Washington and Old Dominion Railroad
The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, the successor to the bankrupt Washington and Old Dominion Railway, was an intrastate short-line railroad located in Northern Virginia. Its oldest line extended from Alexandria on the Potomac River northwest to Bluemont at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Snickers Gap, not far from the boundary line between Virginia and West Virginia. The railroad's route largely paralleled the routes of the Potomac River and the present Virginia State Route 7.
The line followed the winding course of Four Mile Run upstream from Alexandria through Arlington to Falls Church. At that point, the railroad was above the Fall Line and was able to follow a more direct northwesterly course in Virginia through Dunn Loring, Vienna, Sunset Hills, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Paeonian Springs, Hamilton, Purcellville and Round Hill to its terminus at Bluemont, turning sharply to the west only after passing through Clarke's Gap in Catoctin Mountain west of Leesburg. A branch connected the line to Rosslyn. The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, the Bluemont Junction Trail, the Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway Trail, several other trails, Interstate 66, and Old Dominion Drive have replaced much of the railroad's route.
History
Predecessors of the W&OD (1855–1911)
Originally incorporated as the Alexandria and Harper's Ferry Railroad, construction on the line began in 1855 by the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad under the presidency of Lewis McKenzie. First intended to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River to reach the coal fields in the western part of Hampshire County, Virginia, that are now within Mineral County, West Virginia, the AL&H began operating to Vienna in 1859 from a terminal near Princess and Fairfax Streets in old town Alexandria.In 1860, the AL&H reached Leesburg in Loudoun County, with plans to extend the line through Hillsborough, Vestal's Gap, Berryville, Winchester and Romney before terminating in , where it would make connections with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Construction may have proceeded pursuant to those plans, as an 1864 Confederate army map shows that the railroad's tracks had passed Leesburg, crossed Catoctin Mountain at Clarke's Gap and passed Hillsborough.
Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., the line saw much use and disruption during the Civil War. After the war, the name of the line was changed in 1870 to the Washington and Ohio Railroad. After changing its planned route to enable it to cross the Blue Ridge through Snickers Gap rather than through the more northerly Vestal's Gap, the railroad extended its line from Leesburg to Hamilton in 1870 and to Round Hill in 1874.
Upon acquisition by new owners in the 1880s, the line's name was changed twice: first to the Washington and Western Railroad in 1882 and in the next year to the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad. However, the line did not serve Washington, Ohio, or the West.
In 1886, the Richmond and Danville Railroad, whose trunk line travelled between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta with connections to New York City, New Orleans, Mississippi and Florida, leased the WO&W. The Richmond and Danville also acquired a branch that paralleled the WO&W while traveling between Manassas and Strasburg, Virginia, where it connected to railroads in the Shenandoah Valley west of the Blue Ridge that the WO&W did not reach. In 1888, the Richmond and Danville began to operate the WO&W's trains between Washington, D.C., and Round Hill.
In 1894, the newly formed Southern Railway absorbed the Richmond and Danville Railroad and acquired the WO&W. In 1900, the Southern Railway extended the line westward for four miles from Round Hill to Bluemont. The Southern Railway designated the line as its Bluemont Branch.
By 1908, steam locomotives were hauling Southern Railway passenger trains from the new Union Station in Washington, D.C., to Alexandria Junction, where they switched to travel westward on the Bluemont Branch. Connecting trains shuttled passengers between Alexandria Junction and the former AL&H terminal in old town Alexandria. On weekends, express trains carried vacationers from Washington to Bluemont and other towns in western Loudoun County in which resorts had developed.
Meanwhile, in 1906, electric trolleys had begun to run on the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad northwest to Great Falls from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. This line, which John Roll McLean and Stephen Benton Elkins owned at the time, crossed the Potomac River on the old Aqueduct Bridge, passed through Rosslyn, and traveled northwest on a double-tracked line through Arlington and Fairfax County to an amusement park that the railroad company constructed and operated near the falls.
Maps
Washington and Old Dominion Railway (1911–1936)
In 1911, McLean and Elkins formed a new corporation, the Washington and Old Dominion Railway. In that year, they concluded negotiations with the Southern Railway to lease the Southern's Bluemont Branch and to take over all service on the branch on July 1, 1912. The lease excluded the portion of the Southern's route that connected Potomac Yard with the former AL&H terminal in old town Alexandria.In 1912, the GF&OD became the "Great Falls Division" of the W&OD Railway, while the Southern's Bluemont Branch became a part of the W&OD Railway's "Bluemont Division". The W&OD electrified all of its operations over the next four years, becoming an interurban electric trolley system that carried passengers, mail, milk and freight. From that time onward, W&OD trains crossed over Potomac Yard on a long trestle constructed earlier for the Southern Railway. In contrast to the Southern Railway's earlier Bluemont Branch service, the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division did not serve Washington's Union Station.
