Buckingham Branch Railroad

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Buckingham Branch Railroad Overview

Buckingham Branch Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad operating over 275 miles of historic and strategic trackage over four divisions (Buckingham Division, Norfolk Division, Richmond & Alleghany Division, and Virginia Southern Division) in the state of Virginia. Sharing overhead traffic with CSX and Amtrak, the company's headquarters are in Dillwyn, Virginia.

Buckingham Branch

The Buckingham Branch was founded in 1989 by retired CSX railroader Robert E. Bryant. The company began with the acquisition of a 17-mile long branch from the CSX Transportation's James River subdivision line near Bremo Bluff on the James River south to Dillwyn in Buckingham County. The interchange with CSX is at Strathmore yard, near the junction of the former Virginia Air Line Railway. Serving small industries and quarries, the BBRR began with one locomotive and a caboose, and was staffed by Bryant's family.

CSX Piedmont, Washington, North Mountain subdivisions

In December 2004, Buckingham Branch entered into a 20-year lease with CSX Transportation to operate 200 miles of track in Virginia on the latter's Piedmont, Washington, and North Mountain subdivisions. Each were originally parts of the Virginia Central Railroad's line, and extend from Richmond through Doswell, Orange to Charlottesville, Virginia. From there, the line extends through the Blue Ridge Tunnel complex to Waynesboro, and Staunton to reconnect with CSX lines at Clifton Forge. The line which was the backbone of Collis Huntington's newly completed Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in the 1870s was supplanted by a lower-grade line along the path of the former James River and Kanawha Canal in the 1880s.

Unlike the original branch in Buckingham County, the new section is leased for a 20-year period. CSX retains overhead trackage rights on the trackage leased to the Buckingham Branch, and continues its same pattern of running empty westbound coal and grain trains over the route, sometimes as many as eight a day. Train crews must contend with this fact by continually dodging CSX westbounds, as well as Amtrak's thrice-weekly Cardinal by going into the various sidings along the lines. Amtrak continues to use the Buckingham Branch line between Orange and Clifton Forge on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, the only instance where an Amtrak train utilizes a Class III railway line.

This new section of the expanded Buckingham Branch was dispatched by CSX from Jacksonville, Florida for the first two years; now it is dispatched by the Buckingham Branch out of Staunton.

Virginia Southern

The Virginia Southern Division became the BB’s third division when Buckingham Branch leased from Norfolk Southern the 59-mile section of track for operation between Burkeville, VA and Clarksville, VA in 2009.

Expansion into Norfolk area

Following the end of operations by the Bay Coast Railroad on May 18, 2018, the Buckingham Branch Railroad took action to lease and operate the BCR's tracks in Little Creek, VA.

Virginia Scenic Railway

In August 2022, the BB began the operations of the heritage Virginia Scenic Railway with round-trip excursions from Staunton, Virginia. Unlike many U.S. heritage operations, which operate on lightly used branch lines, the VSR trains will share track with Amtrak and freight operations. Starting in October until early November 2023, ex-Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 steam locomotive No. 611 will visit the VSR to haul weekend Shenandoah Valley Limited excursions.

Buckingham Branch Railroad Locomotives

Number Model Year(s) Built History Notes
BB 1 GP7 1951 Ex-BB 8851/CSX 884/SBD 2380/LN 404. Active.

Assigned to Buckingham Division.

BB 2 GP16 1950 Ex-CSX 1857/SBD 4976/AWP 4976/SCL 912/SAL 1732. Active.

Assigned to Norfolk Division.

BB 3 GP16 1950 Ex-CSX 1818/SBD 4772/SCL 857/ACL 257/CWC 203. Active?

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 4 RS-4-TC 1954 Ex-DLAG 54344/USAX 4004. Inactive.

Displayed in Dillwyn. Named "The General."

BB 5 GP40 1968 Ex-OHCR 3216/CR 3216/PC 3216. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 6 GP40 1968 Ex-OHCR 3217/CR 3217/PC 3217. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 7 GP40 1966 Ex-OHCR 3262/DRGW 3062. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 8 GP16 1951 Ex-GRIV 1819/CSX 1819/SBD 4773/SCL 4773/SCL 723/ACL 135. Active.

Assigned to Norfolk Division.

BB 9 GP16 1951 Ex-GRIV 1821/CSX 1821/SBD 4775/SCL 4775/SCL 823/ACL 203. Inactive.

Stored in Staunton.

BB 10 GP10 1956 Ex-JDNX 70/YVRR 8220/IC 8287/ICG 8220/CO 6164. Active.

Assigned to Virginia Southern Division.

BB 11 GP10 1953 Ex-JDNX 80/OMLX 1076/MSRC 1076/ICG 8226/IC 8973. Active.

Assigned to Virginia Southern Division.

BB 12 GP40-3 1968 Ex-PRLX 2837/KCS 2837/KCS 4790/KCS 753/CR 3178/PC 3178. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 13 GP40-3 1967 Ex-PRLX 2815/KCS 2815/KCS 4738/NREX 2031/SOO 2031/MILW 2031/MILW 158. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 14 GP38-2 1972 Ex-NS 5026/SOU 5026. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 15 GP38-2 1973 Ex-NS 5069/SOU 5069. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 16 GP38-2 1973 Ex-NS 5078/SOU 5078. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 17 GP38-2 1973 Ex-NS 5090/SOU 5090. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 18 GP38-2 1974 Ex-NS 5143/SOU 5143. Active.

Assigned to Buckingham Division.

BB 19 SW9 1952 Ex-Virginia Power/URR 583. Inactive.

Stored in Dillwyn.

Buckingham Branch Railroad Rolling Stock

Number Type of Railcar Built History Notes
BB 222 Caboose 1980 Ex-CO 904134. Active.

