Once Upon A Time... I read in a post from the Raleigh News & Observer that the Commonwealth of Virginia is joining NC in beginning to take the necessary steps to implement higher speed passenger rail service (90-110 MPH.) Once the environmental studies and applications are completed, work could begin as early as 2017 on restoring the Petersburg to Raleigh right of way (which belongs to CSX) that once was the route of Seaboard Air Line Railroads fleet of streamliners that served the Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida--IF the money can be found. This same route was in place until October of 1986, when it was abandoned by CSX, forcing Amtrak to take a 43-mile longer route to Raleigh via Rocky Mount and Selma, NC. I ran the last Amtrak train southbound, No. 81, the Silver Star. The speed limit was 79 MPH. About four years prior to flowing to Amtrak, when I was working for [what was then] the Seaboard Coast Line, I ran both freight and Amtrak passenger trains. Back then, you could lose your job for delaying a passenger train. The freight railroads which hosted Amtrak trains took a great deal of pride in their handling of them. I took these two 1982 shots at South Collier Yard, where, as the engineer of a freight train, I was holding to give the Silver Star priority coming onto and exiting the Norlina Subdivision from that point to Raleigh. It was just about always on time. You could depend on it. Well, well see what happens in 2017, if the money can be found. The real shame here is that the track was good for almost 80 MPH 30 years ago, but was allowed to be abandoned and dismantled because of a temporary downturn in rail freight traffic. Now that its surged again (and shows no signs of going back down,) this track is no longer available for use unless it is completely rebuilt at a cost of $6-BILLION.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 20:29:27 +0000