To join its two lines, the W&OD Railway constructed in 1912 a double-tracked Bluemont Division connecting line that traveled between two new junctions in Arlington: Bluemont Junction on the Alexandria-Bluemont line and Thrifton Junction on the Georgetown-Great Falls line. The connecting line passed through Lacey, crossing on a through girder bridge over a competing interurban electric trolley line, the Fairfax line of the Washington-Virginia Railway. The rival line carried passengers between Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston, Falls Church, Vienna and Fairfax City.
The railway's electrification system distributed 650 volts direct current to its Bluemont Division cars and trains through overhead catenary lines. Single overhead lines carried the Great Falls Division's electricity over its tracks. Stationary and movable electrical substations containing Westinghouse alternating current to DC converters were located at various points along the railway's routes.
The W&OD's main passenger line ran from Georgetown and Rosslyn through Thrifton Junction, Bluemont Junction and westward to Bluemont. However, after crossing the Potomac River from Georgetown, many W&OD passengers transferred in Rosslyn to the trolleys of the competing Washington-Virginia Railway. Most of the W&OD's freight trains ran between Potomac Yard, Bluemont Junction and either Rosslyn or various locations along the Bluemont Division.
In 1923, the W&OD Railway ceased operating from Georgetown when the federal government replaced the aging Aqueduct Bridge with the new Francis Scott Key Bridge. At the same time, the railroad constructed a new passenger station in Rosslyn which became its "Washington" terminal.
The W&OD Railway fell upon hard times in the 1930s during the Great Depression. In 1932, the railway went into bankruptcy and was placed in receivership. The railway also discontinued passenger service between Bluemont Junction and Alexandria during 1932.
In 1934, the railway abandoned operations on the Great Falls Division between Thrifton Junction and Great Falls. The abandoned railway route then became Old Dominion Drive. In 1979, the old rail trestle of the Great Falls Division over Difficult Run was demolished after years of carrying automobile traffic on Old Dominion Drive.
Washington and Old Dominion Railroad (1936–1965)
In 1936, the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, a new corporation that Davis Elkins had created, assumed operation of the remnants of the W&OD Railway, which consisted only of the Railway's Bluemont Division and the portion of the former Great Falls Division that had remained between Rosslyn and Thrifton. Shortly thereafter, in 1939, the railroad abandoned the western end of its line, which had connected the towns of Purcellville and Bluemont.In 1945, the W&OD Railroad acquired ownership of the section of line between Potomac Yard and Purcellville that the W&OD Railway had earlier leased from the Southern Railway. The Southern Railway retained ownership of the easternmost section of the railroad's route, which still connected Potomac Yard to the Southern's freight and passenger stations in old town Alexandria.
During the 1940s, the W&OD Railroad converted all of its lines' operations from electric to diesel or gasoline power. The railroad discontinued its electrified passenger service in 1941, but temporarily resumed passenger service during World War II using gas—electric motor cars and cars pulled by diesel–electric locomotives. Passenger and mail service finally ended in 1951; thereafter, the railroad carried only freight. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway purchased the W&OD Railroad in 1956, but did not change the railroad's name.
The 1960s were a decade of decline and closure for the W&OD. The Virginia highway department began negotiations to purchase the Rosslyn spur in 1960 and was trying to buy the mainline as early as 1962 for the construction of a road that was to become Interstate 66. In July 1962, the highway department bought the Rosslyn spur for $900,000. In September 1963, the railroad stopped operating to Rosslyn. The railroad removed its tracks between Lacey and Rosslyn by November 1964.
Abandonment
In February 1965, the Commonwealth of Virginia contracted to buy of the mainline from Herndon to Alexandria for $3.5 million. The C&O Railway then petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to abandon the railroad's remnant. The purchase would eliminate the need to build a grade separation where the railroad crossed the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway, at grade and at another grade separation for I-66. The purchase would also provide of right-of-way for I-66, saving the state $5 million.The purchase was opposed by business interests in Loudoun County, the Arlington County Chamber of Commerce, various state, county and local officials, railway labor organizations and 21 of the 133 shippers who still used the freight service. The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which was interested in converting the line to a commuter rail service, also opposed the purchase. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which at the time was planning to construct a rapid transit system for the Washington area, tried to postpone the abandonment in the hopes of using part of the right-of-way for transit.
The highway department simultaneously made plans to secretly sell all but of the route to the Virginia Electric and Power Company , whose transmission lines had run along the railroad's right-of-way. As a result, the highway department would sell to VEPCO the remaining of right-of-way, including the north of Herndon. The sale would thus prevent the NVCC from buying the land for mass transit.
In August 1967, transit advocates led by Del. Clive L. DuVal II and WMATA secured a 60-day postponement of the abandonment while they put together a plan to use the right-of-way for transit. However, according to WMATA general manager Jackson Graham, the estimated cost of using the full right-of-way for commuter rail was $70 million. Because WMATA did not expect the proposed transit line to be able to generate enough ridership to be cost-effective, WMATA rejected that option.
's Riverside Yard in Baltimore in January 1969.
