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Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 07, 2015 05:40PM

Starting in Fairfax City and ending in Oakton, the stations of the Fairfax line of the Washington-Virginia Trolley are listed below. Does anyone know where the Wiley or Martinque stations might have been? I got the Cedar Avenue station and the Oakton station. It’s between those two that I can’t figure out. Any ideas appreciated.


* Fairfax (Fairfax City)
* Cedar Avenue (Cedar Ave., Fairfax City)
* Wiley
* Martinque
* Blake
* Sanger (Blake Lane and Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax County)
* Oakton (Gray St., Fairfax County)

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Calvin Klein ()
Date: November 08, 2015 10:43AM

You'll be waiting forever at either of those stations. Take Metro bus or hitchhike instead. You're welcome.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: MD9mu ()
Date: November 08, 2015 12:38PM

Wiley Station? Martinque? Likely name of the road where the station was but I don't see any roads with those names. Maybe try an old map.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Office365 ()
Date: November 08, 2015 06:20PM

Also could be the name of the landowner or nearest house.

What year are we talking about?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: November 08, 2015 07:24PM

I've checked a couple of old maps but cannot find either station. There was a Wiley who owned a house on 123 at Stratford in Fairfax in the early 1900s, so my guess is the station was near there, Martinque is probably near where I66 crosses the former trolley ROW.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 08, 2015 08:53PM

Office365 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also could be the name of the landowner or nearest
> house.
>
> What year are we talking about?

1904-07

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Virginia_trolleys#Washington-Virginia_Railway

scroll down the linked web page to see Fairfax Line

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 08, 2015 08:56PM

Got this off Fairfax County website
Attachments:
1860 land ownership 47.4 grid.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 08, 2015 08:58PM

I think it went across here
Attachments:
fairfax line connection.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: ebay thief2 ()
Date: November 09, 2015 08:03PM

+1 to Bill N.... The Wiley house was at the corner of Stratford and 123 at the time of the tolley line's inception and Mr. Wiley was a prominent figure. See
http://www.historicfairfax.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HFCI12-2003.pdf
I don't know if his land touched the tolley line at Warwick Ave but it was close enough.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: 4xHVC ()
Date: November 09, 2015 08:26PM

Awesome!!!!

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 09, 2015 08:26PM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've checked a couple of old maps but cannot find
> either station. There was a Wiley who owned a
> house on 123 at Stratford in Fairfax in the early
> 1900s, so my guess is the station was near there,
> Martinque is probably near where I66 crosses the
> former trolley ROW.

Somewhere, there are official papers describing all this. In the meantime, a Wiley stop near Stratford and 123 would have been pretty close to the Cedar Avenue stop, but it would still have made sense. I would think it more likely though that if Wiley had been in Fairfax proper, Martinique would have been near where the cars crossed 123 after running behind what are now the 29 Diner and the Bombay Bistro. The Best Western hotel across the street has its parking lot at an odd sort of angle because it follows the path of what had been the trolley right-of-way there. The ROW then follows a nearly straight line up toward Oakton. You can still walk a good stretch of it. From 50 westbound from Fairfax Circle, take a right at the light onto Plantation Parkway, then take the first left onto Ranger Road and follow it to the end. There is a ten-foot section of guard-rail there. Park, walk around the guard-rail and then down the barely visible path into the woods. Walk up the other side of the little valley, look around, and say OMG! You can follow the right-of-way to your left to discover the remains of the bridge that crossed the north fork of Accotink Creek. You can walk quite a long way off in the other direction, but I've not attempted to discover just how far that is. In any case, there really wasn't anything else between 123 and the Blake Lane stop (old Blake Lane about a third of the way from Paddock View Court to Cherry View Court). The absence of anything notable back there in 1903 can be seen in the fact that almost none of our latter-day streets crosses the path of the right-of-way. Those streets were all built later on. The right-of-way itself went north from the creek through the gap between Willow Crescent Drive and Antietam Avenue, across what is now I-66 to follow up along Flagpole Avenue and then through Borge Street Park. At Blake Lane, it began the curve to the east needed to get over to the Oakton station on Gray Street, the second version of which still stands as a private residence. From there the track ran behind the church cemetery, across Courthouse Road, then about parallel with 123 over into Vienna. The back streets east of Nutley and between Courthouse and 123 still tell you where the right-of-way ran. It's fascinating once you know what you are looking at.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 09, 2015 09:30PM

It is fascinating. Thank you for this information. I was stumped and this really helps. Thanks again.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: interested reader ()
Date: November 09, 2015 10:26PM

At first I thought this was about a proposed trolley between Fairfax Circle and Oakton with 7 different stops and I couldn't figure out why they would do that...

Then it eventually dawned on me that we weren't talking about present day. haha

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: FcCp3 ()
Date: November 10, 2015 07:47PM


was designed by troll-tech in norweigh

but they no longer support that trolley version - you have to restart the whole government planning process and sell out


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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: November 10, 2015 08:02PM

I was not aware of much of that Historian. Thanks. I do know that Electric Ave. in Vienna is the old trolley right of way. Between Cedar and Park on the W&OD you can see a bridge abutment from where the Washington-Virginia crossed over the W&OD. Fairfax Drive in Arlingon is on the Los W-V right of way to Roslyn and Washington Blvd from Clarendon south is on the W-V line that connected with the line over 14th street bridge.

Somewhere I have a picture of the now gone W-V station at Gallows Road that I took as a kid.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 10, 2015 08:26PM

that would be cool to see that picture, BillN. I hope you find it and post it.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 10, 2015 08:50PM

Below is an easily found picture of the Vienna trolley station. It was on a Y, so you pulled in running from one end of the car, and pulled out running from the other end. The station was just to the south of Church and Mill Streets. The track then ran parallel to the W&OD heading east out of Vienna, and after crossing Park Street, it followed along what is now Ninovan Road until it hopped over the W&OD and headed out to Navy Federal and its run along Electric Avenue. The stone and concrete piers for the cross-over bridge are still there and can be easily seen along the W&OD Trail. The track crossed Gallows from Electric and then ran along Railroad Street on the way to Falls Church. A cut had to be dug to keep the grade within the capacities of the cars, and some of that can be seen at Railroad Street Park. The tracks then crossed what is npw the Beltway and continued down Helena Avenue. There is another nice bit of roadbed still visible along the lesser known part of Helena. To reach that, head east on Idylwood toward Fall Church, but take a right onto Rudyard at the old white church, and then an immediate right again onto Worden Lane. That dead-ends at Helena, so take a left and then watch the roadside to the left. You'll know it when you see it.

Plainly, the track crossed 66 there, but I've not been able to figure out exactly where it ran after that. I don't believe it crossed to W&OD again, and it definitley did end up running along Lincoln Avenue on the way into Arlington. But the route taken through the Falls Hill area remains a mystery to me.
.
Attachments:
vienna_trolley_depot.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 10, 2015 09:00PM

so cool. thanks for the additional info. I’ve seen that picture before but didn’t know which station it was. I’ve also wondered what the W-V Fairfax Line station on Main at Railroad Ave looked like. I’m not even sure which side of Main it was on.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 10, 2015 09:44PM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> so cool. thanks for the additional info. I’ve
> seen that picture before but didn’t know which
> station it was. I’ve also wondered what the W-V
> Fairfax Line station on Main at Railroad Ave
> looked like. I’m not even sure which side of
> Main it was on.

I don't think I've ever seen ever seen a picture either, but according to google maps, the Fairfax Electric Depot station was on the left side of Railroad Avenue, immediately after making the right turn off Main Street. Historic Fairfax did a bit about the FED area back in 2003...

http://www.historicfairfax.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HFCI14-2003.pdf

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 11, 2015 12:21AM

I found this, but I just don’t know.

http://ebot.gmu.edu/handle/1920/5270
Attachments:
electric depo fairfax virginia.png
post card back electric depo fairfax.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 11, 2015 07:40AM

Wow, I think you've nailed it! 1907 and with the head-end of a car in the picture to boot! Great catch!

