Rail News from Central Virginia, by Vic Stone
Mid-week Report: issued on April 4, 1997
NS -The Loram Rail Grinder is continuing north, and is currently tying up near Culpeper. Next week, it should be able to get to Manassas. Fairly heavy traffic continues with many second sections of 341 & 342's. Radio train 456 continues to run with the radio car & extra power deadheading back on counterpart 457 on the ex-Southern.
The work project on the B-Line has been pushed back until the week of April 13 when tie work and possible switch cut-in for the new siding will curfew the line between 7 AM and 1 PM. All southbounds which do not make between these times will run south via the Valley. Northbounds will be held at Manassas, and turned loose at 1 PM, probably led by 214. Ties & switches moved north this week on various trains.
228's performance is still not as good as NS had hoped. W&LE had bridge repairs to accomplish which had delayed the train late last week. Consist problems are keeping the train at bay in Shomo/Vardo yard in Hagerstown. The manifest is out of order and causing some confusion.
The shoofly at 10th St. appears to be about half complete. Latest estimate is 3 weeks for the completion. It appears that the first American Orient Express train will be OK on the siding for overnight occupancy, but the following trip may present some interesting moves.
CSX - On-again, off-again is the operative phrase of the week as some days have no westbound empties while others have many trains. Most of the traffic from Richmond south is coming this way while Newport News empties seem to be a toss-up between the the River & the Mountain.
Realignment of the CSX right-of-way continues to be evident as part of the 10th St. underpass project. Constuction of the bridge for the new CSX tracks continues.
Both locals are still running with GP40-slug sets. A work train continues to do tie work near Gordonsville and a caboose-gondola "work train" is currently laying over in Charlottesville and appears to be used as needed.
Amtrak - Little to report here. The streak of duo F40's from last week appears to have faded replaced by two P42's.
AOE consist has been updated to show 3 F40's now.
That's it for this week.
- Vic
