CSX A-Line Bridge

Last updated
CSX A-Line Bridge
Atlantic coastline trestle.jpg
Coordinates 37°32′11″N77°29′38″W / 37.53639°N 77.49389°W / 37.53639; -77.49389
Carries North End Subdivision
Crosses Rivanna Subdivision, James River, Norfolk Southern Railway
Locale Richmond, Virginia
Characteristics
DesignJohn Edwin Greiner
History
Construction end1919
Location
CSX A-Line Bridge

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.

Contents

History

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.

Related Research Articles

Seaboard Air Line Railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which 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. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Railroad company in Virginia, later part of CSX

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.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Defunct American Class I railroad

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is a former U. S. 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.

Virginia Central Railroad Railroad in Virginia

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.

Georgia Railroad and Banking Company

The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company also seen as "GARR", was a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 1967 it reported 833 million revenue-ton-miles of freight and 3 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 331 miles (533 km) of road and 510 miles (820 km) of track.

Virginia State Route 161 Highway in Richmond, Virginia, United States

State Route 161 is a primary state highway in and near Richmond, Virginia, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in the independent city of Richmond north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 in the Lakeside area of central Henrico County.

Transportation in Richmond, Virginia

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.

Fredericksburg Line

The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail line operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C. and Fredericksburg, VA. Virginia Railway Express operates 7 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.

Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Bridge

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 owned and operated by CSX Transportation. 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; some of the original right-of-way was converted to a recreational path in the rails to trails program in the 1990s.

Orange Belt Railway Former railroad in Florida, US

The Orange Belt Railway was a 3 ft narrow gauge railroad established in 1885 by Russian exile Peter Demens in Florida. It was one of the longest narrow gauge railroads in the United States at the time of its completion in 1888, with a mainline 152 miles (245 km) in length between Sanford and St. Petersburg. It carried citrus, vegetables, and passengers; and it interchanged with two standard gauge lines: the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway at Lake Monroe, and the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad at Lacoochee.

Tampa Southern Railroad Historic railroad line in Florida

The Tampa Southern Railroad was a subsidiary of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) originally running from Uceta Yard in Tampa south to Palmetto, Bradenton, and Sarasota with a later extension southeast to Fort Ogden in the Peace River valley built shortly after. It was one of many rail lines completed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Most of the remaining trackage now serves as CSX Transportation's Palmetto Subdivision. Another short portion just east of Sarasota also remains that is now operated by Seminole Gulf Railway.

Long Bridge (Potomac River)

Long Bridge is the common name used for a series of three bridges connecting Washington, D.C. to Arlington, Virginia over the Potomac River. The first was built in 1808 for foot, horse and stagecoach traffic. 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 and has only been used for railroad traffic. It is owned by CSX Transportation and is used by CSX freight trains, Amtrak intercity trains, and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains. Norfolk Southern Railway has trackage rights on the bridge but does not exercise those rights. In 2019 Virginia announced that it would help fund and build a new rail bridge parallel to the existing one to double its capacity, following the plans that have been studied by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) since 2011.

Clearwater Subdivision

The Clearwater Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the Tampa Bay region of Florida. The line begins just east of downtown Tampa in Gary and heads north through some of Tampa's suburban neighborhoods. In Sulphur Springs, the Clearwater Subdivision turns and runs west through Oldsmar, where it crosses Tampa Bay. It briefly shifts south running through Safety Harbor, and then heads west again to Clearwater. In Clearwater, it turns southeast, running through Largo and Pinellas Park before terminating at Fifth Avenue North in St. Petersburg near Tropicana Field. The distance from Gary to St. Petersburg along the line is 48.6 miles (78.2 km). At the line's north end it continues from the Tampa Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the track comes to an end.

North End Subdivision

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 the 1970s. Under CSX's predecessor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Norlina Subdivision continued north to Collier Yard near Petersburg, Virginia.

The Richmond Terminal Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia. The line is located within Richmond, Virginia, for a total of 4.3 miles. At its north end it continues south from the RF&P Subdivision and at its south end it continues south as the Bellwood Subdivision, which connects to CSX's S Line. It junctions with the North End Subdivision, which connects to CSX's A Line, at AY Interlocking.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "ACL/RF&P, James River Bridge." Prestige Series Architectural Models. www.prestigeseriesarchitecturalmodels.com Archived 2019-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Richard Weingardt, Engineering Legends: Great American Civil Engineers: (32 Profiles of Inspiration and Achievement), (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2005) 43.