DC-Newport News?

[SPUI]

Prior to Amtrak, did the C&O ever operate DC-Newport News trains over the RF&P?

[coalmine]

IIRC, C&O trains operated between Charlottesville and News eastbound and News and Charlottesville westbound. This was an all-C&O route.

News cars split from or joined with Washington-blound trains as outlined above.

Hope this helps.

work safe

[SPUI]

Hmmm. The C&O was a part-owner of the RF&P - do you know if any RF&P trains were operated specifically to pick up C&O cars at Richmond? Or were they joined with other trains (ACL, SAL, etc)?

[coalmine]

To the best of my knowledge, no. C&O acted independently. Even at the end, their through sleepers went on the C&O/SOU joint operation to DC; then they went north on the PRR to New York.

Hope this helps.

work safe

[COEN77]

The C&O (CSX) ran trains from Richmond to Newport News up into the '90s when Amtrak hired there own crews the C&O employees had an option to transfer with a gaurentee of 18 months to decide to stay with Amtrak or go back to CSX. Same thing happened out of Clifton Forge, VA the engineer ran to Charlottesville and the train crew went all the way in to DC, Amtrak took over that run about 3-4 years ago.

[mmi16]

At Doswell, where the C&O (now Buckingham Branch Railroad) and the RF&P Subdivision of CSX cross. There is no NE connection track between the C&O & RF&P that would be required to efficiently operate from DC to Newport News.

The only connection is the SW connection which would facilitate movements between the C&O West of Doswell to the RF&P South of Doswell.

In the present day, the BB has a local that services industries in and around Doswell, leaving cars in the yard at Doswell for CSX local crews to take to Richmond and vice versa.

[Statkowski]

Prior to Amtrak, all C&O passenger operations into and out of Newport News were between Charlottesville and Newport News. The C&O station stop in Richmond was at the Main Street Station, which had been shared with the Seaboard Air Line prior to its merger with competitor Atlantic Coast Line. If one wished to transfer between Main Street Station (downtown) and Union Station (on the outskirts of town), one could either take a taxi or a city bus.

While attending the U.S. Army's Transportation School at Fort Eustis in early 1967, I frequently used the station at Lee Hall. Their advertised RDC ("Chessieliner") service between Newport News and Charlottesville was usually an E-8 and a single coach. Great for speed; horrible for stopping.

[Statkowski]

A follow-up to the preceding, the 1969 Official Guide shows just one train, the George Washington, running between Newport News and Charlottesville (No. 41 westward and No. 42 eastward).

Westward equipment shows a Chessie Starlight Sleeper from Newport News to Cincinnati, Reclining Seat Coaches from Newport News to Detroit & Newport News to Cincinnati, and a Snack Diner from Newport News to Clifton Forge. Eastward offerings were the same except the Snack Diner was from Charlottesville to Newport News.

Station stops between Newport News and Richmond (Main St. Station) included Hampton Roads (M.P. 4), Lee Hall (M.P. 18) and Williamsburg (M.P. 27).