Passenger Trains > Amtrak Norfolk train through the connection track Peter

On 12/15/12 I went over to Peterburg, VA to set up my equipment at the new connection that runs between the NS at Crater and CSX at BX. Since the weekend train runs an hour later then during the week it would be light as he came through. He had to slow and stop at the CSX end since the FB dispatcher had lined the hot intermodal Q034 past BX on main 2 which is where the connector comes out onto CSX. In the video you can hear the engines of Q034 at the end.

In this first shot you see O3E as he comes around the curve after climbing a slight grade from the NS main at Crater.

Next as the engine swings more onto me, his headlight causes the camera to stop down and gave this nice dark effect of the train.

Now we see P42 155 as it leads the O3E past me toward BX and changing his symbol to P088 on CSX.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

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We now see the 155 as he heads away from me.

This shot shows the entire train as he slows to a stop at BX and is now CSX train P088.

He has now stopped at the BX signal waiting for Q034 which is already close.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

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Now here is the video of this train as it heads around the connector.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

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Is this all south of the Appomattox River?

Ptolemy Wrote:
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> Is this all south of the Appomattox River?

Yes...

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Sharon, thanks for posting.

Here's a link to the map showing where the new connection is http://goo.gl/maps/jGTAi . The plant in the upper left of the map is the same one in the background in Sharon's pictures 4, 5 and 6. The CSX line is the North End Subdivision, the "A" Line, the former Atlantic Coast Line. If you drag the map down, you'll see the Norfolk Southern line crossing beneath the A Line. This is the former N&W Petersburg Belt Line. The new connection track appears to stay northeast of State Road 604, Halifax Road, between the CSX and NS interlockings.

That Amtrak Train 88 sure has a slow schedule from Richmond to Washington, scheduled for 2'30", 15 minutes slower than weekday Trains 84 and 86. However, it's interesting to see that weekday Trains 174 and 94 are both scheduled for 2'31 and 2'34", also.

Interesting that the intermodal train got priority over the passenger train. From your post on the Eastern Board, it sounds like the northbound intermodal Q034 was on the east-side Track 2, where the connecting track enters CSX, and the northbound trash train was on Track 1, the far track. And CSX held the revenue passenger train for Q034, the hot intermodal train.

With such a slow schedule, no harm done, at least not at the endpoint. Amtrak.com shows that Train 88 departed Norfolk on-time, departed Richmond at 8:43 a.m., 18" late, Fredericksburg at 9:39 a.m., 14" late, Quantico at 9:58 a.m., 11" late, Alexandria at 10:34 a.m., 5" late, and arrived in Washington at 10:50 a.m., 5" early.

It's remarkable to me that Train 88 today required 36 minutes to run from Quantico to Alexandria but still made up 6 minutes on the schedule. According to weekday schedules, it's approximately a 32-minute schedule with a stop at Woodbridge. That's a lot of recovery time.

Thanks again, Sharon. Nice pictures and videos, both here and on the Eastern Board.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/12 14:15 by knotch8.

Thanks for posting this, neat to see it in action.

inRVA Wrote:
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> Thanks for posting this, neat to see it in action.

You are welcome for these nice remarks.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Is this the "A" line between Richmond and Petersburg??

CP8888 Wrote:
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> Is this the "A" line between Richmond and
> Petersburg??

Yes, the old 'S' line, the Belwood sub goes as far as Centralia which is about 17 miles north of where I was.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA