Suffolk,VA
Located in extreme Eastern Virginia is the city of Suffolk. This town once hosted trains from six different railroads(Seaboard/N&W/Virginian/NF&D/ACL/Southern (via ACL trackage). Currently in Suffolk there are two class one railroads and one shortline operator.
Norfolk Southern #9024 leads NS 811 westbound at Suffolk, VA
Hotspot Description
The NS mainline (Ex-N&W) and the CSX Portsmouth Subdivision (Ex-SAL) are the main players in downtown Suffolk. There is also a shortline operator Commonwealth Railway that uses former NF&D traffic. The parking lot by the old N&W station will give you access to the double track NS mainline as well as traffic from the Commonwealth and also the traffic using the former NF&D line to Emporia and Lawerenceville. A simple 1/2 mile drive will get you down to the CSX Portsmouth Sub when you hear trains approaching.
Directions
There are multiple locations in and around the Suffolk downtown area to catch the rail action. You will most certainly need a scanner to catch all the action, as there is not a spot that you can see everything from. The parking lot across from the old N&W station in downtown is a centrally located spot to catch NS action, and has the advantage of being a short drive from the other lines in the area. To get to old Suffolk station you want to take U.S. route 460 By-Pass around Suffolk. Take the 13/32 Exit and heads towards Downtown Suffolk. This road will end at a stoplight. Take a left and proceed approx. 3 miles into downtown. You will cross the CSX tracks by the old Seaboard Depot (Restored). Remember this location as it can be a quick place to catch approaching CSX trains. Proceed about 1/2 mile past the depot and take a left onto U.S. #58 business. You will cross the double track NS line and see the old N&W depot to the left. There is ample parking next to the depot. If you continue across the tracks there is a parking lot behind the old Nasemond Grocery building on the opposite side of the tracks from the depot. To catch the CSX action through Suffolk proceed back across the NS tracks on Washington Street (Business U.S. 58) and take a right onto Main Street. This will get you back to the restored Seaboard Station. This station is also open everyday from 9-5 and has a gift shop and HO scale layout of Suffolk circa 1950.
Typical Traffic & Volume
The NS mainline see somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-24 trains in a 24 hour period. The downside is that most of this traffic runs in the overnight hours. The NS line hosts intermodal, manifest, loaded coal and empty hopper trains. The line also sees automotive trains to and from the Ford plant in Norfolk (Note this plant will be closing in late 2007 or early 2008 and these trains will be terminated).
The CSX line (Portsmouth Subdivision) hosts a daily pair of intermodal trains (Q130/Q139), a daily pair of manifests (Q446/Q447) and a pair of rock trains (K959/K960). This line also sees a local working to and
from Portsmouth as well as occasional unit grain trains).
The NS line (Ex-NF&D) to Franklin and Laweranceville sees a daily pair of rock trains (V13/V14) and a pair of locals (V31/V32). The rock and local trains often keep their power in the siding across the mainline from the old Suffolk depot.
The Commonwealth Railway uses the Ex-NF&D from Suffolk to a chemical plant in Portsmouth. They usually operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to the plant in Portsmouth (However they have been known to operate daily from time to time). They also have a rock customer in Chesapeake. The power is usually a CF7 #???
The former ACL line into Suffolk has been stub ended on both sides of town and is strictly used by CSX to serve a few industries in town.Best guess is that there is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-45 movements per 24 hours through Suffolk.
Scanner Information
NS Road 161.190
NS Road #2 161.250
CSX 160.590