The Potomac Yards

[Dad Howe]

Now that the late, lamented Potomac Yards are no more, where does CSX yard the traffic that was once handled there? Also, does the Norfolk Southern still use the old Southern yard in Alexandria? If so, is there active interchange between CSX and NS there or is it strictly local traffic?

Anybody know?

Thanks!

Dad Howe

[RudyRockvilleMD]

The NS (Southern) Yard in Alexandria is also gone so there is no interchange between NS and CSX in the Washington, DC area. Interestingly most of the trains on NS between Manassas and Alexandria, VA are either Amtrak or VRE trains since most of the NS freights use the "B Line" between Manassas and Front Royal and then up to Hagerstown and Harrisburg. NS serves the Washington, DC area out of a small yard in Manassas,VA.

CSX now "yards" its traffic either in Baltimore, Cumberland or Richmond, although it has small yards in Benning, DC and Brunswick, MD which serve local trains into Washington.

[Dad Howe]

Is the yard in Richmond the old RF&P Acca yard or the old SCL Hermitage Yard or both? Or is there another yard CSX uses in that area?

Dad Howe

[RhettCoates]

The yards CSX now uses in lieu of the lack of having "Pot Yard" are: Acca Yard, former RF&P, down-graded by CSX in the early 1990s (CSX turned yard ladder power switches to all manual hand-throw switches, which takes them MUCH longer to move about in...), Fulton Yard, ex-C&O about 4-5 miles east on the Newsport News line (although that's mainly used to store local freight for the "Airport Local" or for turning Carolina-bound Coal/Grain/Sulfur trains toward the ex-SCL route), South Yard (about 1-2 miles south of the S.A.L. James River bridge, on theh Bellwood Sub, which is used for NS interchange, and Deepwater Terminal spur's customers. CSX has also recently begun to use COLLIER YARD, about 40 miles south of Richmond, at Petersburg, VA, to switch most of its cars for this region--resulting in many customer's loads ping-ponging back & forth between Richmond and Petersburg. CSX is doing everything in its power to keep from having to switch almost anything--mainly to reduce the amount it pays switch crews to classify trains. This latter move to make Collier Yard a major switching yard is resulting in severe congestion, however. It remains to be seen how this will play out...

[Dad Howe]

Thanks for the info. I am an old Virginia boy, forced to live out on the wild frontier in Kentucky these days. Grew up near the RF&P and have wondered what CSX has been doing to the property since assuming control. This helps me get a better picture!

Dad Howe