CSX A-Line Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 37°32′11″N77°29′38″W / 37.53639°N 77.49389°W |
Carries | North End Subdivision |
Crosses | Rivanna Subdivision, James River, Norfolk Southern Railway |
Locale | Richmond, Virginia |
Characteristics | |
Design | John Edwin Greiner |
History | |
Construction end | 1919 |
Location | |
The CSX A-Line Bridge is a double-track concrete bridge that carries the North End Subdivision of CSX Transportation over the James River in Richmond, Virginia. The bridge was built jointly by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in 1919. [1] Designed by John E. Greiner, this bridge was one of many he drew up for the RF&P, and brought early success to his recently established private consulting business. [2] The purpose of this "million dollar bridge" [2] was to create a quicker, more direct route around Richmond [1] by passing over east–west tracks on both sides of the river.
The origins of this bridge lay in the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad (R&P). The RF&P was chartered in 1834 and ran from its station at the northwest corner of Eighth and Broad Streets north to Fredericksburg (which it reached in 1837) and the Potomac River at Aquia Creek (reached in 1842). A connection to Washington was completed in 1877. The Richmond and Petersburg was chartered in 1836 and ran from Richmond to Petersburg, where the Petersburg Railroad took travelers further south into North Carolina and beyond. Over time it became a part of the larger Atlantic Coast Line Railroad system.
Despite these railroads' lengthy lines, by the time of the Civil War, they did not have a rail connection. This proved to be a problem as freight and passengers had to be hauled from the R&P station to the RF&P station half a mile away up the hill. During the Civil War, when railroads proved to be crucial to the war effort, this lack of a connection was deemed by the Confederate government to be such an issue that it installed temporary trackage up Eighth Street, connecting the two stations. However, the grade of these tracks was impossible to maintain in anything other than a wartime setting. Therefore, after the War ended at Appomattox, a company was established jointly by the RF&P and the R&P with the longest name of a railroad company in the United States, called "The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Connection Company." The company was incorporated in 1866 and opened its 1.25 line from the R&P's Byrd Street Station to the RF&P's Elba Station on May 1, 1867.
This inter-city connection railroad hauled passengers and freight efficiently. But it still had problems. The grade between Byrd Street and Elba was still very steep and very tight, especially by the curve around Byrd Street and Belvidere Street. To alleviate the grade and curve dilemma, the R&P and RF&P decided to build a "Belt Line" (so-called because it went around the city instead of through it) track around the city of Richmond in the late 1880s. The original Belt Line railroad split off from the R&P just north of Cofer Road and proceeded in a westwardly direction before heading north to the James River. Here a steel truss, single track bridge was built and finished in 1889. From the James, the Belt Line heads north to the wye that connects it with the old RF&P main line. The 7+1⁄2-mile long line was finished in 1891. Afterwards, all freight traffic was routed to the Belt Line while all passenger traffic was maintained on the inter-city connection line.
The original, single track Belt Line served its purpose well until the mid-1910s. In 1916, the railroads (by now the Richmond and Petersburg had been merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, or ACL) decided to build a new, double track Belt Line that would be capable of accommodating increased freight traffic and increased passenger traffic and train lengths. This line was completed around 1920 and featured a straighter alignment south of the James and a beautiful, concrete, double track bridge built in 1919. As a result, the inter-city railroad was torn up and the old belt line steel truss bridge was demolished (excepting the stone piers in the river, which are still visible today) in the early 1920s. The new belt line railroad and James River bridge served the RF&P and ACL for decades until the ACL was merged with its longtime rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) in 1967, to become the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The SCL later changed its name to the Seaboard System Railroad (SBD) after consolidating several smaller lines in 1982. Four years later, the Seaboard was renamed CSX Transportation, which acquired the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in 1991. Therefore, the Belt Line and former ACL and RF&P Bridge, now known as the CSX A-Line Bridge (A-Line is the name CSX gave to the former ACL main line) are fully owned today by CSX and continue to see passenger and freight traffic.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Its predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War, and by 1900 had merged together to form the SAL. The company was headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia.
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad company.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Much of the original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986.
The Virginia Central Railroad was an early railroad in the U.S. state of Virginia that operated between 1850 and 1868 from Richmond westward for 206 miles (332 km) to Covington. Chartered in 1836 as the Louisa Railroad by the Virginia General Assembly, the railroad began near the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad's line and expanded westward to Orange County, reaching Gordonsville by 1840. In 1849, the Blue Ridge Railroad was chartered to construct a line over the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Louisa Railroad which reached the base of the Blue Ridge in 1852. After a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Louisa Railroad was allowed to expand eastward from a point near Doswell to Richmond.