Near as I can tell, the not very helpful message reads "I guess you are not going back to ??? this winter, are you. Give my love to ???, Your friend, ???"

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: November 11, 2015 11:25AM

The station pictured was only used for a few years before it burned down. Later tracks were laid up the hill to the intersection of 123 and 236. The station was located in the Wilcoxon Hotel, which was where the bank is now. Supposedly operating up the hill taxed the railroad's electrical system.

There is a book on the Washington-Virginia called "Old Dominion Trolley". I believe the library has a copy.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: doo dah ()
Date: November 11, 2015 12:09PM

The bridge over accotink creek
http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=3230)
Attachments:
6881327934_664bfb5c07_m.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: doo dah ()
Date: November 11, 2015 12:13PM


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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Trolley Lover ()
Date: November 11, 2015 12:26PM

I believe a few years back the folks in Mosby Woods backing up to the old right of way were given the option of purchasing the section of right of way immediately behind their house (or given to them, I can't remember).

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 12, 2015 07:59AM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, I think you've nailed it! 1907 and with the
> head-end of a car in the picture to boot! Great
> catch!
>
> Near as I can tell, the not very helpful message
> reads "I guess you are not going back to ??? this
> winter, are you. Give my love to ???, Your
> friend, ???"

What looks like a creek running in front of the building also fits. There is a creek that runs alongside the track on Railroad Avenue and crosses (goes under) 236. I think the track splits on Railroad Avenue as it approaches 236. The angle of the shot would put the cameraman on 236 east of Railroad Avenue looking down at the station with the cemetery on his left. Just a guess.
Attachments:
washington virginia trolley fairfax line old map.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 12, 2015 08:13AM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The station pictured was only used for a few years
> before it burned down. Later tracks were laid up
> the hill to the intersection of 123 and 236. The
> station was located in the Wilcoxon Hotel, which
> was where the bank is now. Supposedly operating
> up the hill taxed the railroad's electrical
> system.
>
> There is a book on the Washington-Virginia called
> "Old Dominion Trolley". I believe the library has
> a copy.

Thanks for the idea. I found some great pictures from the online preview of that book but none showing the portion of track which ran through the City of Fairfax, but I haven’t seen all the pictures in the book yet. Here’s one picture of a Fairfax Electric Railway trolley car in Vienna with a center door.
Attachments:
arlingoton fairfax trolley.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 12, 2015 08:23AM

doo dah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zRrsSd1Fh
> 1WA.kw7LCIncC7n0&msa=0&ll=38.858595%2C-77.308913&s
> pn=0.003074%2C0.004823
>
> Location of trolley bridge?

I think you’re right. I’ve wondered if portions of the bridge which crossed the creek behind 29 Diner still exist. I think the line ran up Farr Avenue. If you walk Farr Avenue, you can see where it is raised as it begins to cross Warwick Avenue. It looks like a Railroad bed, I suppose.
Attachments:
Untitled drawing.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 12, 2015 11:20AM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The station pictured was only used for a few years
> before it burned down.

Perhaps the postcard is the only surviving picture of it.

> Later tracks were laid up the hill to the intersection
> of 123 and 236. The station was located in the Willcoxon
> Hotel, which was where the bank is now. Supposedly
> operating up the hill taxed the railroad's electrical
> system.

I think the plan was always to go to the County Courthouse (just like the stagecoach did), but service as far as the Fairfax Electrical Depot may well have begun before the last of the tracks were laid. Grades are meanwhile an issue for rail systems, no matter how they are powered.

> There is a book on the Washington-Virginia called "Old
> Dominion Trolley". I believe the library has a copy.

"Old Dominion Trolley Too" by John Merriken. It focuses on the Mt. Vernon Line, but covers others as well.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 12, 2015 11:59AM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What looks like a creek running in front of the
> building also fits. There is a creek that runs
> alongside the track on Railroad Avenue and crosses
> (goes under) 236. I think the track splits on
> Railroad Avenue as it approaches 236. The angle
> of the shot would put the cameraman on 236 east of
> Railroad Avenue looking down at the station with
> the cemetery on his left. Just a guess.

