Passenger Trains > Northern VA trip: Amtrak and WMATA

Last week I took a short overnight trip from Alexandria to Charlottesville; returned the next day.
​Southbound Crescent on 3/16 was reasonably close to schedule and was pretty full in coach.  Very efficient boarding process.

​Returned the next morning on #176.  It ran on schedule and had a lot of people rising also.  Train stops at the Burke Center VRE stop in northern VA; did not know this was now a (limited) Amtrak stop.
Saw a few NS freights, including a couple of locals on sidings.

​The Metro line that runs through Alexandia was single-tracked during the day for repairs; trains were running on a limited schedule.
Some phone pics:
​1. #176 arriving at Charlottesville on the NS (ex-Southern).  It is crossing the Buckingham Branch (ex-CSX, ex-C&O) route of the tri-weekly Cardinal.  Both trains stop at Charlottseville, though the platform for the Cardinal is in worse shape.
​2. a pic out the 'rear window' of the Business Class coach.  Lots of tangent track; train running at track speed.
​3. WMATA Metro maintenance work at King St. station, Alexandria.

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Nice shot of the C&O crossing at Charlottesville, which the C&O called "JC Cabin." There was many a mis-spent hour for me hanging out at the Charlottesville station while in grad school at U.Va. That view sure has changed a lot in 25 years. Used to be much more open (not a lot of buildings visible) and cantilevers protecting the diamond on number one track southward and both tracks northward.

http://www.trainweb.org/varail/railimages/chville30.jpg

http://www.trainweb.org/varail/railimages/chville1.jpg

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

A very short night in Charlotte arriving on Crescent and departing on Carolinian.  Where did you hang out?  

I like the idea of adding Burke as a suburban stop. That's in a rapidly growing area.

Only the Lynchburg trains stop at BCV. It has a lot more parking that Alexandria, and it's free of charge. VRE has a big garage there.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Dcmcrider Wrote:
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> Nice shot of the C&O crossing at Charlottesville,
> which the C&O called "JC Cabin."Used to be ... cantilevers protecting the
> diamond on number one track southward and both
> tracks northward.

​Some of this was 'new mileage' for me (ex Southern between Charlottesville and Orange).  The NS has replaced some of the former Southern signals with new lineside signals.
​Remnants of a signal bridge and others were on the ground next to the right of way noth of Charlottesville.  Too heavy for scrap thieves to haul away...