Norfolk Southern's Washington District

A Ride Up The Wash

Norfolk Southern's Washington District is a line that has carried trains of numerous historic companies throughout the years. Names such as the Orange & Alexandria, Virginia Midland, and Richmond & Danville could be seen on rolling stock rumbling along this line. By 1894, the line was a part of the massive Southern Railway system and over forty trains could be seen in a single day cruising along the line. With the creation of Norfolk Southern in 1982, the line would be transferred to the new company where not much would change in terms of train frequency. This was until the largest railyard on the East Coast, Potomac Yard, closed in 1991. After the yards closure, the line north of Manassas would become seldom used by Norfolk Southern but would thrive after the Virginia Department of Transportation recognized the potential for a commuter railroad to Washington D.C. giving birth to the Virginia Railway Express Agancy. Freight traffic however was not dead as Norfolk Southern would continue to use the route as a mainline up to Manassas Junction where the trains would then be routed over the old Southern Harrisonburg Branch, now the B-Line towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Today, the Washington District sees about a dozen through trains a day and is home to five or six locals which serve various industries located along the line. Intermodal reigns supreme on the line as is the case in most areas, but manifests as well as the occasional unit train can also be seen trundling along the line. Not to mention, the line also is home to multiple Amtrak trains as well as a dozen or so Virginia Railway Express trains which operate on weekdays on the northernmost portion of the route.

NS Washington District Train Albums

NS 781

Norfolk Southern AC44C6M #4486 is caught on the headend of empty hopper train 781 passing through Bristow, Virginia, on Sunday, March 6th, 2022, at approximately 3:56 P.M. Interestingly, this train had the same leader as the last 781 that had passed eight days prior. For a time, empty coal trains ran almost religiously every weekend. If I had to guess, it was because more crews were available for less priority trains.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

Norfolk Southern AC44C6M #4486 is on the point of northbound empty coal train 781 cruising through South Manassas, Virginia, on Saturday, February 26th, 2022. Unusual when compared to the other empty coal trains that run on this line is the fact that this train was not doubled up and only had 105 empty hoppers in the consist. Like all the coal trains that run on the Washington District, 781 was heading to Shire Oaks, Pennsylvania, after originating at the Duke Power Mayo Steam Plant on the former Norfolk & Western Railway Lynchburg & Durham line.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS K87

Norfolk Southern C44-9W #9609 accelerates through Clifton, Virginia, on the point of local train K87 on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021. On paper as the Van Dorn Street Yard Switcher stationed in Alexandria, Virginia, todays K87 was operating as a K94 relief move transporting 20 or so empty rock hoppers and three empty ethanol tankers to Powell Yard in Manassas, Virginia. These relief moves are uncommon and only occur about once a month.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

One of the more recognizable locomotives to run the Washington District in recent memory, GP60 #7131 heads south past the VRE Backlick Road Station near Burke, Virginia, at 7:50 P.M. on August 12th, 2021. #7131 served as K87, the Van Dorn Street Yard switcher, for multiple years and could commonly be seen working in and around the yard. In this shot, #7131 as K87 is heading to work the Washington Post's Robinson Terminal printing plant in Springfield, Virginia. Robinson Terminal is the only industry left in the greater Alexandria area that still receives materials by rail.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS K90

EMD SD60E #7029 leads SD40-2 #3331 and SD60E #6955 on the point of northbound train K90 as it crosses the Bull Run Trestle between Manassas, Virginia, and Clifton, Virginia at 10:53 A.M. on June 5th, 2023. The train is throttling up to tackle Fairfax Hill just north of Clifton and the three EMDs could clearly be heard running in notch 8. The Bull Run Trestle is relatively hard to get to but I had no trouble with ATCS Monitor still operating.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

