to Florida. CSX does try to move some trains out of the way at
rush hour, but hotshots like the orange juice train (a solid string
of expedited reefers from Florida to New York) and intermodal
trains get shuffled in with the commuters. More operating fun!
Both lines use some great historic stations along the way.
Trains to both Manassas and Fredericksburg stop at Alexandria
Union Station, built in 1905 and extensively refurbished at the
end of the century. At the other end of the Fredericksburg Line
is a former RF&P station built in 1910, now partly occupied by
a German restaurant. The former Southern RR station, built
in 1914, serves as a stop for VRE and three Amtrak trains in
Manassas. Coincidentally, the Manassas station serves as the
cover for a 1972 record album by Steven Stills.
8: A VRE consist passes a CSX single-stack train south
of Quantico. Fitting commuter operations into other
high-priority traffic can provide an operating challenge
on a modern layout. (The single-stacks are required
because of clearances in the Washington area).
8
Modern commuter service -
MRH-Feb 2013