I'm not sure. The creek today runs to the east of Railroad Avenue, and Railroad Avenue is supposed to follow the trolley route. The google-map coordinates for the depot however put it on the west side of both. which would mean the shot was taken from the west looking back toward downtown. Like so much, I would say this is still "to be decided".

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 12, 2015 12:16PM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here’s one picture of a Fairfax Electric Railway
> trolley car in Vienna with a center door.

Heading out onto the west side of the wye with what was then downtown Vienna in the background. Earlier, I said that the station was just south of Church and Mill Streets. That's incorrect. Mill Street is a more important street today, but it's on the wrong side of the tracks. The trolley stop was actually just south of the intersection of Church Street and Dominion Road.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 12, 2015 12:38PM

cau55seican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think you’re right. I’ve wondered if portions of the
> bridge which crossed the creek behind 29 Diner still exist.

Here's a second picture of it from 2014. Not much of a creek back there. It seems to vanish underneath the modern roads of the 123/50 intersection.
.
Attachments:
trolley_bridge_29_diner.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 12, 2015 01:59PM

causeican Wrote:52222
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the line ran up Farr Avenue. If you walk
> Farr Avenue, you can see where it is raised as it
> begins to cross Warwick Avenue. It looks like a
> Railroad bed, I suppose.

I don't think there's any question of that route. If you look at close-up satellite views of the area, the trolley path fairly shouts out at you. The landscape remembers. And note that the line heading west would have had to cross another branch of Accotink Creek after leaving Cedar Avenue and running in between the two sections of Center Street. There ought to be some remains of the crossing there, but I've never heard mention of them.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: tLUxm ()
Date: November 12, 2015 02:56PM

From 123, drive to the end of Center and look south. There is what appears to be the track bed. A chain link fence/gate is up to prevent exploring.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 13, 2015 10:25AM

Looking at the old map with the track, buildings and creek identified, I made this map overlay. In this group, I added an earlier view of the corner of Judicial and Main to show the houses which were there before.
Attachments:
Untitled drawing-18.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 13, 2015 11:20AM

There is more "creek" than that. The trolley would have had to cross it outbound after bisecting Center Street. And all this is just the south branch of Accotink Creek. It doesn't include whatever runs behind the 29 Diner or the north branch of the creek that runs from Oakton down past Ranger Road and then along the north side of Route-50. These two branches (there are others) eventually meet up behind PJ Skidoos, and the creek then turns south again to run behind Patriot Harley-Davidson and Artie's restaurant just south of Fairfax Circle.
.
Attachments:
accotink.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Visio ()
Date: November 13, 2015 02:14PM

Trolley crossing 123 and Rt. 50 arial 1949
Attachments:
trolly.JPG

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Visio ()
Date: November 13, 2015 02:16PM

Trolley along southern edge of 123 north Oakton crossing old courthouse rd.
Attachments:
trolly oakton.JPG

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Visio ()
Date: November 13, 2015 02:20PM

Historic Aerials.com
Attachments:
Trolley cut north of 236 thru ridge and along railroad ave..JPG

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­
Posted by: chuckhoffmann ()
Date: November 13, 2015 05:20PM

­



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2015 01:48PM by chuckhoffmann.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 14, 2015 02:12PM

What an amazing tool! Thank you for posting that! I had no idea that there could be complete sets of decent quality digital aerials from as long ago as 1937.

Out in Fairfax, they clearly show the route up from 29/50 as many have described it above. Though its nature remains unclear, the crossing of Accotink Creek west of Center Street is there, as is what may have been the station at Cedar Avenue. Evident as well is that the eastern leg of the wye crossed Main Street in front of the cemetery and proceeded up the south side of the street to the Courthouse. The pictures are a little grainy, but there is the ghost of a chance that when heading back out again, the cars crossed Main Street onto a stub in what would now be the Truro Church parking lot, then reversed to travel down the north side of Main Street, looping behind (i.e., to the west of) the Fairfax Electric Depot stop in order to meet up with the western half of the wye again. That might be more than a bit speculative though.

