Eastern Railroad Discussion > Trains through Quantico, VA

Our son just completed his 8-year enlistment in the Navy and will soon be working as a civilian contractor at the same Naval Medical Clinic where he was assigned.
Since this will be his first civilian job since leaving the Navy and funds being a little short, he found an apartment about the Laundromat in Quantico.  This location is about 1.5 blocks from the main line.

Since he is a rail fan, what kind of train activity can be expect besides the regular passenger trains?  I am sure that he will get use to all of the train activity at some point in time.

Thanks
Pat
South Austin, TX

That's a GREAT location....lots of activity + passenger stop, to boot!

W.

Ahh, the good old Run Fast & Push! Very good mainline action for Virginia; usually 10-12 Amtrak daily, VRE on weekdays north in the mornings, south in the evenings, and ~30 freight in a 24 hour span. A very good stretch of railroad, hence the old nickname 'Linking North and South!'

Also the station is open access so he can walk to it and just sit and watch the action.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Thank-you for listing the nickname.  Lived 3 years in Alexandria while my father was stationed in DC and did not hear that moniker while there.
​Spent many hours there on the platform and on the grassy berm between the station and the Duke St overpass. 

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Here are the scheduled CSX, Amtrak, and VRE trains through Quantico.

•intermodal

Jacksonville, FL - North Bergen, NJ
17 trains a week / average 2.4 a day
Q031, Q032, Q033, Q034, Q036, Q176
(Q176 terminates at Little Ferry, NJ)

Jacksonville, FL - Philadelphia, PA
10 trains a week / average 1.4 a day
Q120, Q140, Q141

•mixed freight

Q300 Rocky Mount, NC - Oak Island, NJ
Q301 Oak Island, NJ - Rocky Mount, NC
Q400 Hamlet, NC - Cumberland, MD
Q401 Cumberland, MD - Hamlet, NC
Q409 Selkirk, NY - Waycross, GA
Q410 Florence, SC - Selkirk, NY
Q415 Cumberland, MD - Rocky Mount, NC
Q416 Rocky Mount, NC - Cumberland, MD
Q438 Hamlet, NC - Selkirk, NY
Q439 Selkirk, NY - Hamlet, NC

•Tropicana

Tampa, FL - Greenville, NJ
5 trains a week
Q740, Q742
(empties return on Q141)

•Amtrak

-Auto Train-
52 Sanford, FL - Lorton, VA
Daily
53 Lorton, VA - Sanford, FL
Daily

-Carolinian-
79 New York City, NY - Charlotte, NC
Daily
80 Charlotte, NC - New York City, NY
Daily

-Palmetto-
89 New York City, NY - Savannah, GA
Daily
90 Savannah, GA - New York City, NY
Daily

-Silver Star-
91 New York City, NY - Miami, FL
Daily
92 Miami, FL - New York City, NY
Daily

-Silver Meteor-
97 New York City, NY - Miami, FL
Daily
98 Miami, FL - New York City, NY
Daily

-Northeast Regional-
68 trains a week / average 9.7 a day

65 Boston, MA - Newport News, VA
Fr, Sa
66 Newport News, VA - Boston, MA
Daily
67 Boston, MA - Newport News, VA
Su-Th
71 New York City, NY - Norfolk, VA
Sa
82 Richmond, VA - Boston, MA
Sa
83 Boston, MA - Newport News, VA
Fr
84 Richmond, VA - New York City, NY
Mo-Fr
85 New York City, NY - Richmond, VA
Mo-Fr
86 Richmond, VA - Boston, MA
Mo-Fr
87 New York City, NY - Richmond, VA
Su
88 Norfolk, VA - Boston, MA
Sa, Su
93 Boston, MA - Richmond, VA
Mo-Th
94 Newport News, VA - Boston, MA
Mo-Fr
95 Boston, MA - Newport News, VA
Mo-Fr
99 Boston, MA - Newport News, VA
Sa, Su
125 New York City, NY - Norfolk, VA
Mo-Fr
157 Springfield, MA - Norfolk, VA
Su
164 Richmond, VA - Boston, MA
Sa, Su
174 Norfolk, VA - Boston, MA
Mo-Fr
194 Newport News, VA - Boston, MA
Sa, Su
195 Boston, MA - Richmond, VA
Sa, Su

•VRE

300 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
301 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
302 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
303 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
304 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
305 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
306 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
307 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
308 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
309 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
310 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
311 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
312 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
313 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr
314 Spotslyvania, VA - Washington, DC
Mo-Fr
315 Washington, DC - Spotslyvania, VA
Mo-Fr

Andrew

Posted from iPhone

That's a great listing.

The Buckingham Branch Railroad is about an hour away, at Doswell. Several units will lay over at the former C&O / RF&P crossing on the weekends.

