25-05-24 PHOTOS: Holly Hill

One of my perennial signaling missions has been trips to tidewater Virginia to get photos of legacy Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac signals that has so far survived CSX re-signaling efforts. The ones that remain are far off the beaten path, requiring mile plus walk-ins.  For 2025 my target was the "Holly Hill" location which is two miles in the opposite direction from the "Rixley" location I visited in 2024. Both were actually served by the same state game land parking lot. After the signal outing I drove up to Fredericksburg for a retail shopping and brewery tour catching additional Amtrak and CSX trains along the way. You can find the full set of photos here.

First to appear was a southbound CSX manifest freight with ES44AC #743 leading and AC4400 #541 in the trailing DPU position.

Next up was Amtrak Regional Train 194 with P42DC #44 leading, briefly illuminating the Holly Hill signals while still in the block.

24-05-25 PHOTOS: RF&P RIXLEY

In 2023 as opportunities to document vintage signaling closer to home dwindled, I made a pivot to the RF&P, which still had a good number of pre-CSX signals in operation south of Fredericksburg. Although I was able to check off a lot of boxes, a few locations proved to be tougher nuts to crack, over Memorial Day 2024 I arranged a second trip down to the Scott's Addition arts and entertainment district in Richmond with an intermediate stop at an intermediate stop at the RIXLEY signal location near Bowling Green, VA. The remainder of the photos ( mirror ) were taken at WEST AY interlocking on the Richmond Belt Line where many of Amtrak's Virginia and Florida service trains pass through.

The RIXLEY intermediate signals are located at Milepost 41 (from Richmond) adjacent to a Wildlife Management Area about a mile in from the parking lot. The hike out only netted one train, southbound Palmetto Train 89, with ALC-42 Charger #347 providing the power.

Next was a quick stop by MD tower in Millford where I happened to catch a northbound garbage train with ES44AC #925 and ET44AC #3288.

Down in Richmond I was just in time to miss the southbound "Juice Train" heading onto the Richmond Belt Line at WEST AY.

As the tail end passed, an Approach Medium displayed on the northbound track #2 signal heralded the arrival of Amtrak Regional Train #158 with P42DC #39 leading.

23-09-02 PHOTOS: Doswell

As the supply of interesting signaling in the northeast dries up, I have been having to turn my attention south to the state of Virginia. The CSX route between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA fortunately has a number of Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac era signaling from before it was purchased by CSX in 1992 and after learning that the notable Doswell, VS bracket mast was under threat of replacement I schedule a third RF&P related trip in the summer of 2023, the previous two having been to the Milford and Fredericksburg areas. You can find the full set of these new photos here ( mirror ).

The first stop of the day was at the Coleman's Mill intermediate signal location, 29.5 miles from Richmond. I arrived with my friend in time to catch Amtrak Train 88 with P42DC #54 leading.

We then ran express to Doswell, VA where the famed bracket mast was still standing along with its intended replacement. Typically CSX would have replaced the now disfavored bracket configuration with a cantilever, but because the signaling logic was not in need of replacement and the location of the signal is constrained by adjacent tracks, a new bracket mast was ordered.

Doswell is a significant interchange point and yard for the Buckingham Branch railroad which operates the former C&O Blue Ridge route between Richmond and Clifton Forge, VA. Two of its locomotives, GP40-3 #12 and GP38-2 #17, were standing adjacent to the bracket mast.

Doswell's other big attraction is HN tower, the classic RF&P station and the C&O Blue Ridge route diamonds.

The diamonds are the real deal and not the low maintenance flange riding type.

The RF&P was one of the better resourced railroads in the former Confederate South and many of its all brick towers survive today with. HN tower features such PRR quality elements such as copper cladding, an air plant for pneumatic switches and a bay window.

The former joint RF&P / C&O station still stands and houses Buckingham Branch offices.

I was wondering why so many railfans were hanging around the Doswell diamonds, when southbound Amtrak Palmetto Train 89 appeared with ALC-42 Charger #329 leading on what was apparently one of the first uses of this locomotive type out of Washington, DC.

23-07-14 PHOTOS: Fredericksburg

In July 2023, Virginia Railway Express offered a week of free fares in an attempt to boost ridership. I had participated in a similar promotion in 2022, but instead of a quick out and back to Franconia-Springfield, I took advantage of Amtrak's lower fares to book a return Regional from the near terminus of the VRE Fredericksburg Line. My DC railfan buddy also decided to join me as Fredericksburg offered a quality food and beverage options in addition to a high pace of activity on the CSX RF&P Sub. You can see the full set of photos here.