Further to the east, the suspected crossing of Courthouse Road at Edgelea heading from Oakton station over to Vienna is confirmed, and the wye leading into and out of the Vienna station is shown to have been a good deal larger than I had taken it to be from representations in W&OD right-of-way plats. The inbound leg would have cut right through the Patrick Henry library (but not the Vienna Inn), while the bypass leg ran past the front door of the now-being-remodeled Community Center.

But most importantly in filling in gaps in my own understanding, the heretofore mysterious route through Falls Hill after crossing what is now I-66 at Helena Drive is now well-established. Unlike many areas further west, the neighborhoods there were laid out late enough that the trolley right-of-way could be disrespected entirely, thus making it difficult to know where the track had run. The 1937 photos with 2013 overlays make it clear that my various surmises about it were all completely wrong. I was shocked to see that inbound cars did not cross Shreve Road until well past Gordons Road, then running south to meet the W&OD, crossing Route-7 some 50 feet or so west of it. EZ Title Loan backs up to the trolley right of way today. The two lines traveled east in tandem until the trolley picked up Lincoln Avenue at West Street.

So this was all a very nice addition to my store of knowledge about the trolley line. An overriding image from it all though is that even as late as 1937, there was just plain nothing here. A few farms and pastures, a couple of small crossroads settlements, but mostly just woods and fields and a vastness of nothing else. The tracks (mostly put down by 1904) ran in straight lines for miles and miles and never ran into anything. What a difference a century has made, and to think that we tore up the trolley because we didn't think we'd need it anymore.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: topcat ()
Date: November 18, 2015 11:02PM

Found this on the pictures thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8aXR48nxYg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 19, 2015 09:22AM

chuckhoffmann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This won't give you the location of the stations,
> but you can very clearly see the track of the
> Fairfax line on the 1937 aerial photography layer
> at the Historic Imagery Viewer at
> http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/photo.htm
>
> You can also overlay the current property maps and
> see exactly where features were.

Thanks for the link. I think I tried to go there a long time ago and it wouldn’t open on my computer. Advances - there’s and mine. Thanks for providing it. I love it. It lets me see what I’ve been trying to visualize with very little clues.

I think this [picture] may be one of the stations I was looking for. It’s on the north side of 66 before the tracks cross Blake, I think. I don’t know if you can make out the tracks in the snapshot - they run north/south alongside the farmhouse or station. It was the only structure close enough to be a station along the long stretch of track from where it crosses 123 and this location. It reminded me of the visualization Historian gave in one of his posts here.

“... but mostly just woods and fields and a vastness of nothing else. The tracks (mostly put down by 1904) ran in straight lines for miles and miles and never ran into anything.” -Historian

Thanks again.
Attachments:
station.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 19, 2015 09:29AM

topcat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Found this on the pictures thread
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8aXR48nxYg


Great video. Thanks for posting it here. I saw it once before but didn’t appreciate it as much as I did today. I paused it along the way to see if I could recognize the areas. Does anyone know where this is? See the W&OD heading uphill on the ridge behind filling station? I was thinking Falls Church somewhere. Video paused at 2:50/4:03.
Attachments:
w&od 1939 youtube clip at 2.50.4.03.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: November 19, 2015 09:34AM

Here’s a new one I found when I googled “washington virginia electric trolley fairfax line” and clicked “images”. Scroll down to an image that is zoomed in as far as it will go. If you hover over image, it will reveal the title.
Attachments:
partially blown apart old railroad bridge.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: 9mxeN ()
Date: November 19, 2015 12:27PM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Near as I can tell, the not very helpful message
> reads "I guess you are not going back to ??? this
> winter, are you. Give my love to ???, Your
> friend, ???"