On November 10, 1967, WMATA announced that it had come to an agreement with the highway department that would give WMATA a two- year option to buy a stretch of the right of way from Glebe Road to the Capital Beltway, where I-66 was to be built, and to operate mass transit in the highway's median strip. WMATA would also have a 2-year option to buy the of right-of-way from the Beltway to Herndon for the use of commuter trains, an option that WMATA did not exercise. A last minute offer to buy the railroad at its salvage cost and keep it running that the railroad's customers made was rejected in 1967.
In 1968, the ICC decided to permit the C&O to abandon and sell its line. After initially planning to run their last train on January 30, 1968, a temporary restraining order kept the line open until August 27, 1968. On the last day, B&O switcher 9155 pulled two empty lumber cars to Potomac Yard from the Murphy and Ames Lumber Company siding in Falls Church. On August 30, the railroad shipped its three diesel locomotives to the B&O's Baltimore engine terminal, from which a salvage dealer purchased them. By 1969, the C&O had removed all of its tracks and ties, except for some tracks that were crossing paved roads. In 1974, the railroad's bridge over the Capital Beltway was demolished to enable the highway to be widened.
Legacy
The Virginia highway department retained the section of the railroad's route that crossed the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway along the Arlington-Alexandria boundary and the portion of the route in Arlington immediately east of Falls Church, on which it built I–66. WMATA then constructed a part of Washington Metro's Orange Line within the median strip of I-66 on that portion of the railroad's former route.In 1977, VEPCO agreed to sell to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for $3.6 million the portion of its right-of-way that lay west of the Alexandria/Arlington boundary. The NVRPA then incorporated that portion of the right-of-way into its Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, within which it constructed the W&OD Trail. NVRPA completed the trail to Purcellville in 1988.
In 1999, Virginia Department of Historic Resources staff determined that the "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Historic District" was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.
On June 18, 1979, the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior added the Herndon depot to the NRHP. On May 28, 2010, the National Park Service added the Purcellville train station to the NRHP. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has added both stations to the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Bluemont Division, Alexandria-Bluemont line
Most of the Bluemont Division's passenger cars or trains ran on the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division's line from Georgetown over the Aqueduct Bridge through Rosslyn to Thrifton Junction. From Thrifton Junction, the trains ran on the Bluemont Division's connecting line to Bluemont Junction, where they met other Bluemont Division passenger cars or trains that ran from Alexandria, following Four Mile Run in Arlington. Some of the Bluemont Division cars or trains then continued their trips through Falls Church, Vienna, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Clarke's Gap and Purcellville to terminate in Bluemont, Virginia, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, following a route that was similar to that of Virginia State Route 7.After the W&OD Railroad closed, the Southern Railway and its successor, the Norfolk Southern Railway, operated a spur between the Alexandria waterfront and a north-south route that traveled through Potomac Yard before the Yard closed in 1989. The spur formerly served trains traveling from the eastern end of the Bluemont Division to the Southern Railway's freight and passenger stations in old town Alexandria. As the Southern Railway owned and operated the spur and the stations, this section of track remained in operation after the W&OD closed. Railroad operations ended on the spur in 2012–2013 when GenOn Energy's Potomac River Generating Station and the Robinson Terminal's Oronoco Street warehouse closed.
A paved trail in Alexandria's linear Mt. Jefferson Park has replaced part of the Bluemont Division's course through that city. NOVA Parks' -long W&OD Trail travels in the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park within the Bluemont Division's former right-of-way from the Alexandria/Arlington boundary through Bluemont Junction to Purcellville. The section of the Bluemont Division between Purcellville and Bluemont has not become a part of any trail, as the W&OD Railroad abandoned this section in 1938, thirty years before the remainder of its line closed.
