The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad (colloquially referred to as the W&OD) 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 (VA 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 (now in Reston), 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 Clarks Gap in Catoctin Mountain west of Leesburg. The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD Trail) and several other trails have replaced much of the railroad's route.
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Originally incorporated as the Alexandria and Harper's Ferry Railroad, construction on the line began in 1855 by the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire (AL&H) Railroad. 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 station on Fairfax Street in old town Alexandria. In 1860, the AL&H reached Leesburg in Loudoun County. 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. The line was extended 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 (WO&W) Railroad. However, the line's trains did not serve either Washington, Ohio, or the West.
In 1886, the Richmond and Danville Railroad, a trunk line that connected New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and New Orleans, leased the WO&W.[1] In 1888, the Richmond and Danville began to operate the WO&W's trains between Washington, D.C., and Round Hill.[2]
In 1894, the newly-formed Southern Railway absorbed the Richmond and Danville Railroad and acquired the WO&W.[3] In 1900, the Southern Railway extended the line westward for four miles from Round Hill to Bluemont (formerly Snickersville). 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 (north of old town Alexandria), 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 (GF&OD) northwest to Great Falls from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. This line 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 (trolley park) that the railway constructed and operated near the Falls.
In 1911, the owners of the GF&OD formed a new corporation, the Washington and Old Dominion Railway.[4] In that year, the owners 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.[5] The lease excluded the portion of the Southern's route that connected Potomac Yard with the former AL&H terminal in old town Alexandria.[5]
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 viaduct 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 a short distance west of Ballston, crossing on a plate girder bridge over a competing interurban electric trolley line (the Fairfax line of the Washington-Virginia Railway) that carried passengers between Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston, Falls Church, Vienna and Fairfax City.
The railway distributed direct current (DC) to its Bluemont Division cars and trains through overhead catenary wires. Single overhead wires carried the Great Falls Division's electricity over its tracks. Stationary and movable electrical substations containing Westinghouse transformers and AC 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. In 1934, the railway abandoned operations on the Great Falls Division between Thrifton Junction and Great Falls.
In 1936, a new corporation, the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, assumed operation of the remnants of the W&OD Railway, which by then consisted only of the Railway's Bluemont Division and the portion of the former Great Falls Division that had remained between Rosslyn and Thrifton (which was no longer a junction). Shortly thereafter, in 1939, the railroad abandoned the western end of its line, which had connected the towns of Purcellville and Bluemont.
In 1943, 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 between Potomac Yard and old town Alexandria.
During the 1940s, the W&OD Railroad converted all of its lines' operations from electric to diesel or gasoline power. During that decade, the railroad discontinued its electrified passenger service in 1941, but temporarily resumed passenger service during the Second World War 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 (C&O) purchased the W&OD Railroad in 1956, but did not change the railroad's name. In 1963, the C&O abandoned the segment of its line that traveled between Rosslyn, Thrifton and Ballston. The Commonwealth of Virginia then purchased this segment to acquire a right-of-way for the planned route of Interstate 66 (I-66).
Five years later, in 1968, the railroad, which by that time ran only between Alexandria and Purcellville, ceased operations. Shortly thereafter, the C&O sold the remainder of the railroad's route to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth then sold most of the route to the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO) (now Dominion Virginia Power), whose transmission lines had run along the railroad's right-of-way. The Commonwealth retained a portion of the route in Arlington immediately east of Falls Church, on which it built I-66, and the section of the route which crossed the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (presently part of Interstate 395 (I-395)) along the Arlington-Alexandria boundary.
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 old-town Alexandria or Potomac Yard, 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, Clarkes 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.
The Norfolk Southern Railway now operates a spur between the Alexandria waterfront and a Southern Railway main line that earlier had traveled through Potomac Yard. The route of the spur formerly served W&OD trains traveling on the Bluemont Division to the Division's freight and passenger stations in old town Alexandria. As the Southern Railway owned and operated the route of the spur and the stations, this section of track remained in operation after the W&OD closed.
