Buckingham Branch Railroad

[shawnee]

I'm very curious about the Buckingham Brand Railroad, and specifically it's Richmond & Alleghany Division, which it leases from CSX. The Richmond & Alleghany division is the former C&O line over North Mountain, and goes from Richmond to Clifton Forge.

BB recently won an award from the shortline association for excellence.  But what do they ship over that North Mountain line?  I've heard they haul woodchips from eastern VA bound for the Mead Westvaco plant in Covington, a hop and a skip up from Clifton Forge.  I'm also aware that CSX retains trackage rights and hauls coal empties over the line bound for WVa, and that the Amtrak Cardinal uses the line.  I understand that CSX leased off the line because it's at higher grade than their James River route to Clifton Forge, and because they couldn't cost-effectively serve Richmond customers.

Are there any more originating or terminating freight runs over the line?  Are there any other types of freight that BB hauls over the line?  I'm aware that there is a lumber facility trackside in Bells Valley outside of Goshen, called Blue Ridge Lumber (IIRC)...do they use BB for haulage?  What is the business case for BB to make a profit on this less-used Richmond & Alleghany line if it is nothing more than a route to haul CSX empties?

The BB web site doesn't talk much about the business over the R&A branch.

Thanks for any info here, as I have this strange fascination with that old C&O route....and am hoping it's not on a list for future abandonment.

[CSXDixieLine]

This information page on the Buckingham Branch Railroad company website seems to have a fairly detailed edscription of their traffic, including industies served and traffic flows:

http://www.buckinghambranch.com/General%20Information.htm

You have probably already found this page; just posting the link for any others that want a BB overview.

[shawnee]

Yet it seems that none of their traffic on the Richmond & Alleghany Division originates or even terminates on that branch.  Is it that the R&A is just a bridge line for CSX?  Isn't that kind of unusual for a short line?

Anyone with knowledge of BB, chime in!  BTW, the Buckingham Branch seems to be a great shortline.

[dunoon]

They also supply a lot, if not all the grain for the feed mill in Weyers Cave.  And the grain supplies for the Augusta Co-op in Staunton.  But they orginally started out bringing back empty coal cars from Richmond to keep the James River division clear for more coal traffic heading to tidewater.  I was talking to a guy from the BB at the C&O flats in Staunton a couple years ago and asked why the CSX didn't abandon the division and he said that CSX would rather lease it out so the NS couldn't get it if was abandoned, I don't know if thats true but, I thought the compution with railroads had ended years ago.  The BB are real nice folks, don't have a hard time about talking with ya.  They also build a new maintaince shop at C&O flats to keep those antique locos running 

[shawnee]

I saw something last night that said the BB leased the North Mountain line from CSX for $140,000 per year, but in a side deal receives $2 million per year in revenue from CSX for the empty coal trains moving over the line.  156,000 CSX empty cars move per year on the line, according to an estimate. 

Maybe CSX was trying to spin off the line so as to be able to lessen labor costs with maintenance workers, etc., but really still wanted the line in place to be able to use?  The line supported 32 workers when CSX, and the BB hired 21 to replace.  In any case, 156,000 car movements per year isn't low traffic...is it?

The whole shortline spinoff movement has many interesting twists.