Stations
The stations on the Alexandria-Bluemont line of the W&OD's Bluemont Division were:| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
| Alexandria Passenger Terminal | Northeast corner of Princess Street and N. Fairfax Street | City of Alexandria | --------- | West | Operated by Southern Railway | ||
| Alexandria Freight House | Northwest corner of Princess Street and N. Lee Street | City of Alexandria | --------- | East | Operated by Southern Railway | ||
| W&OD locomotive maintenance shed | Northwest of intersection of Massey Lane and Hunting Creek Drive | City of Alexandria | --------- | Northeast | East end of W&OD Railroad; Northeast of Southern Railway junction on east side of Potomac Yard | ||
| Alexandria Junction | Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway, between Calvert Avenue and Stewart Avenue, west of Jefferson Davis Highway | City of Alexandria | --------- | Southwest | Site of track connecting to Washington & Ohio Junction on Washington and Alexandria Railway 2) 3) | ||
| St. Elmo | Commonwealth Avenue at intersection with Ashby Street near northwest end of Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway | City of Alexandria | --------- | Southwest | Crossing of Washington-Mt. Vernon line of Washington-Virginia Railway Historical marker near site: | ||
| Cowdon | Opposite side of S. Shirlington Road from Mile Zero of W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 0 | South | Also named Nauck Station. Historical markers near site: | ||
| Barcroft | Columbia Pike & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 1.6 | Southwest | Formerly Arlington Mill station | ||
| Barcroft Freight House | Columbia Pike & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 1.6 | Northeast | |||
| Glencarlyn | W&OD Trail in Glencarlyn Park | Arlington County | 2.7 | Southwest | Agency station. Formerly Carlin Springs station. Historical marker at site. | ||
| Bluemont Junction | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | 3.4 | Northeast | 2) 3) 4) Historical marker near site: | ||
| Torrison | Wilson Boulevard & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 3.6 | Northeast | |||
| Fostoria | North Ohio Street & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 4.4 | Southwest | Historical marker near site: | ||
| Falls Church | Lee Highway & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 5.6 | Southwest | Agency station Historical marker at site: Historical marker near site: Three stations near site | ||
| Rothsay | W&OD Trail southeast of Oak Street | City of Falls Church | 6.5 | Northeast | Historical marker near site: | ||
| West Falls Church | W. Broad Street & W&OD Trail | City of Falls Church | 7.0 | South | Historical marker at site: Historical marker near site: | ||
| Evans | W&OD Trail near Fowler Street | Fairfax County | 7.4 | ||||
| Green | Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority right-of-way near Interstate 66 and Avon Lane; 0.4 miles south of W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | --------- | ||||
| Dunn Loring | Sandburg Street 2) 3) | ||||||
| Wedderburn | W&OD Trail, 0.2 miles west of Cedar Lane | Fairfax County | 10.1 | South | |||
| Franklin | W&OD Trail, between Owaissa Road SE and Adahi Road SE 2) 3) | ||||||
| Church Street | Church Street NE & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | 11.7 | Adjacent to Vienna Station of Washington-Virginia Railway | |||
| Vienna | 231 Dominion Road NE at Ayr Hill Avenue NE 2) | ||||||
| Clarks Crossing | Clarks Crossing Road & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 13.3 | Northeast | |||
| Piney | Piney Branch & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 13.7 | Historical marker near site: | |||
| Lowland | Lowland Station Road & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 14.0 | ||||
| Hunters | Hunter Mill Road 2) 3) 4) | ||||||
| Pinecrest | W&OD Trail near Michael Faraday Court | Fairfax County | 16.7 | ||||
| Soapstone Siding | W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | |||||
| Sunset Hills | Old Reston Avenue 2) | ||||||
| Thornton | W&OD Trail east of Town Center Parkway, Reston | Fairfax County | 18.4 | ||||
| Jackson | Sugarland Run & W&OD Trail, between Fairfax County Parkway and Herndon Parkway E | Fairfax County | 18.8 | ||||
| Coral | Coral Road & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 19.6 | Southwest | |||
| Herndon | 717 Lynn Street at Station Street & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 19.9 | Southwest | Agency station. Wye northwest of station 2) 3) 4) | ||
| Herndon Heights | Crestview Drive & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 20.9 | Northeast | |||
| Oak Grove | Locust Lane & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 21.3 | ||||
| Lynn | W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 21.6 | ||||
| Buchanan | Warwick Court & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 22.6 | ||||
| Sterling | W&OD Trail, north of Ruritan Circle | Loudoun County | 23.4 | West | Agency station. Formerly Guilford station. Historical marker at site: | ||
| Smiths | W&OD Trail; 0.4 miles southeast of crossing of Smith's Switch Road and W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 25.1 | Historical marker near site: | |||
| Normans 2) Tracks into History: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad | |||||||
| Ashburn | Ashburn Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 27.5 | Northeast | Agency station. Formerly Farmwell station. Historical marker at site: | ||
| Graves | W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 28.1 | ||||
| Belmont Park | Belmont Ridge Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 29.4 | Historical marker near site: | |||
| Trap Rock | Luck Stone Quarry & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 29.9 | North | Served Trap Rock Quarry ]. Historical marker near site: | ||
| Compher | Cochrane Mill Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 30.6 | ||||
| Pleasant View | W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 31.2 | ||||
| Lawson | Lawson Road SE & W&OD Trail | Town of Leesburg | 32.7 | Northeast | |||
| Leesburg Freight House | Harrison Street SE 2) 3) 4) | ||||||
| Leesburg Passenger Station | S. King Street 2) | ||||||
| Dry Mill | W&OD Trail, north of intersection of Dry Mill Road and Woodburn Road | Loudoun County | 35.8 | ||||
| Clarkes Gap | Dry Mill Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 38.0 | Northeast | Agency station. Historical marker at site: | ||
| Paeonian Springs | Simpson Circle & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 39.2 | South | Agency station. Historical marker at site: | ||
| Hamilton | Hamilton Station Road 2) | ||||||
| Ivandale | Ivandale Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 42.0 | North | |||
| Florance | N. Maple Avenue & W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | 43.8 | Historical marker near site: | |||