A paved trail in Alexandria's linear Mt. Jefferson Park and Greenway has replaced part of the Bluemont Division's course through that city.[6] The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's 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 many years before the remainder of its line closed in 1968.
I-66 and its adjacent Custis Trail now travel on the former right-of-way of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division between Rosslyn and Thrifton Junction. The highway and the trail continue to Washington Boulevard in Ballston along the former route of the Bluemont Division's Thrifton — Bluemont Junction connecting line.
Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Trail now travels on the connecting line's former right-of-way from Washington Boulevard to meet the W&OD Trail near Bluemont Junction. The Junction now contains an Arlington County railroad display that features a Southern Railway bay window caboose that was built in 1972, four years after the W&OD closed.
The stations on the Alexandria-Bluemont line of the Bluemont Division (with locations of sites in 2008) were:
| Station[7] | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile[8] | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Terminal | Northeast corner of Princess Street and N. Fairfax Street | City of Alexandria | ---------- | Operated by Southern Railway | |||
| W&OD locomotive maintenance shed[6] | 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[6][9] | Mt. Jefferson Park, between Calvert Avenue and Stewart Avenue, west of Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. Route 1) | City of Alexandria | ---------- | Southwest | circa 1918 | Site of track connecting to Washington & Ohio Junction on Washington and Alexandria Railway (Southern Railway main line).[10] Connecting track removed in 1912.[11] Historical markers near site:[12][13] 1) The Bluemont Line 2) St. Asaph Racetrack |
|
| St. Elmo[6][14] | Commonwealth Avenue (northwest side) at intersection with Ashby Street near northwest end of Mt. Jefferson Park and Greenway | City of Alexandria | ---------- | Southwest | 1932 1932 |
Crossing of Washington-Mt. Vernon line of Washington-Virginia Railway[6] Historical marker near site:[12][13] The Electric Railway |
|
| Cowdon[14] | Opposite side (east side) of S. Shirlington Road from Mile Zero of W&OD Trail (0.1 mile west of Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (I-395)) | Arlington County[15] | 0[16] | South | Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Washington and Old Dominion Trail 2) Tracks Into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad 3) Nauck: A Neighborhood History |
||
| Barcroft[18] | Columbia Pike (VA Route 244) (south side) & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 1.6[19] | Southwest | circa 1910 | Formerly Arlington Mill station | |
| Barcroft Freight House | Columbia Pike (VA Route 244) (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 1.6[19] | Northeast | circa 1967 | ||
| Glencarlyn[20] | W&OD Trail in Glencarlyn Park (near north side of Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) overpass) | Arlington County | 2.7[19] | Southwest | 1896–1912 1918 |
Agency station. Formerly Carlin Springs station. Historical marker at site.[21] |
|
| Bluemont Junction[20][22] | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | 3.4[23] | Northeast | 1934 (aerial) 1950's |
Junction with Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line Wye on east side of tracks.[22] Station and electrical substation within wye[22] Station near south side of electrical substation in 1916.[22] Station adjacent to south side of electrical substation after 1918 Historical markers at site:[17] 1) Bluemont Junction 2) The Great Falls Line 3) Rosslyn Station 4) Bluemont Junction, ca. 1934 Historical marker near site:[17] Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
|
| Torrison[20] | Wilson Boulevard (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 3.6[23] | Northeast | |||
| Fostoria[24] | North Ohio Street (west side) & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 4.4[23] | Southwest | Historical marker near site:[25] Brandymore Castle | ||
| Falls Church (East Falls Church)[24] | Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 5.6[23] | Southwest | 1951 Undated circa 1966 |
Agency station Historical marker at site:[26] East Falls Church Station Historical marker near site:[27] East Falls Church Three stations near site[28] |
|
| Rothsay[24] | W&OD Trail southeast of Oak Street | City of Falls Church | 6.5[29] | Northeast | Historical marker near site:[17] Train Wrecks | ||