Assigned to Buckingham Division.

BB 223R Caboose 1949 Ex-CO 90251. Active.

Assigned to Richmond & Alleghany Division.

BB 224 Caboose 1973 Ex-RFP 906. Active.

Assigned to Buckingham Division.

BB 810 Boxcar 1942 Ex-?? Active.

Used for seasonal tourist trains.

BB 2020 Passenger Car 1948 Ex-PPCX 800993/CO 197x. Named ""Gravel Neck."

Stored in Dillwyn.

BB 3300 Passenger Car 1948 Ex-PPCX 800992/CO 1500. Named "The Station Break."

Stored in Dillwyn.

BB 5002 Passenger Car 1948 Ex-PPCX 800399/CO 1607. Named "Arvonia."

Used for Virginia Scenic Railway.

BB 518407 Caboose 1940 Ex-NW 518407. Stored in Dillwyn.
BB 903557 Caboose 1969 Ex-CO 903557/CO 3557. Stored in Dillwyn.
BB 904099 Caboose 1980 Ex-CO 904099. Stored in Dillwyn.

Buckingham Branch Buckingham Division Customers

  • Runs for 17 miles from Bremo, VA to Dillwyn, VA.
  • Interchanges with CSX at Bremo, VA.
Customer Location Company Description Type of Railcar Notes
WestRock Gold Hill Chip Mill Woodchip Hoppers
BBRR Alpha Yard Transload Alpha Transload Facility Log Flatcars/Gondolas Inactive?
BBRR Buckingham Yard Transload Dillwyn Transload Facility Tank Cars

Buckingham Branch Norfolk Division Customers

  • Runs for 5 miles between Norfolk, VA and Virginia Beach, VA.
  • Interchanges with Norfolk Southern and CSX in Norfolk, VA.
Customer Location Company Description Type of Railcar Notes
Gordon Paper Virginia Beach Paper Products Boxcars
Dynaric Virginia Beach Plastic Products Covered Hoppers
Mid-Atlantic Transloading Virginia Beach Transload Facility Covered Hoppers/Tank Cars/Flatcars/Centerbeam Flatcars
Harsco Abrasives Virginia Beach Silica Coal Slag Blasting Abrasives Covered Hoppers

Buckingham Branch Richmond & Alleghany Division Customers

  • Runs for 199.6 miles from Clifton Forge, VA (via Staunton, Charlottesville, and Doswell) to Richmond, VA.

Interchanges with:

  • CSX at Doswell, VA and Clifton Forge, VA
  • Norfolk Southern, at Charlottesville, VA and Waynesboro, VA
  • Shenandoah Valley Railroad at Staunton, VA.
Customer Location Company Description Type of Railcar Notes
Stella-Jones Goshen Railroad Ties & Bridge Timbers Gondolas/Bulkhead Flatcars/Tank Cars
BBRR Staunton Transload Staunton Transload Facility Covered Hoppers
Shenandoah Valley Railroad Staunton Railroad Interchange Boxcars/Covered Hoppers/Tank Cars/Refrigerated Boxcars
Allied Concrete Staunton Concrete & Construction Materials Covered Hoppers/Hoppers/Tank Cars Inactive?
Augusta Co-op Farm Bureau Staunton Feed Mill & Fertilizer Supplier Covered Hoppers/Tank Cars
Valley Recycling Fishersville Scrap Metal Recycling Gondolas
BBRR Fishersville Transload Fishersville Transload Facility Tank Cars
University of Virginia Heat Plant Charlottesville Heat Plant Coal Hoppers Infrequent?
Luck Stone Shadwell Stone Quarry Stone Hoppers
AmeriGas Keswick Propane Terminal Tank Cars
Klöckner Pentaplas Gordonsville Plastic Packaging Covered Hoppers
EverGRO Orange Fertilizer Supplier Covered Hoppers
Koppers Orange Railroad Tie Transload Gondolas
EverGRO Louisa Fertilizer Supplier Covered Hoppers Inactive?
Martin Marietta Mineral Stone Yard Stone Hoppers
U.S. Silica Beaverdam Mineral Transload Covered Hoppers
Martin Marietta Doswell Stone Quarry Stone Hoppers
BBRR Doswell Transload Doswell Transload Facility Covered Hoppers/Tank Cars/Bulkhead Flatcars
Houff Doswell Bentonite Clay Transload Covered Hoppers
Bakery Feeds Doswell Feed Ingredients Covered Hoppers/Tank Cars
Indevco Doswell Building Materials & Packaging Products Boxcars/Covered Hoppers
North Branch Resources Doswell Transload Facility Covered Hoppers
Sound Structures Doswell Building Materials Centerbeam Flatcars
Cascades Ashland Containerboard Packaging Boxcars/Covered Hoppers Formerly Bear Island Paper/White Birch Paper until 2018.

Reopened in 2023 by Cascades.

Argos Cement Ashland Cement Terminal Covered Hoppers
Richmond Times-Dispatch Mechanicsville Newspaper Printing Boxcars
Ruffin & Payne Richmond Lumber & Building Materials Centerbeam Flatcars Inactive?
L&W Supply Richmond Building Materials Centerbeam Flatcars

Buckingham Branch Virginia Southern Division Customers

  • Runs for 59 miles between Burkeville, VA and Clarksville, VA.
  • Interchanges with Norfolk Southern at Burkeville, VA.
Customer Location Company Description Type of Railcar Notes
BBRR BlueRidge Railcar Transload Keysville Transload Facility Covered Hoppers/Centerbeam Flatcars/Hoppers/Boxcars
BBRR Keysville Yard Transload Keysville Transload Facility Covered Hoppers Inactive?



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