Thanks for the great list.  I will pass it along to our son.
Have a great day.

Pat
South Austin, TX

thanks for the effort in posting this great list...........

66

florida581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here are the scheduled CSX, Amtrak, and VRE trains
> through Quantico.
>
> •intermodal
>
> Jacksonville, FL - North Bergen, NJ
> 17 trains a week / average 2.4 a day
> Q031, Q032, Q033, Q034, Q036, Q176
> (Q176 terminates at Little Ferry, NJ)
>
> Jacksonville, FL - Philadelphia, PA
> 10 trains a week / average 1.4 a day
> Q120, Q140, Q141

Many thanks for the Intermodal schedules, as I am trying to develop an accurate overview of CSX Intermodal routes and volumes.  Permit me to make sure I am understanding fully:  Does this mean, on average, two IM trains per day each way through Quantico?  What are the characteristics of the trains: trailers, single-stack, double-stack?  I ask because of the Baltimore and Philadelphia clearance restrictions.  Any estimates of train lengths or IM trailer/containers per train.  Any and all such information will be greatly appreciated.

466lex Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Many thanks for the Intermodal schedules, as I am
> trying to develop an accurate overview of CSX
> Intermodal routes and volumes.  Permit me to make
> sure I am understanding fully:  Does this mean,
> on average, two IM trains per day each way through
> Quantico?  

Yes, there's an average of 2 intermodals each way a day.  

>What are the characteristics of the
> trains: trailers, single-stack, double-stack?  I
> ask because of the Baltimore and Philadelphia
> clearance restrictions.  

The Jacksonville - New Jersey trains have single stack domestic containers (CSX intermodal, UMAX, Pacer Stacktrain, Schneider Nat'l, JB Hunt).  These trains also carry a lot of UPS and some FedEx trailers.  The Jacksonville - Philadelphia trains are all single stack domestic containers.  Q141 will also carry a large block of Tropicana trailers back to Florida.

Any estimates of train
> lengths or IM trailer/containers per train.  Any
> and all such information will be greatly
> appreciated.

I always see these trains in Folkston, GA.  Their lengths may differ from when the pass through Virginia because I believe these trains work the ramps in Savannah and / or Charleston along the way.  With that said, the southbound New Jersey - Jacksonville trains, Q031 and Q033 are usually very long--8000 - 9000 ft range.  The northbound counterparts seem to run a bit shorter--4000 - 5000 ft range.  This is most likely because there are more northbound departures in a week than southbound (11 NB vs 6 SB).

The northbound Jacksonville - Philadelphia trains, Q120 and Q140, are usually in the 5000 - 7000 ft range.  The southbound Q141 is normally longer due to the empty juice cars within the train.  I've seen these trains over 9000 ft.

Andrew
 

Very helpful!  A further question, if I may?  How does Atlanta traffic figure into this flow?  Looking at the CSX intermodal route map, it would appear that Atlanta - NY and Philadelphia traffic would necessarily be on trains through Quantico.  Is that correct or am I missing something?

466lex Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very helpful!  A further question, if I may?
>  How does Atlanta traffic figure into this flow?
>  Looking at the CSX intermodal route map, it
> would appear that Atlanta - NY and Philadelphia
> traffic would necessarily be on trains through
> Quantico.  Is that correct or am I missing
> something?

There are no direct Atlanta - New York or Philadelphia trains.  NS dominates that service lane.  However, any Atlanta - NY or Philadelphia traffic departs Fairburn, GA on Q197 which terminates at Savannah.  Q034 picks up the Atlanta - NY block and Q140 picks up the Atlanta - Philadelphia block at Savannah.

Andrew

I did my MOS school at Quantico while in the Marine Corps (1996). There was TONS of activity back then, too. Amtrak was also a convenient way to get into DC for sightseeing.

Really neat spot. Sure wish I'd had a camera during those days.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

> There are no direct Atlanta - New York or
> Philadelphia trains.  NS dominates that service
> lane.  However, any Atlanta - NY or Philadelphia
> traffic departs Fairburn, GA on Q197 which
> terminates at Savannah.  Q034 picks up the
> Atlanta - NY block and Q140 picks up the Atlanta -
> Philadelphia block at Savannah.

Just to confirm, the context of that question was intermodal, correct? Last I saw there were still trains on the ex-SAL Atlanta-Hamlet, although not intermodal to/from Atlanta per se.

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just to confirm, the context of that question was
> intermodal, correct? Last I saw there were still
> trains on the ex-SAL Atlanta-Hamlet, although not
> intermodal to/from Atlanta per se.

Correct.  He was referring to intermodal traffic.  There are a pair of Atlanta - Charlotte intermodals, Q194 and Q195, that run the ex-SAL Abbeville Sub.

Andrew