| West Falls Church[30] | W. Broad Street (VA Route 7) (east side) & W&OD Trail | City of Falls Church | 7.0[29] | South | 1890's | Historical marker at site:[17] West Falls Church Station Historical marker near site:[17] Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
|
| Evans | W&OD Trail near Fowler Street | Fairfax County | 7.4[29] | ||||
| 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[31] | Sandburg Street (west side) & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 9.1[32] | North | 1950's | Agency station. Historical markers at site:[17] 1) Dunn Loring Station 2) Camp Alger 3) Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
|
| Wedderburn[31] | W&OD Trail, 0.2 miles west of Cedar Lane | Fairfax County | 10.1[32] | South | Undated | ||
| Franklin | W&OD Trail, between Owaissa Road SE and Adahi Road SE (0.1 mile southeast of bridge abutment of Fairfax line of Washington-Virginia Railway on north side of W&OD Trail) | Town of Vienna | 10.3[32] | ||||
| Park Street | Park St. SE & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | 11.3[32] | Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Civil War Action at Vienna 2) Electric Trains on the W&OD 3) The Great Falls Line |
|||
| Church Street | Church Street NE & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | 11.7[32] | Adjacent to Vienna Station of Washington-Virginia Railway | |||
| Vienna[33] | 231 Dominion Road NE at Ayr Hill Avenue NE (southeast side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | 11.8[34] | Southwest | 1894-1912 | Agency station. National Register of Historic Places nomination form for station prepared in 2002[35] Historical marker at site:[17] Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Vienna Station 2) Vienna Centennial Park |
|
| Clarks Crossing[36] | Clarks Crossing Road (southwest side) & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 13.3[34] | Northeast | |||
| Piney | Piney Branch & W&OD Trail (northwest of Peppermill Place) | Fairfax County | 13.7[34] | Historical marker near site:[17] Terror by the Tracks | |||
| Lowland | Lowland Station Road & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 14.0[34] | ||||
| Hunters[37] | Hunter Mill Road (VA Route 674) (east side) & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 14.7[38] | Southwest | before 1912 | Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Hunter Station Circa 1900 2) Hunter Station 3) Strategic Junction: Hunter Mill Road and the AL&H Railroad 4) Crossroads to War |
|
| Pinecrest | W&OD Trail near Michael Faraday Court | Fairfax County | 16.7[38] | ||||
| Soapstone Siding | W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | |||||
| Sunset Hills[39] | Old Reston Avenue (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | 17.7[40] | Northeast | 1966 | Agency station. Formerly Wiehle station. Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Sunset Hills Station 2) Train Wrecks |
|
| Thornton | W&OD Trail east of Town Center Parkway | Fairfax County | 18.4[40] | ||||
| Jackson | Sugarland Run & W&OD Trail, between Fairfax County Parkway and Herndon Parkway E | Fairfax County | 18.8[40] | ||||
| Coral[41] | Coral Road (northeast side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 19.6[40] | Southwest | |||
| Herndon[41][42] | 717 Lynn Street at Station Street (south side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 19.9[40] | Southwest | 1890; | Agency station. Wye northwest of station (northeast side of tracks).[41] Electrical substation attached to southeast side of station.[41] Station listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[43][44] Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Herndon Station 2) Mosby’s Herndon Station Raid 3) Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad 4) The Rail Strike of 1916 |
|
| Herndon Heights[45] | Crestview Drive (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | 20.9[46] | Northeast | |||
| Oak Grove | Locust Lane & W&OD Trail (near Dominion Lane) | Loudoun County | 21.3[46] | ||||
| Lynn | W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 21.6[46] | ||||
| Buchanan | Warwick Court & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 22.6[46] | ||||
| Sterling[47] | W&OD Trail, north of Ruritan Circle (Old Church Road) (VA Route 859) | Loudoun County | 23.4[48] | West | 1927 | Agency station. Formerly Guilford station. Historical marker at site:[17] Sterling Station |
|
| Smiths[49] | W&OD Trail; 0.4 miles southeast of crossing of Smith's Switch Road and W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 25.1[48] | Historical marker near site:[17] Rails to Dulles Airport | |||
