Railroad Forums 

  • Does NS use Mananas to DC?

  • Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
 #1470308  by gprimr1
 
Do they have any freight activity between DC and Manassas Junction?

Or is that route exclusivly VRE?
 #1470420  by charding
 
...although I don't know the level of activity, when we go to the Burke Farmers' Market at the Burke VRE station, NS trains do go by...but, again, not sure of the level of activity...also AMTRAK uses this line and, if fact, one train stops at the Burke VRE station...think the train is the one the goes thru to Roanoke and return...
 #1470443  by D40LF
 
There is a yard just outside of Alexandria that used to see some traffic (I'm not sure if its changed much as I haven't seen it in a few years). NS no longer runs down the Alexandria spur since the Washington Post facility and the coal power plant are both shut. They don't really run moves into DC, but I believe they have the trackage rights to do so.
 #1470446  by gprimr1
 
I like to visit there once or twice a summer and watch the VRE trains; always wondered if I'd ever see an NS one since Alexandria power plant and the Washington Post plant closed.
 #1470766  by NS212
 
Rock trains from Manassas go up on weekdays and return. Also, a local based in Alexandria. K87, I believe. They switch the ethanol facility, and as far as I know the Washington Post still gets service, so they switch there as well. Once or twice a week, sometimes not even that, a unit ethanol train also comes up to Alexandria.
 #1470826  by D40LF
 
NS212 wrote:They switch the ethanol facility, and as far as I know the Washington Post still gets service, so they switch there as well. Once or twice a week, sometimes not even that, a unit ethanol train also comes up to Alexandria.
Your right about the ethanol facility.

The Washington Post hasn't received any carloads in quite a while. They sold the Alexandria facility (known as Robinson Terminal) back in 2013. You can see in the link below, the tracks were completely overgrown in 2016.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/144440720 ... 817042802/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://articles.washingtonpost.com/201 ... ion-street" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1470887  by NS212
 
Ahhh. Thanks for the clarification. I spoke with my dad the other day about the locals around Manassas (he's an engineer and I will be starting out of Manassas in June after training class in May) and he said that the local switches the Washington Post too. Though he hadn't been up in Alexandria for quite sometime so he may not have known that.
 #1471522  by charding
 
...as luck would have it, we went to the farmers' market at the Burke VA VRE Station...at 0810 today, an NS freight [about 10 cars] went by heading toward Alexandria...
 #1473431  by mtuandrew
 
D40LF wrote:
NS212 wrote:They switch the ethanol facility, and as far as I know the Washington Post still gets service, so they switch there as well. Once or twice a week, sometimes not even that, a unit ethanol train also comes up to Alexandria.
Your right about the ethanol facility.

The Washington Post hasn't received any carloads in quite a while. They sold the Alexandria facility (known as Robinson Terminal) back in 2013. You can see in the link below, the tracks were completely overgrown in 2016.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/144440720 ... 817042802/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://articles.washingtonpost.com/201 ... ion-street" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That’s the original Robinson Terminal, on the water in Old Town. The Robinson Terminal/WaPo facility out at the Beltway just west of Spaghetti Junction still gets service from NS.

Van Dorn Yard is fairly busy, there are always a couple six-axle GEs and often a Geep tied up there, as well as the aforementioned oil unit train. I don’t know if the asphalt facility gets rail shipments too, but it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s easy to railfan from Van Dorn Metro Station.
 #1473548  by D40LF
 
mtuandrew wrote: That’s the original Robinson Terminal, on the water in Old Town. The Robinson Terminal/WaPo facility out at the Beltway just west of Spaghetti Junction still gets service from NS.

Van Dorn Yard is fairly busy, there are always a couple six-axle GEs and often a Geep tied up there, as well as the aforementioned oil unit train. I don’t know if the asphalt facility gets rail shipments too, but it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s easy to railfan from Van Dorn Metro Station.
Forgot about the facility by the Beltway - I have'nt been over there in a few years. I wonder if those freights have a schedule or run on an as needed basis.