Norfolk Southern SD60E #6943 prepares to depart CP Edsall in Springfield, Virginia, on the point of local move K90 on Wednesday, July 28th, 2021. The train has just left Vulcan Materials - Edsall Road with a train of empty aggregate hoppers destined for the Vulcan Materials quarry in Casanova, Virginia. Of note is the lead locomotive, which is equipped with an RS5T, albeit fouled, and was once a common engine to find on this local. The middle engine, Norfolk Southern SD40-2 #3393, is also noteworthy as it is one of the longest tenured engines to operate on the local trains out of Powell Yard. This photograph was taken at the Virginia Railway Express Backlick Road Station.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS K94

Norfolk Southern SD60E #7021 blows its horn as it crosses West Street in downtown Manassas, Virginia, on Thursday, March 25th, 2021. Operating as local K94, todays train is tasked with hauling a string of loaded aggregate hoppers for Virginia Paving in Alexandria, Virginia, from the Vulcan Materials Graham Quarry on the B-Line about 3 miles west of downtown. Nowadays, it's rare for K94 to perform this move in any sort of daylight but a year ago, it was a given. You'd think service would improve with COVID winding down!

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS K99

Back from the dead, an EMD SD70M-2 leads train K99 through Clifton Creek, Virginia, at 7:52 A.M. on December 21st, 2023. A locomotive I honestly never thought I'd see operating, nevermind leading, this EMD SD70M-2 was recently reactivated due to a power shortage on Norfolk Southern. AC44C6M #4101 trails second. Today's K99 is made up almost entirely of loaded ethanol tankers for the transload facility in Van Dorn Street Yard. Note the spur in the foreground, this track is known as the Clifton Creek house track and rarely sees any use besides occasion MOW storage. Once upon time, NOVEC used to unload transformers here for their subdivision located just out of frame to the right of this photograph.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph

Three locomotives pull a relatively short K99 through the Main Street grade crossing in Clifton, Virginia, at 6:59 A.M. on July 5th, 2023. The three locomotives are C44-9W #9564, C44-9W #9542, and GP38-2 #5355. Surprisingly, GP38-2 #5355 is the only active locomotive still operating today. Both C44-9Ws have been stored for rebuilding into AC44C6Ms. Today's train consists of four loaded centerbeams and two empty grain hoppers. The centerbeams are probably for Manassas but weren't dropped at Manassas Yard for whatever reason. The empty grain hoppers are from Ardent Mills in Culpeper.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

Norfolk Southern SD60E #7030 leads a very late K99 on a cloudy morning on Tuesday, August 17th, 2021. Usually a night train, K99 had been held up south of Charlottesville, Virginia, for over four hours waiting for a parade of southbounds to pass and would end up making a daylight entrance at Manassas Yard in Manassas, Virginia. A rare spectacle for the common railfan, but a major inconvenience for the poor operating crew. The first two covered hoppers in the consist were picked up from the Buckingham Branch interchange in Charlottesville and are loaded with sand. The lone boxcar and 30 or so tank cars are bound for the final destination of Van Dorn Street Yard in Alexandria, Virginia. Interestingly, the train had originally been planned to drop off fifteen or so pipe flats at Culpeper and skip Manassas all together, but the trainmaster had a change of heart and directed the crew to instead drop off the cars at Powell Yard. The reason for this movement is unknown to me.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

Amtrak 171

Amtrak P42DC #100, the "50th Anniversary" unit, is caught on the point of northbound Amtrak regional train 176 at Manassas, Virginia, on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021. At this point, the locomotive had been wearing its heritage paint scheme for less than a month and had only recently been released from Amtrak's shops in Beech Grove, Indiana. For a little while after this photo was taken, #100 would continue to run the Roanoke Regional until eventually being set on the westbound Capital Limited where it would run for a little while as well.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

The Washington District of The Past

NS 203

Norfolk Southern stack train 203 flies under the Liberia Avenue overpass approaching CP Newbill just north of Manassas, Virginia, on Tuesday, November 2nd, 1993. 203 was one of the few mainline trains that continued to operate north of Manassas after Potomac Yard's closure, but would run for the last time in 2005. The train wasn't abolished, rather the intermodal facility at Norfolk Southern's Van Dorn Street Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, would shift all operations to Rutherford, Pennsylvania, where it continues to this very day. The business on the right is no longer served by the railroad though the spur remains.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 211