| Purcellville | N. 21st Street and W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | 44.8 2) Historical marker near site: | ||||
| Simmons | --------- | ||||||
| Round Hill Passenger Station | 35 Main Street | Town of Round Hill | --------- | South | Agency station. Electrical substation adjacent to south side of station. | ||
| Round Hill Freight House | 34 Main Street | Town of Round Hill | --------- | North | |||
| Scotland Heights | Scotland Heights Road | Loudoun County | --------- | Southwest | |||
| Homestead | --------- | ||||||
| Bluemont Terminal | Railroad Street, north of Snickersville Turnpike | Town of Bluemont | --------- | Northwest | Agency station. Wye on southeast side of tracks, opposite station. Original station constructed circa 1900; later burned. Replaced by smaller station. |
Existing remnants of the Bluemont Division, Alexandria-Bluemont line
The following remnants of the Alexandria-Bluemont Line existed in 2000 and later. Some were photographed in 1997 or in subsequent years:Existing stations
| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Operator | Present use | Photo | Notes | Image |
| Vienna | 231 Dominion Road NE at Ayr Hill Avenue NE & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | Northern Virginia Model Railroaders, Inc. | Museum and model railroad layout | Nomination form for National Register of Historic Places prepared in 2002. | |||
| Sunset Hills | Old Reston Avenue & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | NOVA Parks | Vacant | Former headquarters office of Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park. | |||
| Herndon | 717 Lynn Street at Station Street & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | Herndon Historical Society | Herndon Depot Museum and visitor center | Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1979. | |||
| Leesburg Freight House | Market Station at Harrison Street SE and Royal Street SE | Town of Leesburg | Metro Management Services | Pizza restaurant | Moved two blocks north of original location in 1984. Historical marker on building: | |||
| Clarkes Gap Passenger Shelter | Simpson Circle & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | NOVA Parks | Trailside shelter | Replaced burned Clarkes Gap station. Preserved by former W&OD Railroad employee. Relocated to former site of Paeonian Springs station by NOVA Parks. | |||
| Hamilton | Hamilton Station Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | Loudoun County Milling Company | Mill equipment storage | ||||
| Purcellville | 21st Street N and W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | Town of Purcellville | Loudoun Visitors Center. Public meeting space | Preserved and restored by Purcellville Preservation Association. Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2010. | |||
| Round Hill Passenger Station | 35 Main Street | Town of Round Hill | Private property owner | Residence | ||||
| Round Hill Freight House | 34 Main Street | Town of Round Hill | Private property owner |
Bridges
| Crossing | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile | Remnant | Photo | Image |
| Russell Road | Russell Road between W. Glebe Road and Kentucky Avenue | City of Alexandria | ------------ | Abutment of former railroad bridge | |||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Columbia Pike and Arlington Boulevard | Arlington County | 2.3 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Arlington Boulevard and N. Carlin Springs Road | Arlington County | 2.8 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between N. Carlin Springs Road and Wilson Boulevard | Arlington County | 3.4 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and N. Patrick Henry Drive | Arlington County | 3.9 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Lee Highway and Little Falls Street | Arlington County | 5.9 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Piney Branch | W&OD Trail between Ayr Hill Avenue NE and Hunter Mill Road | Fairfax County | 13.6 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Difficult Run | W&OD Trail between Ayr Hill Avenue NE and Hunter Mill Road | Fairfax County | 14.3 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Broad Run | W&OD Trail between Sully Road and Panorama Parkway | Loudoun County | 24.6 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Beaverdam Run | W&OD Trail between Smiths Switch Road and Ashburn Village Boulevard | Loudoun County | 26.2 | Abutments under trail bridge | |||
| Goose Creek | W&OD Trail between Belmont Ridge Road and Cochrane Mill Road | Loudoun County | 30.1 | Abutments and piers supporting trail bridge | |||
| Sycolin Creek | W&OD Trail between Belmont Ridge Road and Cochrane Mill Road | Loudoun County | 30.4 | Span, abutments and pier of railroad bridge. | |||
| Tuscarora Creek | W&OD Trail between Cochran Mill Road and Lawson Road SE | Town of Leesburg | 32.3 | Abutments and piers of railroad bridge south of W&OD Trail | |||
| Clarke's Gap | W&OD Trail and Dry Mill Road | Loudoun County | 38.2 | Stone arch above former W&OD line. | |||
| Unnamed stream | W&OD Trail west of Simpson Circle in Paeonian Springs | Loudoun County | 39.4 | Stone arch culvert under former W&OD line |
Other remnants
| Remnant | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile | Side of W&OD Trail | Photo | Notes |
| Former Norfolk Southern Railway spur | Tracks between Pendleton Street and CSX main line near Slaters Lane | City of Alexandria | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | No longer in operation; formerly owned by Southern Railway | |
| Floor of electrical substation at Bluemont Junction | Between soccer field and 1971 Southern Railway caboose east of W&OD Trail in Bluemont Junction Park | Arlington County | 3.4 | East | In Bluemont Junction Historical Railroad Display in Bluemont Junction Park | ||
| Coal trestle with rails and ties | 0.05 mile west of Lee Highway ; south of W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 5.6 | South | Formerly used to unload coal from hopper cars and fuel oil from tank cars Partially demolished in June 2014. Designated as local historic district in September 2014. | ||
| Leesburg Stationmaster's House | Market Station at Harrison Street SE and South Street SE | Town of Leesburg | ------------ | ------------ | Moved to Market Station. Used as cigar and pipe store. Historical marker on building: | ||
| Round Hill Electrical Substation | Adjacent to south side of former passenger station at 35 Main Street | Town of Round Hill | ------------ | ------------ | Private residence Enclosed by house |
Existing trails and parks along railroad route
Rail trails
- Trail in Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway between Jefferson Davis Highway and Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria
- Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail
Other trails
- Unpaved trail connecting Russell Road and Landover Street, Alexandria.
