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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