| Normans (Smith's)[50] | 0.1 mile northwest of crossing of Smith's Switch Road and W&OD Trail; 0.03 miles northwest of W&OD Trail rest stop. | Loudoun County | 25.7[51] | Northeast | 1920's | Historical markers near site: 1) Norman's Station[17] 2) Tracks into History: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad[52] |
|
| Ashburn[53] | Ashburn Road (VA Route 641) (east side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 27.5[51] | Northeast | 1967 | Agency station. Historical marker at site:[17] Ashburn Station |
|
| Graves | W&OD Trail (west of west end of Graves Lane) | Loudoun County | 28.1[51] | ||||
| Belmont Park[42] | Belmont Ridge Road (VA Route 659) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 29.4[54] | Historical marker near site: Belmont[55] | |||
| Trap Rock | Luck Stone Quarry & W&OD Trail (0.5 miles west of Belmont Ridge Road (VA Route 659)) | Loudoun County | 29.9[54] | North | Served Trap Rock Quarry (now Leesburg plant of Luck Stone Corp.). Historical marker near site:[17] Diesel Trains on the W&OD |
||
| Compher | Cochrane Mill Road & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 30.6[54] | ||||
| Pleasant View | W&OD Trail (west of intersection of Trailview Boulevard and Breakstone Drive) | Loudoun County | 31.2[56] | ||||
| Lawson[57] | Lawson Road SE (southeast side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Leesburg | 32.7[56] | Northeast | |||
| Leesburg Freight House[57] | Harrison Street SE (west side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Leesburg | 34.2[58] | Northeast | 1966 | Wye on northeast side of tracks Freight House inside of wye Historical marker at site:[17] Leesburg Freight Station Historical markers near site:[17] 1) The Leesburg Lime Company 2) Stationmaster's House 3) The Depot 4) Norman-Harding Barn (The "Wharf") 5) McKimmey's Mill |
|
| Leesburg Passenger Station[57] | S. King Street (U.S. Route 15) (west side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Leesburg | 34.4[58] | Northeast | 1906 | Agency station. Historical marker at site:[17] Leesburg Passenger Station Historical markers near site:[17] 1) Electric Trains on the W&OD 2) The Great Falls Line |
|
| Dry Mill | W&OD Trail, north of intersection of Dry Mill Road and Woodburn Road | Loudoun County | 35.8[58] | ||||
| Clarkes Gap[59] | Dry Mill Road (northwest side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 38.0[60] | Northeast | 1930 | Agency station. Historical marker at site:[17] Clarkes Gap |
|
| Paeonian Springs[59] | Simpson Circle (west side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 39.2[18] | South | 1920's | Agency station. Historical marker at site:[17] Paeonian Springs Station |
|
| Hamilton[61] | Hamilton Station Road (east side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 40.9[62] | South | Before 1912 |
Agency station. Historical markers at site:[17] 1) Hamilton Station 2) Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
|
| Ivandale[63] | Ivandale Road (east side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | 42.0[62] | North | |||
| Florance | N. Maple Avenue (VA Route 722) & W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | 43.8[64] | Historical marker near site:[17] Electric Trains on the W&OD | |||
| Purcellville[65] | N. 21st Street (northeast side) and W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | 44.8[64]
(End) |
South | 1940 1951 |
Agency station. Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[66][67] Historical markers at site:[17] 1) Purcellville Station 2) Beyond Purcellville Historical marker near site:[17] Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
|
| Simmons | ---------- | ||||||
| Round Hill Passenger Station[68] | 35 Main Street (southeast side of Main street) | Town of Round Hill | ---------- | South | circa 1912 looking south circa 1912 looking west |
Agency station. Electrical substation adjacent to south side of station. |
|
| Round Hill Freight House[68] | 34 Main Street (northwest side of Main Street) | Town of Round Hill | ---------- | North | circa 1912 looking west | ||
| Scotland Heights[69] | Scotland Heights Road (northeast side) | Loudoun County | ---------- | Southwest | |||
| Homestead | ---------- | ||||||
| Bluemont Terminal[70] | Railroad Street (VA Route 753), north of Snickersville Turnpike (VA Route 734) | Town of Bluemont | ---------- | Northwest | circa 1905 circa 1912 1939 |
Agency station. Wye on southeast side of tracks, opposite station. Original station constructed circa 1900; later burned. Replaced by smaller station. |