- Section of Mount Vernon Trail adjacent to Norfolk Southern Railway spur between Pendleton Street and E. Abingdon Drive, Alexandria
Linear parks
- Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway, Alexandria
- Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park
Great Falls Division
Great Falls Division stations
The stations on the Great Falls Division of the W&OD were:| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
| Georgetown | M Street, N.W., between 35th and 37th Streets, N.W. | District of Columbia | West | Terminal station of GF&OD and W&OD until 1923. Adjacent to Georgetown Car Barn, which served Washington's electric street cars. | ||
| Rosslyn | Passenger Terminal : Fort Myer Drive between George Washington Memorial Parkway and Lee Highway | Arlington County | West | The GF&OD and W&OD stopped at a passenger shelter from 1904 to 1923. The W&OD terminated behind a passenger station on Fort Myer Drive from 1923 to 1938. The railroad terminated near a maintenance shop in the present route of I-66 a short distance west of Fort Myer Drive from 1938 to 1964. All of the Rosslyn stations and termini were near the present site of the . Historical Marker: | ||
| Colonial | I-66 at N. Nash Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Rosslyn Freight House | I-66 near N. Oak Street | Arlington County | North | |||
| Mackeys | I-66 at N. Quinn Street | Arlington County | Northwest | |||
| Park Lane | I-66 east of N. Uhle Street; north of Lee Highway | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Pearce | I-66 near N. Adams Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Clark | I-66 near N. Calvert Street | Arlington County | South | Near east side of Spout Run. | ||
| Thrifton | I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway | Arlington County | South | North of Lyon Village shopping center near southeast end of Maywood Historic District. Named for Hugh A. Thrift. East of junction with Thrifton – Bluemont Junction connecting line. | ||
| Dominion Heights | Lee Highway at N. Monroe Street | Arlington County | South | Adjacent to Maywood Historic District | ||
| Cherrydale | Intersection of Lee Highway and Old Dominion Drive at Military Road | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Harrison | Old Dominion Drive at N. Thomas Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Greenwood | Old Dominion Drive at Lorcom Lane ; east of N. Vermont Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Maplewood | Old Dominion Drive between traffic lanes north of Lee Highway; west of N. Abingdon Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Livingston | Old Dominion Drive at 24th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | 24th Street N. was Livingstone Street prior to 1932 | ||
| Lyonhurst | Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | Named for the nearby estate of Frank Lyon | ||
| Summit | Old Dominion Drive at 26th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Rixey | Old Dominion Drive at N. Glebe Road | Arlington County | Northeast | Named for the nearby estate of Dr. Presley Marion Rixey. Marymount University now occupies the Rixey estate. Later station on southwest side of tracks. | ||
| Jewell | Old Dominion Drive at Rock Spring Road | Arlington County | Southwest | Named for Charles Jewell | ||
| Vanderwerken | Old Dominion Drive at Little Falls Road | Arlington County | North | Named for Gilbert Vanderwerken | ||
| Franklyn Park | Old Dominion Drive at Franklin Park Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Rockwell | Old Dominion Drive near Dominion Crest Lane | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Chesterbrook | Old Dominion Drive at Kirby Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| El Nido | Old Dominion Drive at Birch Road | Fairfax County | North | |||
| Selva | Old Dominion Drive at 6th Place | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Viresco | Old Dominion Drive between Pimmit Run and Linway Terrace | Fairfax County | Northeast | Southeast side of B&O Railroad right-of-way | ||
| Lawnvale | Old Dominion Drive near Holmes Place | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| McLean | Old Dominion Drive at Chain Bridge Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | Named for John Roll McLean | ||
| Ingleside | Old Dominion Drive at Ingleside Avenue | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Balls Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Balls Hill Road | Fairfax County | West | |||
| Hitaffer | Old Dominion Drive at Swinks Mill Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Jackson | Old Dominion Drive northwest of Swinks Mill Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Spring Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Prospect Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Place | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Belleview | Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Glendale | Old Dominion Drive at Towlston Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Peacock | Old Dominion Drive at Peacock Station Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Fairview | Old Dominion Drive at Falls Run Road | Fairfax County | West | |||
| Elkins | Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike | Fairfax County | West | Named for Stephen Benton Elkins. | ||
| Dickeys Road | Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park | Fairfax County | Named for . Near former site of Matildaville. | |||
| Great Falls | Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park | Fairfax County | Inside turnaround | 1. 2. | Terminal station of GF&OD and Great Falls Division of W&OD. |
Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line
The Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line, a component of the W&OD's Bluemont Division, opened in 1912. The line connected the W&OD's Great Falls Division with the Bluemont Division's Alexandria-Bluemont line.The line closed in sections in 1963 and 1968. I–66 and the adjacent Custis Trail replaced the line between Thrifton and Washington Boulevard in Ballston. Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Trail replaced the line between Washington Boulevard and Bluemont Junction.
