Nostalgia & History > Family Lines NB freight Collier Yard Petersburg VA around 1979

Three Family Lines painted units lead a NB freight pass Collier Yard Petersburg VA
around 1979.   Photo is mine,  

Northend Collier late 70's through the 80's was a railfan hangout.   The NW interchanged 
with SCL and passed underneath the SCL mains,   

It wasn't unusual for SCL to run 140 car mix freights.   NW coal loads would routinely 
have 220 plus cars headed to Lambert Yard at Norfolk VA.  The coal trains would double 
over before departing Crewe VA. The NW mains split around Petersburg.  NW would run coal empties through
Petersburg and heavy trains by Collier (easier pull less of a grade).  My favoite NW train from the time frame
was CN86.   

Southend of Collier Yard SCL mains split.  One heading south towards Rocky Mount NC and the other 
southwest towards Raleigh NC (Hamlet Yard).   Rocky Mount line former ACL and Raleigh line former SAL.
The Raleigh line is gone, dismantled by CSX in the latter 1980's.  Favorite SCL train was 175.  Usually afternoon train
through Collier,  NB Orange Juice train was 2nd favorite.  Brandenton FL to Kearny NJ hotshot.  And 3rd favorite
was Auto train before Amtrak took over (U36B power and caboose on rear).  Another afternoon train through Collier.  Lorton VA to Sanford FL.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/25 11:01 by highgreen.

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Thanks for the nice pic from Collier.

Posted from Android

Great train watching spot back then and still may be.  140+ car mixed freights were common on SCL.  Occasionally one would even hit the 200-car mark.  I remember seeing - and counting the cars - on a 201-car northbound 410 back in the mid 80s.  Thanks for posting the pic.

Bob