Eastern Railroad Discussion > Railfanning Norfolk Va

I will be in the Norfolk, Va area middle of next week.  Can anyone share some rail fanning locations in the area?

Thanks,
Russ
NC

1.  Jeff Robertson Park at the end of Armistead Bridge Road, gets you to the throat of NS Lambert's Point yard.  Traffic is either coal or light engines.  There's usually switching activity.  Partially overgrown chain link fence surrounds the park and MOW equipment is usually cluttered around, so it's not ideal for photography.  Attached was taken from the roof of a rental car to get over the fence.
2-3.  Just slightly east of there, W 23rd st and others get you right next to the tracks without the clutter.  The switching moves don't make it out this far usually though.  Neighborhood seems a bit sketchier here (must be the wrong side of the tracks), but nothing that's ever caused me any concern during daylight.  Most of the road bridges on this line have N&W symbols.

CSX1346 Wrote:
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> I will be in the Norfolk, Va area middle of next
> week.  Can anyone share some rail fanning
> locations in the area?
>
> Thanks,
> Russ
> NC

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4.  The Norfolk Amtrak station is on Park Avenue just north (RR east) of a pair of drawbridges over the Elizabeth River, one of which is permanently up.  I've loitered on the platform here without any trouble.  Rail traffic is the same, coal and light engines, plus Amtrak whenever they're scheduled.  The inbound Amtrak continues up the line after making their station stop, so I think they must lay over back in Lambert's Point.
5.  The same drawbridges can be viewed from the sidewalk of the Campostella Road bridge over the Elizabeth River with convenient parking around a fast food joint at the south end.  Morning light is best for this view.  NS's corporate HQ can be seen in the Norfolk skyline from here; it's just out of frame to the right of the attached photo.  From the same place, you can turn around and look the opposite direction to see in the distance a swing bridge that carries NS's line to Norfolk Intermodal Terminal.  If you have a robust zoom lens you might be able to photograph it from there.  I've never been able to find any closer publicly accessible views of that swing bridge.
6.  Getting out of Norfolk proper, NS's lines to Lambert's Point and the intermodal terminal converge at a small yard in Chesapeake.  From here going west you get traffic for both instead of just the coal trains for Lambert's Point.  You can see the north end of the yard from Chevy Street* (photo attached), the wye from Commerce Ave, and south end of the yard from a park on Varsity Drive.
*Disclaimer:  Chevy Street is shown on maps as dead ending as it approaches the yard.  I don't know where the actual property line for the RR is, so if you have low tolerance for potentially tresspassing, you might skip this one.  I know I have been seen by crews there and left alone, I would expect no trouble if you keep a sane distance back from the tracks.

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Will you have use of a car while you are in Norfolk??

​In addition to the above very good suggestion I would add the the Amtrak station at Harbor Park  on the southern edge of downtown Norfolk.
​Any movement coming or going to Lamberts Point yard passes the the Amtrak station.  It is just North of NS lift bridges 5 & 5A.
​The station is about 100 yards from from the "Tide" light rail line Harbor Park stop across an open parking lot. 
​Ride the Tide to see Norfolk.  Visit Fort Norfolk dating from the war of 1812 ,  it is about 2 blocks from the western terminus of the line.
​NS's   corporate head quarters is about a 10 minute walk from the Amtrak station, the 1st floor houses a free and interesting museum
​about it's history and it'scomponents history.  

​Note the bright orange Staten Island ferry in the 5th photo in the prior post.  It has come down to Norfolk for a scheduled rehab.

​Portlock Rd crosses the southwestern end of that small yard in Chesapeake (Portlock Yard) at grade over at least 8 tracks!!  parking is tight. alot of foot traffic over the xing
All NS traffic passes thru Portlock yard.

​Further West in Chesapeake, Yadkin Rd runs right next to the NS double track heading West to Roanoke for almost 3/4 a mile between Galberry Rd on the west and the
​George Washington hwy overpass on the east,  which has sidewalks on both sides.  Careful, heavy traffic.  Hardees on north side of
​bridge close by for parking.  Very little foliage in the way on Yadkin Rd.

Sugggest Bing Maps to preview suggested locations

​Avoid ALL Elizabeth River Tunnel crossings as you must use an Easy Pass to use them or get hit with an out of this word toll fee and penalty
for not having an easy pass.

  

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/16 21:10 by kpcmcpkva.

7.  Getting farther from Norfolk proper, on the other side of the James River Newport News is CSX territory.  There is an Amtrak station here as well on Warwick Blvd that usually has CSX coal trains loitering behind it.
8.  CSX's coal pier, AKA Dominion Terminal Assoicates, has some interesting power.  There isn't much ground level visibility of it though.  The best drive-by views are from I-664 southbound just before you cross over to Portsmouth.  I spent one afternoon bicycling the many bridges that cross the tracks in this area and the attached was about the best view I could find.  I don't remember for certain but I think it was from the sidewalk of Martin Luther King Jr Way, looking across the road traffic lanes.

Not pictured but also out there:  If boats interest you, in the same vicinity as photos 7 and 8 is Newport News Shipbuilding.  There is a park around 28th st from which you can see an aircraft carrier under construction.  They do also have at least one locomotive I haven't been able to get a photo of.

CSX's small engine facility in Newport News, including a coaling tower, can be seen from the sidewalk of 39th st bridge.  Unfortunately that bridge has wrap-over chain link fencing with a smaller than usual mesh.

If you're wanting to see trains moving at greater than yard limit speeds, I'd recommend going out to Suffolk.  There's a lot of tracks there going various directions that I haven't completely figured out which is whose, but the NS main is pretty obvious.  Commonwealth Railway (a G&W shortline) runs Portsmouth to Suffolk.  One end of their small yard in Suffolk can be seen from Sportsman Blvd.  I've seen their power parked near that crossing sometimes.

Back in Norfolk, there are railroad lift bridges on either side of the South Norfolk-Jordan (road) Bridge.  It is a toll bridge but has sidewalks that can be used for free.  I'm not positive but I think both lift bridges are Norfolk Portsmouth Belt Line tracks.  I'd expect rail traffic is pretty light on them.

I have seen NPBL power laying over near the west end of the South Norfolk-Jordan bridge sometimes.  I've also seen some laying over around Seaboard Ave in Chesapeake occasionally.

Hope you enjoy your visit!

 

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Amtrak trains do not layover at Lamberts Point yard in Norfolk.  Amtrak trains are serviced at their own location adjacent to
​St. Julians Ave between Maltby Ave and Roberts Rd in Norfolk.   As they reach Norfolk after 9 PM and leave before 6 AM
​there is really nothing to see during daylight hours.

​The Power may be serviced at Lamberts Point., but I do not know about this either way   

What a shame to see all those photos on NS property without a single position light signal!
Guess the execs in the headquarters building want the property to look modern.
Andy

There ia a C&O 2-8-4 in a park in Newport News