With the trains now traveling on to Roanoke, the storage tracks are currently unused.

The doublestack intermodal train on track #2 was headed by SD70ACe #1089 and #1000, NS ES44AC #8156 and an unknown AC44C6M.

The transition between Southern and Norfolk Western takes place via a double wye connecting track between the Southern Montview and N&W Kinney Yards.

Like the Southern, the N&W also constructed a Lynchburg belt line that ultimately replaced the old main alignment. The western end of the N&W belt line is at FOREST interlocking where the milepost prefix changes back from PH to N(orfolk). Former N&W territory also uses different signal aspects than Southern territory.

The N&W Main Line was built to higher standards than the Southern due to the N&W being a mountain coal hauling railroad with substantially heavier locomotives.

Due to the drop in coal traffic, NS will casually use main line tracks for storage like this combination doublestack and autorack PSR special near Bonsack, VA with NS SC70ACe #1175 leading a pair of SD60E and AC44C6M rebuilds.

Although the NS corporate HQ is in Atlanta, Roanoke, home of the N&W HQ, main shoppe complex and more than a few office cars. NS #32 is a former observation car now labeled as "Research".

The new Roanoke Amtrak Station consists of a single high level platform built along a dedicated station track on the south side of the downtown right of way where it won't interfere with through movements.

This is all for my southbound trip on Train 151. Part 2 will cover Roanoke itself and the return trip on Train 66.