Planning on catching the first VRE Fredericksburg Line train southbound, My mid-day MARC berthed at the far end of of the track 7/8 platform at the western edge of Union Station. The walk to the station terminal involved passing MARC cab car #8047, MP36PH3C #19, MARC Mp36PH-3C #30 and MARC single level cab car #7761 and #7760.

Down on the Union Station lower lever I saw that Amtrak Capitol Limited Train #29 had arrived on Track #23 instead of the more customary Track 15/16.

The early southbound Fredericksburg Line train would be powered by VRE MP36PH-3C #V53. Luckily the entire train was open and I could seize the railfan window at the rear as we pulled out of track #24 and into the 1st St Tunnel under Capitol Hill.

VIRGINIA tower has been partly restored, but the ivy covering the rear might be bad for the brick work.

Space in the Ivy City Yard is at such a premium that VRE stores one of its trainsets in a purpose built pocket track in CP-VIRGINIA, seen here with VRE MP36PH-3C #V66.

Departing Franconia-Springfield, which until this point had been the farthest south I had traveled on a VRE train on the Fredericksburg Line.

Most VRE stations, like Lorton here, employ a single platform on track #2 since the peak direction operation precludes the need for opposing VRE trains to pass each other. Savings in station construction is a less discussed factor behind the decision to employ peak direction operation.

At Lorton, Amtrak P40DC's #814 and #821 were gearing up for that day's departure. The older P40 locomotives from 1993 are typically assigned to Auto Train service as they feature freight style braking which makes handling the long train of mostly auto-racks easier.

Encountering a northbound CSX manifest freight crossing the Occoquan Creek bridge. This and several other significant viaducts between Quantico and DC will make installing a full third track challenging.

Speaking of third tracks, construction is progressing well on the second phase of the project with a second third track in service between Possum Point, north of Quantico and Arkendale. The new Quantico station is being set up to handle trains on all three tracks.

The next point of interest was encountering northbound Carolinian Train 80 at the VRE Brooke station.

23-05-27 PHOTOS: RF&P Intermediates

The former Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad in Virginia is exactly what it says on the tin. Independent until 1991, it was very northern in its engineering with a fast alignment, robust bridges, plans for quad-tracking and a significant number of brick interlocking towers. Over Memorial Day weekend 2023 I set out with some friend to do a drinking tour in Richmond's Scott's Addition food and entertainment district that happened to sit next to the northern end of the Richmond Belt Line that hosts at least 7 daily Amtrak round trips to and from various points south. On the trip south I made a variety of RF&P related stop followed by an extended drinking opportunity by the northern end of the Belt Line. You can find the full set of these and a few ancillary photos here ( mirror ).

The first stop was the relatively new VRE Spotsylvania station, located adjacent to the pre-existing layover yard south of Fredericksburg. Opened in 2015 it expanded the reach of the VRE Fredericksburg line south of Fredericksburg and also allowed for a larger park and ride facility than was possible in the downtown. The single side platform is best known for its single track cantilever mast.

Shortly before its absorption into CSX it had undergone some re-signaling projects so when CSX initiated its own PTC driven re-signaling around 2012, a number of RF&P vintage signals were retained on the southern portion south of Fredericksburg with most being of the automatic block type. The JONES XING signal at Milepost 45 (from Richmond) is one such location with the upper heads consisting of US&S R-3 type monoblock cast iron signals with large "elephant ear" style targets. The lower Darth Vader type signal head was added during the c. 2012 re-signaling project to add more 4-block signaling territory. Note the RF&P era "number plate" stenciled on the side of the upper target.

Here we can see the JONES XING signals being split by Amtrak P42DC #148 with Newport News Regional Train 194.

A few miles to the south in the town of Milford we find the long closed MD tower. The RF&P built a large number of robust brick interlocking towers with examples at Fredericksburg, Milford, Doswell and Staples Mill Road surviving today.

Here southbound Amtrak Palmetto Train 89 passes MD tower with P42DC #51 leading.

I made a second stop at the Milepost 27 RUTHER GLENN signals as well, my visit did not like up with any train movements.