RAILFAN GUIDE

Baltimore Division

RF&P Subdivision

Washington, D.C. to Richmond, VA.

109.0 Miles  ·  M Street to Greendale

Radio: Road ch. 96 (161.55 MHz)
BD Dispatcher ch. 20 (160.41 MHz)

Revised 2022.07.21

Notes

Note 1: The RF&P line is equipped for cab signals. Locomotives so equipped may be governed by cab signal indications instead of wayside aspects. There is no consensus, even among operating employees, about which locomotives are so equipped. Sometimes trains might find their way onto the RF&P without a cab signaled lead engine, which can lead to all kinds of nastiness.

Note 2: On 13 August, 2005 a new interlocking was cut in at Arkendale Road, CFP73.1. The signal at Aquia Creek trestle was retired since the absolute signal can hold out long trains from blocking the town of Quantico if Possum Point shows a stop signal.

Note 3: On 16 February, 2007 the new concrete trestle (paid for by VRE) over Quantico Creek was cut in and P098 was the first train to run over it. Only one of the available two tracks was installed at the time and carried track #3. The new span can carry two tracks which, combined with the old single-track trestle, amount to a triple track stretch through there. When track #1 is completed from Powell's Creek to Arkendale from late 2015 through early 2017 it will complete the triple-track through this area.

Note 4: In Spring 2007 CP Virginia was re-arranged to add a third track between 14th Street and the southern mouth of Virginia Avenue tunnel which, in theory, should ease congestion through there. A storage track for VRE was added off track #4 just north of the L'Enfant Plaza station.

Note 5: In late 2009 and into 2010, track #1 was extended south from Alexandria-Franconia interlocking, CFP104, to just north of the Franconia-Springfield VRE station, CFP98. New intermediate signals split on either side of Franconia Hill are named Fleet while the interlocking where track #1 joins track #2 is named Franconia.

Note 6: On 16 November, 2015 the Spotsylvania VRE commuter rail station opened in the middle of the now-bigger XR interlocking. Track #1 was extended south from FB to end here. A fourth track was added to serve the VRE station, CMC Rebar industry track, and VRE Crossroads facility.

Note 7: On 5 March, 2016 a new switch was installed to terminate the south end of track #1 at Arkendale interlocking. An additional crossover from 2-3 southbound was cut in on 12 March, 2016 to allow 2 trains to cross over simultaneously, which is a big deal on a busy subdivision like the RF&P.

Note 8: A second tunnel is being added on the south side of the original Virginia Avenue tunnel which runs under I-395, the Southeast-Southwest Freeway. Residents in buildings next to the project protested vehemently, but CSX is pressing ahead. The new tunnel opened 2016.12.23 with both tunnels operating through the holiday season. After that the old tunnel will be taken out of service to increase its clearance so that both tubes can carry doublestack trains. When both tubes are completed the entire RF&P will be double-tracked and double-stacked from JD Wye down to Acca Yard in Richmond with the exception of the trestle over U.S. 50 in Cheverly.

Note 9: Lakeside interlocking was cut in 15 November, 2016 to improve flow into Acca Yard, especially for passenger movements. Track #4 was extended north from the Staples Mill Road (RVR) passenger station. Greendale crossovers will be removed as they are made redundant by this project.

Note 10: The Fredericksburg Industrial Park lead crosses US 17/Tidewater Trail at grade just north of the airport at CFP56.96 ; Jim Carpenter is the only business still receiving rail service; TransFlo, Mid-Atlantic Foam, and the others no longer do.

Note 11: The Delco Moraine (division of General Motors) plant just south of the airport built torque converters. The rail spur at CFP56 was intended to handle scrap metal and tank cars, but was used only very briefly, then rail service stopped; everything was then handled by truck.

Note 12: The Sealston branch was resurrected from about 10 miles of the abandoned U. S. Government track to the Naval Surface Weapons Center at Dahlgren, VA, hence the name Dahlgren Junction where it departs from the RF&P mainline just north of FB. Customers as of early 2019 include Waste Management, the Birchwood power generating station, and CMC Steel (formerly Ameristeel, Gerdau, et al). The spur into Crop Production Services is intact, but no rail activity has been seen there as of early 2019. The lead across VA Route 3 to Bardon Sand has been pulled up.