I lived off of Glebe Road in the early 1980s while in grad school and was later involved with the transfer of the property to CSX. I remember listening to the hump yard at night and seeing representatives of every eastern and southern railroad there jogging along Four Mile Run. The RF&P is still near and dear to my heart. Thanks.
How I wish this was there now, instead of the monstrous shopping centers that sprawl. Trains symbolize the long-gone pride of American manufacturing, industry, and pride. Before we were a service economy, men made things - and men were men.
RF&P wasn’t a short line it was a bridge line. Over 100 miles. It bridged traffic from the south with the mid Atlantic. It handled everything from freight to some passenger trains.
Sure tear up that beautiful yard. The current day liberals and neocons don't want reminders of America's industrial past laying around where people can see it.
Dude there is literally a Norfolk Southern yard just south of this and the CSX yard up line on the northeast side of DC. They tore it down because neither railroad needed a second yard and Alexandria could use a bunch of land for commercial and residential zoning.
The yard was torn up AFTER CSX took full control (bought out) the RF&P in the late-1980s. Once the RF&P was integrated into CSX, CSX could run freight trains from Acca yard in Richmond, VA to Baltimore or Cumberland w/o the need to hump or interchange the trains at Potomac Yard. By the late-1980s, NS was down to using just the few interchange tracks just south of Potomac Yard. (NS generates almost no freight traffic east of Manassas as well.). And Conrail/D&H could interchange traffic with CSX in Baltimore after the CSX buyout of the RF&P. So Potomac Yard was no longer needed to interchange freight traffic by 1990. Since yards are expensive to operate and maintain, CSX made the decision to pull up the yard and sell off the property while maintaining a 3-track right-of-way. Selling off the property also relieved CSX railroad of some property taxes. Potomac Yard ceased to be useful for its original, intended purpose when RF&P became a fallen flag. Railroads hate spending money on things that are no longer useful, which has been embedded in their culture for over a 100 years.
I lived off of Glebe Road in the early 1980s while in grad school and was later involved with the transfer of the property to CSX. I remember listening to the hump yard at night and seeing representatives of every eastern and southern railroad there jogging along Four Mile Run. The RF&P is still near and dear to my heart. Thanks.
St Marie’s, Port St. Joe, Valdosta Southern, Bay Line boxcars …love❤it
How I wish this was there now, instead of the monstrous shopping centers that sprawl. Trains symbolize the long-gone pride of American manufacturing, industry, and pride. Before we were a service economy, men made things - and men were men.
Thanks for posting. I worked there for a while. Was my dream job I got to realize. Even saw a bunch of the work I was involved in on these videos.
Many east coast short lines i hadn't seen before. Thanks for sharing.
RF&P wasn’t a short line it was a bridge line. Over 100 miles. It bridged traffic from the south with the mid Atlantic. It handled everything from freight to some passenger trains.
Great video! Really enjoy watching the consist of the trains go by. Back when RR's actually advertised on their rolling stock.
Big difference from then and now. Most people wouldn't even know the yard was there at one time.
There’s zero trace. The only remainder is some abandoned riveted track with the date “1945” stamped on it and an old shed
The recreational path that parallels the current main is a good place to watch.
Man... that was hard to watch. I can vividly remember going by there right before the end on Psgr trains.
A scene now long past. I railfan the RF&P Sub and now Potomac Yard is gone completely.
Wow so different from today
excellent documentation thank you.
Great video! I spent many hours at those locations, thanks for sharing!
17:07 old centenary supports
No insane graffiti back in the early 1990's. Very little graffiti at all.
rare APL Linertrain TOFC flatcar! 14:59
The Potomac yards is extent like the dinosaurs are they may b gone but not forgotten
No graffiti.
i was looking at this video on 9;08 the was a box car had mmid is that maryland midland railroad box car from union bridge
Timmy bentz you are correct. That would be the Maryland Midland.
Yes
Sure tear up that beautiful yard. The current day liberals and neocons don't want reminders of America's industrial past laying around where people can see it.
Shut up conservitard
Dude there is literally a Norfolk Southern yard just south of this and the CSX yard up line on the northeast side of DC. They tore it down because neither railroad needed a second yard and Alexandria could use a bunch of land for commercial and residential zoning.
That's just the way it goes. Things change, and the rail map w/it.
The yard was torn up AFTER CSX took full control (bought out) the RF&P in the late-1980s. Once the RF&P was integrated into CSX, CSX could run freight trains from Acca yard in Richmond, VA to Baltimore or Cumberland w/o the need to hump or interchange the trains at Potomac Yard. By the late-1980s, NS was down to using just the few interchange tracks just south of Potomac Yard. (NS generates almost no freight traffic east of Manassas as well.). And Conrail/D&H could interchange traffic with CSX in Baltimore after the CSX buyout of the RF&P. So Potomac Yard was no longer needed to interchange freight traffic by 1990. Since yards are expensive to operate and maintain, CSX made the decision to pull up the yard and sell off the property while maintaining a 3-track right-of-way. Selling off the property also relieved CSX railroad of some property taxes. Potomac Yard ceased to be useful for its original, intended purpose when RF&P became a fallen flag. Railroads hate spending money on things that are no longer useful, which has been embedded in their culture for over a 100 years.
Sad
12:01 holy shit