Transportation in Richmond, Virginia and its immediate surroundings include land, sea and air modes. This article includes the independent city and portions of the contiguous counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. While almost all of Henrico County would be considered part of the Richmond area, southern and eastern portions of Chesterfield adjoin the three smaller independent cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights, collectively commonly called the Tri-Cities area. A largely rural section of southwestern Chesterfield may be considered not a portion of either suburban area.
The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad moved passengers and goods between Richmond and Petersburg from 1838 to 1898. It survived the American Civil War and eventually merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900.
Petersburg station is an Amtrak railroad station located in Ettrick, Virginia, just outside the city of Petersburg. The station, adjacent to the campus of Virginia State University, is served by five Amtrak routes: the Carolinian, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, and Silver Meteor. It has a brick station building and a single side platform adjacent to the two-track North End Subdivision.
The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail service operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C., and Olive, Virginia. Virginia Railway Express operates 8 weekday trains, and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.
The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Bridge was a bridge that carried the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad and several later railroads including the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad over the James River in Richmond, Virginia. It was first built in 1838 and after going through four different bridges was finally torn down in 1970.
The RF&P Subdivision is a railroad line operated by CSX Transportation and jointly owned by CSX and Virginia. It runs from Washington, D.C., to Richmond, Virginia, over lines previously owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. The line's name pays homage to that railroad, which was a predecessor to the CSX.
The Jacksonville & Southwestern Railroad (J&SW) was a railroad that served Florida from 1899 to 1904. It was purchased by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904. The Atlantic Coast Line would extend the line further west and it would become their Jacksonville—Wilcox Line. Some of the original right-of-way was converted to a recreational path in the rails to trails program in the 1990s.
Long Bridge is the common name used for three successive bridges connecting Washington, D.C., to Arlington, Virginia, over the Potomac River. The first was built in 1808 for foot, horse and stagecoach traffic, and bridges in the vicinity were repaired and replaced several times in the 19th century. The current bridge was built in 1904 and substantially modified in 1942. It has only been used for railroad traffic and is owned by CSX Transportation.
The Tampa and Gulf Coast Railroad (T&G) was a railroad company in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida in the United States. It initially built and operated a line that ran from the Tampa Northern Railroad main line in Lutz west to Tarpon Springs and into Pasco County. Additional track starting from Sulphur Springs running west towards Clearwater and south to St. Petersburg was built shortly after. The railroad was informally known as the "Tug n' Grunt" and the "Pea Vine" due to its frequent twists and turns. While it was the second railroad to serve St. Petersburg and Clearwater after the Orange Belt Railway, it had the advantage of being the first to connect the area directly with Tampa.
The North End Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina. The line runs from Richmond, Virginia, to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, for a total of 123.2 miles. At its north end the line continues south from the Richmond Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the South End Subdivision. The North End Subdivision is the northernmost segment of CSX's A Line which in its entirety runs from Richmond to Tampa, Florida. Some of the line's notable features include running in the median of Interstate 195 in Richmond as well as the line's tall arch bridge over the James River.
The Norlina Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. State of North Carolina. The line currently runs from Norlina, North Carolina, to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a total of 51.2 miles. At its north end the line comes to an end and at its south end the line continues north from the Aberdeen Subdivision. While the current line dates back to 1840, it has been known as the Norlina Subdivision since 1967. Under CSX's predecessor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Norlina Subdivision continued north to Collier Yard near Petersburg, Virginia.
The Portsmouth Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina. The line connects CSX's network with the port city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Portsmouth Subdivision was historically operated by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, a CSX predecessor.
The Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad was a railroad built in the early 1900s. As its name suggests, it ran from Richmond, Virginia south through Petersburg into northern North Carolina. It was a key part of the network of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
The CSX A Line forms the backbone of the historic Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line, the backbone of their network in the southeastern United States. The main line runs from Richmond, Virginia to Port Tampa just southwest of Tampa, Florida, a distance of nearly 900 miles. Along its route it passes through Petersburg, Rocky Mount, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando. With the exception of a short 61-mile segment in Greater Orlando, the entire line is owned by CSX Transportation.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida, a distance of over 800 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Ocala, Florida. While some segments of the line have been abandoned as of 2023, most of the line is still in service and is owned by the Seaboard Air Line's successor, CSX Transportation as their S-Line.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad's East Carolina Line was the unofficial name of their line running from Hamlet, North Carolina through eastern South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia. Officially designated on Seaboard employee timetables as the Andrews Subdivision from Hamlet to Andrews, South Carolina, and the Charleston Subdivision from Andrews south, the line was known as the East Carolina Line by Seaboard employees due to its location in eastern South Carolina. With connections to the Seaboard's main line at both ends, the East Carolina Line was frequently used as an alternative freight route for the company.