Nostalgia & History > Collier, VA - 1985

There's been quite a bit of material from the CSX-NS over/under at Collier, VA, just south of Petersburg, on here lately so I figured I"d add a few more pics, these from a trip there in June, 1985.  The railroads were very busy that weekend with the usual variety of traffic and several very long trains.  My notes show a total of 31 trains by during daylight hours on June 15th - 16 Seaboard, 7 NS, 6 Amtrak, and 2 Chessie (former C&O).  Here are six pictures from that trip.  #1 is northbound Chessie (C&O) train 400 on the 14th with a single GP40-2 and just 14 cars.  I'm not sure what the story was behind this train and counterpart 401, but the trains were usually pretty short.  #2 is one of the big ones - a 222-car eastbound NS coal drag accompanied by the usual cloud of coal dust.  #3 is another big train - SBD northbound 410 with 6 units and 191 cars.

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Pic #4 is northbound SBD 460 just north of Collier with 117 cars.  It picked up 52 at Collier.  #5 is SBD 461 southbound arriving Collier with 155 cars.  It had at least 100 to set off.  The SBD-NS interchange business was really going hot and heavy at the time.  Pic #6 is SBD southbound hotshot 175 at the south end of the yard with a long train of 77 cars including 30 loaded multilevels picked up here.  It was quite a productive trip.

Bob

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Bitchin.
JB

Look at the coal dust blowing in photo #2.

Bob - thanks for sharing the great shots around Collier and also for your detailed train notes.  It was certainly a great place to visit in the 80's, and you covered it very well.  At the time, a great deal of carload business originated or terminated in the Richmond / Petersburg area, much of it moving through Collier Yard.  

Steve Salamon
Valley City, OH