The following remnants of the Alexandria-Bluemont Line existed in 2010. Some were photographed in 1997 and in subsequent years:
| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Operator | Present use | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | 231 Dominion Road NE at Ayr Hill Avenue NE (southeast side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Vienna | Northern Virginia Model Railroaders, Inc. | Museum and model railroad layout | 2007 | Nomination form for National Register of Historic Places prepared in 2002.[35] | |
| Sunset Hills | Old Reston Avenue (west side) & W&OD Trail | Fairfax County | Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority | Vacant | 2009 | Former headquarters office of Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park. | |
| Herndon | 717 Lynn Street at Station Street (south side) & W&OD Trail | Town of Herndon | Herndon Historical Society | Herndon Depot Museum and visitor center | video | Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[43][44] | |
| Leesburg Freight House | Market Station at Harrison Street SE (west side) and Royal Street SE | Town of Leesburg | Metro Management Services, LLC | Pizza restaurant | 2008 | Moved two blocks north of original location in 1984.[71] Historical marker on building: The Depot |
|
| Clarkes Gap Passenger Shelter | Simpson Circle (west side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority | Trailside shelter | 2007 | Replaced burned Clarkes Gap station. Preserved by former W&OD Railroad employee. Relocated to former site of Paeonian Springs station by Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority.[72][73] | |
| Hamilton | Hamilton Station Road (east side) & W&OD Trail | Loudoun County | Loudoun County Milling Company | Mill equipment storage | undated 2010 |
||
| Purcellville | 21st Street N (east side) and W&OD Trail | Town of Purcellville | Town of Purcellville[74] | Public meeting space | undated 2009 2009 |
Preserved and restored by Purcellville Preservation Association.[75] Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[66][67] |
|
| Round Hill Passenger Station | 35 Main Street (south side of Main Street) | Town of Round Hill | Private property owner | Residence | 1997 | ||
| Round Hill Freight House | 34 Main Street (northwest side of Main Street) | Town of Round Hill | Private property owner |
| Crossing | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile | Remnant | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Road | Russell Road (west side) between W. Glebe Road and Kentucky Avenue | City of Alexandria | ------------ | Abutment of former railroad bridge | undated | |
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Columbia Pike and Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) | Arlington County | 2.3[19] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) and N. Carlin Springs Road | Arlington County | 2.8[19] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between N. Carlin Springs Road and Wilson Boulevard | Arlington County | 3.4[23] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and N. Patrick Henry Drive | Arlington County | 3.9[23] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Four Mile Run | W&OD Trail between Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) and Little Falls Street | Arlington County | 5.9[29] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Piney Branch | W&OD Trail between Ayr Hill Avenue NE and Hunter Mill Road | Fairfax County | 13.6[34] | Abutments under trail bridge | 2010 | |
| Difficult Run | W&OD Trail between Ayr Hill Avenue NE and Hunter Mill Road | Fairfax County | 14.3[34] | Abutments under trail bridge | 2009 | |
| Broad Run | W&OD Trail between Sully Road and Panorama Parkway | Loudoun County | 24.6[48] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Beaverdam Run | W&OD Trail between Smiths Switch Road and Ashburn Village Boulevard | Loudoun County | 26.2[51] | Abutments under trail bridge | ||
| Goose Creek | W&OD Trail between Belmont Ridge Road and Cochrane Mill Road | Loudoun County | 30.1[54] | Abutments and piers supporting trail bridge | 2007 | |
| Sycolin Creek | W&OD Trail between Belmont Ridge Road and Cochrane Mill Road | Loudoun County | 30.4[54] | Span, abutments and pier of railroad bridge (now trail bridge). | ||
| Tuscarora Creek | W&OD Trail between Cochran Mill Road and Lawson Road SE | Town of Leesburg | 32.3[56] | Abutments and piers of railroad bridge south of W&OD Trail | ||