Bluemont Junction, where the Bluemont Junction Trail now meets the W&OD Trail, presently contains an Arlington County railroad display that features a Southern Railway bay window caboose. The caboose was built in 1971, three years after the W&OD Railroad closed.
The stations on the Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line were:
| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
| Thrifton | I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway | Arlington County | South | North of Lyon Village shopping center near southeast end of Maywood Historic District. Named for Hugh A. Thrift. East of junction with Great Falls Division. | ||
| Hayes | N. Lincoln Street and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Douglas | N. Quincy Street and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Waverley Hills | N. Stafford Street and I-66 | Arlington County | Formerly Clements Avenue Station | |||
| Clarenford | N. Utah Street and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Lacey | N. Glebe Road and I-66 | Arlington County | Southeast | |||
| Washington Boulevard | Washington Boulevard and I-66 | Arlington County | ||||
| Waycroft | N. Buchanan Street and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | 0.2 mile south of crossing of Fairfax line of Washington-Virginia Railway Historical marker near site: Lacey Car Barn. | |||
| Garrison | N. George Mason Drive at Wilson Boulevard and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | Southeast | |||
| Arlington Avenue | N. Jefferson Street and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | ||||
| Bon Air | N. Kensington Street and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | South | |||
| Bluemont Junction | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | Northeast | 2) 3) 4) Historical marker near site: |
Existing roads, trails and parks along railroad route
Road
I-66 between Lee Highway and Washington Boulevard.Rail Trail
Bluemont Junction Trail between Washington Boulevard and Mile 3.3 of Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail.Other Trail
Custis Trail between Lee Highway and Washington Boulevard.Linear park
Bluemont Junction Park between Fairfax Drive and W&OD Trail.Surviving Locomotives
At least four locomotives that the W&OD had owned or leased still survived in 2017.- B&O 8413, a General Motors' Electro-Motive Corporation SW1 diesel–electric switcher locomotive assembled in 1940 with construction number 1111, was one of the first SW1s that Electro-Motive built. After acquisition, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad initially numbered the locomotive as 213, but subsequently changed the number to 8413. Leased by the W&OD in 1968, B&O #8413 was one of the last locomotives to operate on the W&OD before the railroad closed during the same year. After four transfers of ownership, Cargill purchased the locomotive, which became Cargill #6751. Cargill moved the locomotive to Ogden, Utah, in 1993 for use in the company's Globe Mill. Following Cargill's donation of the locomotive in 2010, the Utah Central Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad delivered it to the Utah State Railroad Museum at Ogden's Union Station on May 21, 2011, where it was photographed in 2017.
- C&O 5015 is an American Locomotive Company S-2 diesel–electric switcher locomotive that the W&OD leased from the C&O. Built in 1946 with a 1000-horsepower engine, the locomotive was used during the W&OD's final decade of operations. After serving five more railroads, the locomotive became Columbia & Reading Railway #2-26 in 2009. It was operating in Columbia, Pennsylvania, on that line in 2019.
- W&OD 47, a General Electric 44-ton centercab switcher, built and delivered to the W&OD in December 1941 with construction number 15041 and a 380-horsepower engine, was the railroad's first diesel–electric locomotive. It was joined by the similar #48 and #49, both built in August 1942. Sold to the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville Railroad in 1950 and renumbered to 30, the former W&OD 47 went to Cargill in Houston, Texas in 1967. Cargill subsequently reassigned it to Denver, Colorado. After serving on the Great Western Railway of Colorado as #44, the locomotive retained its number when it became the Burlington Junction Railway's first when the BJRY opened in 1985. BJRY44 subsequently operated in Mount Pleasant, West Burlington and Burlington, Iowa. The locomotive was photographed in Burlington during 2018.
- W&OD 50 is a 50-ton steeplecab Baldwin-Westinghouse electric locomotive built in October 1920 with four Westinghouse type 562-D-5 100 horsepower motors as Baldwin Locomotive Works serial number 53784 and brought to the W&OD Railway during the same year. After retiring the locomotive in 1945, the W&OD Railroad sold it in 1947 to the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway, which renumbered it to 58. In 1955 it was sold to the Kansas City, Kaw Valley & Western Railway as #507. It was sold in 1962 to the Iowa Terminal Railroad and renumbered to 50, becoming #50 of the Iowa Traction Railroad in 1987. Upon purchase in October 2012, the line was renamed to the Iowa Traction Railway. The Iowa Traction Railway was operating the locomotive in Mason City, Iowa, in 2019, the locomotive's 99th year.
