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Rail News from Central Virginia, by Paul Wilson "Mid-Week Report" for Week of November 17.
Posted November 19
Back Issues of the "Mid-week Report" are available

Station Renovation Underway

Asbestos removal has begun on the former baggage and express building adjacent to Charlottesville's Union Station. Conclusion of a long-delayed lease between Amtrak and the developer has finally allowed construction to proceed. Once the renovation and expansion project is complete, Amtrak will move from the current station building.

More Buses for Charlottesville

Effective 11/18/97 Charlottesville is being served by five additional Thruway buses operated by Greyhound Lines. The buses travel between Union Station in Washington and Charlottesville, stopping at Dulles Airport and Warrenton.

More Trash Rolls to Southside Virginia

Norfolk Southern, in conjunction with Conrail, is now operating a new unit trash train between Oak Point Yard in the Bronx and Waverly, Va. on the Norfolk District. The twice weekly runs carry symbols OPNS and NSOP on Conrail and 371 (empty) and 372 (loaded) on NS. South of Hagerstown the trains run via the Shenandoah Valley route to Glasgow. East of Glasgow they run on CSX trackage rights, returning to NS rails on the "Old Main" in Lynchburg.

Signal Work

NS signal forces removed the southward signal cantilever over #1 track at Charlottesville on Wednesday, Nov. 12th. The interlocking is now protected by a ground-mounted mast signal. The cantilever had been in service since the early 60s when the installation of Centralized Traffic Control eliminated JC Cabin.

NS Dumps Bag Toilets

According to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Norfolk Southern has agreed to replace the bag toilets now used on Norfolk Southern locomotives. See the full story at http://www.ble.org/PublicRelations/news/flash/nstoilets.html The press release does not indicate what system will supplant the current "dry" toilets which are not popular with crews.