Norfolk Southern SD70ACe #1011 is on the point of southbound intermodal train 211 as it accelerates through Bristow, Virginia, on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022. This train is easily identifiable by the stacks of trash containers that usually populate the front half of the consist. Here we can see 211 crossing over from one main to the other at the Bristow Interlocking with three locomotives positioned in the "elephant" style.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS 221

In classic Southern style, GP60 #7087 cruises long hood forward heading south on the point of pig train 221 at Clifton, Virginia, on Saturday, August 18th, 1990. One of the last true Southern era symbols still utilized by Norfolk Southern after the merger, train 221 would continue to be used to identify a high priority pig train until eventually being changed to 228 in the early 2000's. Note the Southern era signal bridge as well as the tie gondolas on the former Clifton house track. Surprisingly, the house track remains and is still occasionally used to store MOW equipment.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 222

A sole SD60 is the power for northbound intermodal train 222 as it receives a new crew at CP Powell near Manassas, Virginia, on Sunday, January 21st, 2001. Train 222 was the first intermodal on Norfolk Southern's system to offer service from Norfolk to the north. At one point it was scheduled to run all the way to Detroit but was later cut back to Enola Yard in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Nowadays this train is known as 274 and can still be seen plying the rails albeit with all wide cabs. All Norfolk Southern's SD60's are long retired and scrapped.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

NS 244

Conrail SD40-2 #6418 hauls Norfolk Southern's hotshot Saturday railroader train 244 northbound just north of Mountain Run, Virginia, on Saturday, June 4th, 1994. The weekend counterpart of train 266, these roadrailers operated as Conrail run through trains to Rutherford via Hagerstown meaning a Conrail engine could usually be seen somewhere in the consist. What I would give to see and hear a Big Blue SD40-2 hauling one of these pig trains at 70 MPH.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 248

Norfolk Southern B32-8 #3527 flies through CP Newbill just north of Manassas, Virginia, with Triple Crown roadrailer train 248 heading towards Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday, January 5th, 1991. Roadrailer service to Van Dorn Street Yard in Alexandria was short lived with the final train running out of the intermodal yard on September 17th, 1992. However, intermodal trains such as 203 and 204 would continue running to and from Van Dorn until 2005.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 177

Sperry Rail Service #148, the "Jack Finney", sits on a storage track near CP Moore in Manassas, Virginia, on Saturday, March 31st, 1990, as Norfolk Southern SD40-2 #6173 leads manifest train 177 southbound long hood forward. Train 177 was one of the last trains to originate out of Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, and would continue to run until the final closure of the yard in 1991. However, Delaware & Hudson (Later Canadian Pacific) run through trains 341 and 342 would continue to operate through Alexandria until at least 2001.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 341

Once upon a time, foreign power was a common occurrence on the Washington District. No train was more prone to run through power than manifest trains 341 and 342. Here we can see train 341 heading south through CP Powell in Manassas, Virginia, on Saturday, April 25th, 1998. Note the rather uncommon General Electric B30-7A trailing second. #3500 was the class leader of a total of 22 B30-7A's on Norfolk Southern's roster. The train appears to be on a yard track so it might be tied down or working the yard.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

New York, Susquehanna, & Western Railway C40-8 #4008 lays over at Manassas Yard in Manassas, Virginia, trailing 3rd on southbound train 341 on Saturday, March 3rd, 1990. 341 was one of the many road freights that worked Manassas Yard back when there were still quite a few local businesses receiving goods via the railroad in the Manassas vicinity. This 341 was special however due to it consisting of all New York, Susquehanna, & Western power. Photographer Sam Bone would go on to chase this train at least as far as Red Hill, Virginia, which is just south of Charlottesville, Virginia.

*Sam Bone Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

Starting the chase, we see train 341 heading over the Tinpot Run Bridge just north of Remington, Virginia, on Saturday, March 3rd, 1990. Note the former Northern Pacific SD45 sandwiched between the C40-8's. In the 1990's it was common for regional railroads to pick up these brutish EMD's. The Susquehanna being on such purchaser along with other roads like the Wisconsin Central and Montana Rail Link. I personally have always been a fan of the SD45 look and wish more survived into preservation.