Maps
W&OD Railway and Railroad system maps
Pre-Civil War maps
- 1859 map showing the planned route of the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad between the Washington, D.C. area, Leesburg, Winchester, Romney, and Paddy Town:
- c. 1860 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad between the city of Alexandria and Leesburg, with mileages of stations from Alexandria:
- 1861 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between Alexandria County and Leesburg, with mileages between stations:
Civil War maps
- July 1861 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between Alexandria County and Leesburg and the railroad's planned route through Clarks Gap, Hillsborough, Vestal's Gap, Berryville, Winchester and Lockhardt's Gap: Library of Congress catalog note: "Probable Confederate copy of Bureau of Topographical Engineers original."
- 1862 topgraphical map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad in the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County : .
- January 1, 1862, map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad in Alexandria County, Falls Church, Fairfax County and Loudoun County, Virginia: Library of Congress catalog note: "Accompanied by sheet: Presented to Brig. Genl. S. Williams, A.A. Genl. Hd. Qrs. Army, by order of Maj. Genl. McClellan, Comd. in Chf. U.S.A. A.W. Whipple, Maj. T.E."
- September 17, 1862, map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between Alexandria County and Leesburg and the railroad's planned route through Clark's Gap, Hillsborough, Vestal's Gap, Berryville, Winchester and Lockhardt's Gap:
- October 6, 1862, map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between Falls Church and Leesburg and the railroad's planned route through Clark's Gap, Vestal's Gap, Berryville, Winchester and Lockhardt's Gap:
- c. 1862 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between the city of Alexandria and Arlington Mills:
- October 30, 1862, map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between Falls Church and Pimmit Run:
- 1864 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between the city of Alexandria and Farmwell station:
- 1864 Army of Northern Virginia map showing tracks of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad passing Leesburg, crossing Catoctin Mountain at Clarke's Gap and passing Hillsborough:
- 1865 map showing the route of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad between the city of Alexandria and Falls Church:
Post-Civil War maps
- Circa 1878 map showing the route of the Washington and Ohio Railroad in the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County, Virginia:
- 1883 map showing the entire route of the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad except in the city of Alexandria:
- 1900 map showing the route of the Southern Railway in the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County, Virginia:
- 1907 map showing the route of the Southern Railway in the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County, Virginia:
Topographic maps
- 1884 topographic map of the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County, showing the route of the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad :
- 1893 topographic map of northwestern Loudoun County, showing the route of the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad between Round Hill and Goose Creek:
- 1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Richmond and Danville Railroad between the railroad's Alexandria terminal and Hunters Road station:
- 1894 topographic map showing the entire route of the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad except in the city of Alexandria:
- 1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Virginia Midland Division of the Southern Railway between Herndon and the city of Alexandria:
- 1898 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Washington & Round Hill Branch of the Southern Railway between Alexandria and Wedderburn:
- 1908 topographic map of northwestern Loudoun County, showing the route of the Bluemont Branch of the Southern Railway between Sterling and Ashburn:
- 1915 topographic map of northwestern Fairfax County, showing the route of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division between Vienna and Herndon and the Great Falls Division between Difficult Run and Great Falls:
- 1915 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division between Alexandria and Wedderburn and between Thrifton and Bluemont Junction, and the Great Falls Division between Georgetown and Great Falls:
- 1917 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division between Alexandria and Wedderburn and between Thrifton and Bluemont Junction, and the Great Falls Division between Georgetown and Great Falls:
- 1929 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division between Alexandria and Wedderburn and between Thrifton and Bluemont Junction, and the Great Falls Division between Rosslyn and Great Falls:
- 1943 topographic map of northeastern Loudoun County, showing the route of the W&OD Railroad between Goose Creek and Leesburg:
- 1944 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railroad between Rosslyn and Bluemont Junction, between Alexandria and Bluemont Junction, and between Bluemont Junction and Wedderburn:
- 1951 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railroad between Rosslyn and Bluemont Junction, between Alexandria and Bluemont Junction, and between Bluemont Junction and Wedderburn:
- 1956 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Arlington County and Falls Church, showing the routes of the W&OD Railroad between Rosslyn and Bluemont Junction, between Alexandria and Bluemont Junction, and between Bluemont Junction and West Falls Church:
- 1965 topographic map of Washington, D.C, the city of Alexandria, Arlington County and Falls Church, showing the route of the W&OD Railroad between Alexandria and Vienna:
Timetables
Passenger service
- Time Table--No. 1, Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad Company, To Take Effect on and after Monday, January 16, 1860. In
- In , p. 29.
- Schedule of Trains: Effective June 11, 1916: Washington and Old Dominion Railway: Great Falls Division. In , p. 56.
- Washington and Old Dominion Railway: Bluemont Division: Washington—Bluemont Junction—Bluemont. In , p. 72.
Mail service
Videos
- Video filmed in 1939 from Rosslyn to Difficult Run Bridge west of Vienna.
- Video filmed in 1939 at various points along the W&OD Railroad.
- : 1861 Civil War skirmish on Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad in Vienna.