I guess you are not going back to W.Va

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 20, 2015 12:39PM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think this [picture] may be one of the stations
> I was looking for. It’s on the north side of 66
> before the tracks cross Blake, I think. I don’t
> know if you can make out the tracks in the
> snapshot - they run north/south alongside the
> farmhouse or station. It was the only structure
> close enough to be a station along the long
> stretch of track from where it crosses 123 and
> this location.

I would find that an entirely plausible location for Martinique. While there was a second one by 1937, the 1915 topographical map (on the wikipedia NoVa trolleys page) shows the dirt road in your picture as the only connection between 123 and the trolley line that existed over that stretch of right-of-way. Per that 1915 map, there was one farmhouse at the 123 end of the road and the one that's in your picture at the other end. That's all. Would that have been enough to justify a station? Quite possibly so, given that stations were often rather informal affairs, and given that the entire population of Fairfax County in 1900 was 18,580. A few people then were a more significant thing than what they would be today. It's also the case that the trolleys carried freight in the form of farm products into the big city, so stations may well have been placed as convenient pickup points for area farm goods as much as for people.

I suspect this may be the explanation as well for the mysterious Sanger station between the stops at Blake Lane and Oakton. There was a farmhouse at what was then the western end of Oakton Drive that became the northern terminus of a network of informal farm roads through the local countryside. Sanger may simply have been a spot that local farmers could easily reach with their wagons of fruit and vegetables ready for market. Over in McLean, the trolleys had been busy making a tidy profit hauling fresh milk from the dairies of Chesterbrook into Georgetown. No doubt that same sort of thing was happening along the Fairfax Line as well.

There is still of course the matter of the Bothwell and Tydidi stops in Vienna. I would hazard a guess that Bothwell was behind the Cox's (now De Paul's) Farm location. The history of everything on either side of what is now Flint Hill Road all the way back to Vale Road was orchards. It would have made plenty of sense simply to drive the wagons down to the trolley line at harvest time.

Tydidi was meanwhile somewhere along the old-time version of Ninovan Road between the Park Street and Franklin stations, where the trolley hopped over the W&OD. Tydidi could have been at Ninovan and Talahi, or at Ninovan and Moore, or at Ninovan and Tapawingo. Or it could have been at the end of any of several paths that led back to the tracks. There was nothing that crossed over the W&OD in that area, so the purposes of those paths are open to debate. The fact that no one today seems to know where Tydidi actually was may suggest that it wasn't a very important stop even in its day, or that it was more than one of the above and didn't actually have a fixed location.

As for the three stops immediately east of Gallows Road, my personal suspicions are that Robey was plowed under by I-66 and that Burr was at the intersection of Chestnut and Gordons Road. As far as I can tell, Antrum (aka Antrim) was almost certainly located in the small triangle south of Shreve Road and west of Broad Street.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 20, 2015 12:53PM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great video. Thanks for posting it here. I saw
> it once before but didn’t appreciate it as much
> as I did today. I paused it along the way to see
> if I could recognize the areas. Does anyone know
> where this is? See the W&OD heading uphill on the
> ridge behind filling station? I was thinking Falls
> Church somewhere. Video paused at 2:50/4:03.

Yes, you and "Topcat" have found examples from a dozen or so old movies of the W&OD railroad in operation. There was an old "geocities" website that had four of them, but the locations where the films were made were not to be found there either. I could imagine that the filling station one is at Lyon Village, but it could be a dozen other places as well. I think the Northern Virgina Regional Park Authority has all the movies now.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: upmuh ()
Date: November 20, 2015 12:53PM

As far as I know Broad St runs E-W and Shreve N-S. So how can you be south of Shreveport and west of Broad?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 20, 2015 12:59PM

causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here’s a new one I found when I googled
> “washington virginia electric trolley fairfax
> line” and clicked “images”. Scroll down to
> an image that is zoomed in as far as it will go.
> If you hover over image, it will reveal the title.