*Sam Bone Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

Continuing to follow this black and yellow 341, We catch up to him crossing over U.S. Route 33 in Barboursville, Virginia, on Saturday, March 3rd, 1990. It's not visible in this image, but in the center of the concrete bridge is the well known Southern Railway herald. This bridge was probably built relatively early in the Southern Railway era and has outlived not only its original owner, but will probably outlive its current owner as well thanks to its reinforced concrete structure.

*Sam Bone Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

The chase ends at Red Hill, Virginia, as Susquehanna powered train 341 crosses over Red Hill Road on Saturday, March 3rd, 1990. Certainly a train worth chasing, 341 always had good power but very rarely ran with solid Suzie-Q black and yellow. Quite a fun day I assume for the photographer, note that every photo south of Manassas was taken directly on or by a road. Not a lot of time to get creative with the speed 341 must have been going!

*Sam Bone Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS 342

A trio of standard cab General Electric's hustle north through Manassas, Virginia, with train 342 on Wednesday, February 7th, 2001. At this time, the northern section of the Washington District was still humming with freight activity as trains 203, 204, 341, 342, P98, and P97 were running north almost everyday. That, along with the large coal trains that would also run north through Manassas, contributed to quite the spectacle for those along the tracks in nearby Clifton or Burke. Nowadays, the only freight trains that run north of Manassas are locals K90, K94, K95, and K99.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

Three General Electric motors head northbound on the point of train 342 at Bristow, Virginia, on Wednesday, February 7th, 2001. Note the long string of loaded hoppers directly behind the power. These were loaded coal cars for the Potomac River Generating Station in Alexandria, Virginia. When demand for coal was down, coal loads would travel on 342 but when more coal was needed, such as during winter, the power plant would sometimes get unit coal trains with ID's 696, 896, and later 88M. Most of the time though, the empties would head back south on 341 or one of the locals. If there were enough empties however, train 897 would be scheduled to head from the power plant back to the mines in Southern West Virginia directly.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS E43

Norfolk Southern GP38-2 #5145 powers through a curve just east of Clifton, Virginia, with loaded aggregate train E43 on Saturday, October 23rd, 1993. In the 1990's, the Washington District was part of Norfolk Southern's East Coast Business District and so all the locals had "E" prefixes. This prefix would later be changed to "P" standing for Piedmont and later again to "K" representing the Harrisburg Division. Interestingly, both the lead locomotive and this job exist today with E43 now known as K90 and GP38-2 #5145 operated by New Jersey's Raritan Central Railroad.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

NS P98

Norfolk Southern C44-9W #9094 prepares to depart Manassas, Virginia, for Alexandria, Virginia, with local train P98 on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007. Now known as K99, this local still runs today but looks much different as the modern day consist is made up of miscellaneous freight cars along with dozens of ethanol tank cars. The ethanol transloading facility at Van Dorn Street Yard had yet to exist when this photo was taken.

*George W. Hamlin Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

SOU 155

In a classic Southern Railway scene, high hood SD40-2 #3230 is caught leading a southbound manifest train, possibly 155, passed a northbound just north of Bealeton, Virginia, on Saturday, April 19th, 1980. Today, not much has changed from this scene as the farmhouse on the right still stands and development has yet to hit this part of the state. In fact, it is still possible to catch the successors of 154 and 155, 12R and 13R, meeting at this same spot 42 years after this photo was taken.

*Sam Bone Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

SOU E41

Southern Railway local job E41 heads north under the signal bridge at Bristow, Virginia, with a classic Southern Tuxedo GP38-2 on Saturday, December 19th, 1981. Norfolk Southern no longer has enough local business on the Washington District mainline to warrant a Charlottesville to Manassas local so a shot like this with a four axle geep and a car or two is not likely to be seen again. This train is returning from Charlottesville back to the yard at Manassas after working the line for the day.

*Joseph Kmetz Photograph**Nick A. Jobe Collection*

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