| Clarks Gap | W&OD Trail and Dry Mill Road | Loudoun County | 38.2[60] | Stone arch above former W&OD Railroad right of way. | 2007 |
| Remnant | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | W&OD Trail Mile | Side of W&OD Trail | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Southern Railway spur | Tracks between Pendleton Street (west of intersection with N. Fairfax St.) and CSX main line near Slaters Lane | City of Alexandria | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | Operating railroad; formerly owned by Southern Railway | |
| Floor of electrical substation at Bluemont Junction | Between soccer field and 1972 Southern Railway caboose east of W&OD Trail in Bluemont Junction Park (between Bluemont Junction Trail and Wilson Boulevard) | Arlington County | 3.4[23] | East | 2009 | In Bluemont Junction Historical Railroad Display | |
| Elevated siding with rails and ties | 0.05 mile west of Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29); south of W&OD Trail | Arlington County | 5.6[23] | South | 2007 | Formerly used to unload coal from hopper cars | |
| Leesburg Stationmaster's House | Market Station at Harrison Street SE (west side) and South Street SE | Town of Leesburg | ------------ | ------------ | 2008 | Moved to Market Station (south of relocated freight station). Used as store. Historical marker on building: Stationmaster's House |
|
| Round Hill Electrical Substation | Southeast side of Main Street | Town of Round Hill | ------------ | ------------ | 1997 | Private residence Enclosed by house Adjacent to south side of former passenger station at 35 Main Street. |
In 1912, the new Washington and Old Dominion Railway constructed the electrified Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line to connect the Railway's Georgetown-Great Falls line with the Alexandria-Bluemont line. The line travelled between Thrifton Junction (near the present crossing of I-66 and Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) at the Lyon Village Shopping Center) and Bluemont Junction (presently in Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Park), passing the west end of Ballston along the way. Sometimes termed the "Rosslyn Branch" or the "Spout Run Branch", the line climbed a grade while following the route of Spout Run after leaving Thrifton.
The line closed in sections between 1963 and 1968. I-66 and the 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.
The stations on the Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line of the Bluemont Division (with locations of sites in 2008) were:
| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrifton | I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway | Arlington County | North of Lyon Village shopping center. Named for Hugh A. Thrift. East of junction with Thrifton – Bluemont Junction connecting line. | |||
| Hayes | N. Lincoln Street (east side) and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Douglas | N. Quincy Street (east side) and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Waverley Hills | N. Stafford Street and I-66 | Arlington County | Formerly Clements Avenue Station | |||
| Clarenford | N. Utah Street (east side) and I-66 | Arlington County | South | |||
| Lacey | N. Glebe Road (east side) and I-66 | Arlington County | Southeast | |||
| Washington Boulevard[76] | 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 | |||
| Garrison | N. George Mason Drive at Wilson Boulevard (north side) and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | Southeast | Undated | ||
| Arlington Avenue[76] | N. Jefferson Street and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | ||||
| Bon Air | N. Kensington Street (northeast side) and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | South | |||
| Bluemont Junction | W&OD Trail between Wilson Boulevard and Bluemont Junction Trail | Arlington County | East | 1950's | Junction with Alexandria-Bluemont line Historical markers at site: 1) Bluemont Junction 2) The Great Falls Line 3) Rosslyn Station 4) Bluemont Junction, ca. 1934 Historical marker near site: Tracks into History: The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad |
I-66 between Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) and Washington Boulevard. Coordinates:
Bluemont Junction Trail between Washington Boulevard and Mile 3.3 of Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail. Coordinates:
Custis Trail between Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) and Washington Boulevard. Coordinates:
Bluemont Junction Park between Fairfax Drive and W&OD Trail. Coordinates:
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