Anacostia light rail project

[gprimr1]

I had no idea this project was so far along.

What has/will become of that overgrown railroad at the end of the suit land parkway, where it meets 295? My dad told me when I was young that was the route they would move anti-aircraft weapons to protect DC, and nuclear weapons moved on the line when he was younger.

[hutton_switch]

What has/will become of that overgrown railroad at the end of the suit land parkway, where it meets 295? My dad told me when I was young that was the route they would move anti-aircraft weapons to protect DC, and nuclear weapons moved on the line when he was younger.

Much of the ROW of that "overgrown" railroad is where the light rail system is running. The fact that the ROW was already in place helped on approval/funding for the project.

BTW, this "overgrown" railroad was formerly part of the B&O's Anacostia Branch, which ended at Shepherd's Landing. Back in the late 19th century, there was a dock for a barge that took trains across the Potomac to a dock at Alexandria (approximately where Wilkes Street is located), and during WWII, there was a temporary bridge that crossed the river at about the same point on the Maryland side of the river, but ended at where the railhead for the Mirant Power Plant is now located.

[Sand Box John]

Construction progress pictures can be seen at:

Commuter/Transit and Light Rail > Washington MetroRail > Anacostia Corridor Demonstration Project

[Sand Box John]

Progress on the installation of the streetcars track along H Street and Benning Road as part of DCDoT Great Streets Initiative is far further along then what has been done on the Anacostia Streetcar Project.

The entire length of Benning Road from 16th Street to east of Oklahoma Avenue. totally complete.

As seen in the first picture below H Street is less further along. But then DCDoT is totally rebuilding H Street from door step to door step between 2nd and 15th Street NE.

The last 4 pictures show the loading platform at Oklahoma Avenue. Based on the length of the platform DCDoT plans to run their streetcars in single units only. In my opinion this was not a wise decision.


H Street looking east.


Benning Road and 17th Street NE looking east.


Benning Road and 17th Street NE looking west.



Benning Road and 17th Street NE looking west.


Benning Road and 17th Street NE looking west.


Benning Road and 16th Street NE looking west.


Benning Road and 16th Street NE looking west.


Benning Road and 16th Street NE looking east.



Benning Road and 16th Street NE looking east


Benning Road and 26th Street NE looking east.


Benning Road and 26th Street NE looking east.


Streetcar Platform, Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE.



Streetcar Platform, Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE looking east.


Streetcar Platform, Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE looking east.
WMATA metrorail elevated in background.


Streetcar Platform, Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE looking west.

[Sand Box John]

Greenbelt Yard 01 03 2010

[JackRussell]

Back in the late 19th century, there was a dock for a barge that took trains across the Potomac to a dock at Alexandria (approximately where Wilkes Street is located)...

That explains the narrow railway tunnel on Wilkes St between Lee and Union (currently used as a foot/bike path).

[BaltOhio]

Back in the late 19th century, there was a dock for a barge that took trains across the Potomac to a dock at Alexandria (approximately where Wilkes Street is located)...

That explains the narrow railway tunnel on Wilkes St between Lee and Union (currently used as a foot/bike path).

Actually the Wilkes St. tunnel predated the B&O carferry operation by almost two decades. I believe it was built in the 1850s to allow the (then) Orange & Alexandria RR to access the waterfront. It remained in service into the 1950s, at least, and probably longer, serving both the waterfront industries and power plant, and as the Southern's connection with its Bluemont Branch, later the Washington & Old Dominion.

[Station Aficionado]

Back in the late 19th century, there was a dock for a barge that took trains across the Potomac to a dock at Alexandria (approximately where Wilkes Street is located)...

That explains the narrow railway tunnel on Wilkes St between Lee and Union (currently used as a foot/bike path).

Actually the Wilkes St. tunnel predated the B&O carferry operation by almost two decades. I believe it was built in the 1850s to allow the (then) Orange & Alexandria RR to access the waterfront. It remained in service into the 1950s, at least, and probably longer, serving both the waterfront industries and power plant, and as the Southern's connection with its Bluemont Branch, later the Washington & Old Dominion.

I believe the Wilkes St. tunnel remained in service until the mid '80's, serving the more southern of the two Robinson Terminal (Washington Post) facilities on the Alexandria waterfront. Tracks remained in place as far as the old SR Laboratory building (a couple of blocks west of Route 1) into the '90's. The power plant, however, and the northern Robinson Terminal facility are served by the still-active NS spur that branches off from the CSX mainline at what was the southern end of Potomac Yard. Also, I believe that is where connection was made with the W&OD.

[Trackbolt]

I got down Benning west of the Anacostia River for the first time since the tracks there were complete. I guess I was thinking that they were going to use an under ROW power source like DC Tranist did with the old system. So it looks like overhead trolly wires will go overhead in the city. I remember as a kid the old street car's electrical contact plow getting ripped off with packed ice during some of the bad snow storms of the late 1950's. That would tie everything up.
The last train from the Alexandria waterfront via Wilkes Street ran during the summer of 1976. Within 18 months the tracks were pulled and the ROW paved in the street. Not long after a housing project filled the area east of US 1 and the intersection of Wilkes Street and US 1 was closed off east of US 1.

Tony M.

[gprimr1]

In today's lawyer friendly, idiot friendly environment, I don't see how you could have open air row with ground based power. Part of me is amazed no one has tried to touch the third rail on metro and sue.

[Sand Box John]

First Modern Streetcar to Debut in the District
DDOT to Host DC Streetcar Showcase May 5-8; First Opportunity for Public to Board One of DC’s Modern Vehicles

[SemperFidelis]

Judging by the remains of the trolley line in Georgetown I think it would be rather hard to make contact with the power transmission rail if the design were replicated.

Of course, then someone would just "trip" over the slot and make a few hundred thousand dollars off of "back pain".

[Sand Box John]

"SemperFidelis"
Judging by the remains of the trolley line in Georgetown I think it would be rather hard to make contact with the power transmission rail if the design were replicated.

Using the abandoned tracks in Georgetown as a base for a conclusion is bad choice for an example. The cable car tracks in San Fransisco would be a better example as the underground part of the track structure there are nearly identical to what would be needed to be built.

I will note: The San Fransisco cable car tracks were totally rebuilt in the early 1980s.

[SemperFidelis]

That's why I added the part about replication ...thank you for the better example though.

Not much of an expert on the technology involved in much of railroading outside of my hopper cars.

I would imagine that anyone attempting to defraud the system wouldn't need in ground power to do it. Folks like that manage to "trip" over anything that the lawyer on Comedy Central at 3AM tells them seems out of place.

[Sand Box John]

"SemperFidelis"
I would imagine that anyone attempting to defraud the system wouldn't need in ground power to do it. Folks like that manage to "trip" over anything that the lawyer on Comedy Central at 3AM tells them seems out of place.

The conduit slot is narrower then your typical highway bridge expansion joint or catch basin grate. I will also note both sides of the current path are conducted in the conduit.



In the section above you will notice 2 contact rails. One rail carries the positive current, the other carries the return current.