There's no question of the location of the partly blown-up bridge. I've stood on what's left of it (it wasn't a very big bridge to start out with), so I know that it's just a little bit off to the left once you access the old right-of-way in the woods beyond the western end of Ranger Road.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 20, 2015 01:11PM

upmuh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As far as I know Broad St runs E-W and Shreve N-S.
> So how can you be south of Shreveport and west of
> Broad?

Shreve Road runs SW to NE while Broad Street runs NW to SE. Long John Silvers would be at the apex of the triangle south of Shreve and west of Broad.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 20, 2015 01:14PM

9mxeN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess you are not going back to W.Va

Yes, I think that's right. It's actually clearer if you are expecting that and don't use any "special effects" graphics tools to enhance the writing.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: history buff ()
Date: November 20, 2015 06:32PM


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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: history buff ()
Date: November 21, 2015 10:22AM

https://books.google.com/books?id=4ZU7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=wiley+station+,+fairfax&source=bl&ots=MSHgQHZZ4K&sig=BDFgQU2buMl25i7o2riJQKDNCLk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB9vmw5aHJAhWGKiYKHXwZBPk4ChDoAQgkMAE

I googled Wiley station Fairfax. I found a story of a 1917 road trip that mentioned paying a 20 cent toll at the Wiley station crossing (20.2 miles into the trip) then reaching the courthouse at 21.2 miles.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: history buff ()
Date: November 21, 2015 10:34AM

history buff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> https://books.google.com/books?id=4ZU7AQAAMAAJ&pg=
> PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=wiley+station+,+fairfax&source=
> bl&ots=MSHgQHZZ4K&sig=BDFgQU2buMl25i7o2riJQKDNCLk&
> hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB9vmw5aHJAhWGKiYKHXwZBPk4Ch
> DoAQgkMAE
>
> I googled Wiley station Fairfax. I found a story
> of a 1917 road trip that mentioned paying a 20
> cent toll at the Wiley station crossing (20.2
> miles into the trip) then reaching the courthouse
> at 21.2 miles.

That would lead me to believe that Wiley was at the crossing of 123 and the tracks (if the roadbed is still in the same spot)

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 21, 2015 11:12AM

history buff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I googled Wiley station Fairfax. I found a story
> of a 1917 road trip that mentioned paying a 20
> cent toll at the Wiley station crossing (20.2
> miles into the trip) then reaching the courthouse
> at 21.2 miles.

As the route traveled was along present-day 123, this would suggest that the Wiley station was north of present-day 29/50 at the Bombay Bistro crossing. Not sure if that's exactly a mile from the Courthouse though.

The "good roads" movement by the way would have just been hitting its stride in the WWI years. Started by bicyclists in the 1880s, the growing popularity of the automobile gave things quite a push. At the time, homeowners with frontage were expected to construct and maintain roads out of their own pockets -- thus the tip of the hat to Mr. Leiter. The ideas of tolls, bonds, and finally taxes as general sources of road funding were actually slow to develop.

Meanwhile, having trundled myself over to the Fresh Market in Vienna yesterday, I took The occasion to revisit the historic trolley sights along Ninovan Road, only to find that the entire triangle adjoining the W&OD between Ninovan and Tapawingo has been bulldozed with eight new houses soon to be going in. The incline of the trolley line there that brought the cars up to the level of the bridge crossing over the railroad has apparently been leveled. Not sure of the fate of the actual bridge support on that side.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: V39NL ()
Date: November 21, 2015 12:48PM

Bummer. I hate leveling.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: November 22, 2015 01:39PM

I am surprised that nobody posted this URL:

http://www.abandonedrails.com/Fairfax_to_Vienna

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 22, 2015 03:40PM

Well, that site is not very reliable or useful. The topographical map for instance is from 1915, and the line between Vienna and Fairfax was built in 1903-04. While there was a connection to the W&OD in Vienna, the trolleys continued on from there down to 12th & D Streets, NW, completing the full run from Fairfax City in just about an hour. Also the direction of the view from Library Lane is misstated, and the few photos included are quite pedestrian. The shot of the right-of-way near Ranger Road ought to be particularly dramatic, but it could as easily be any old path in the woods.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: CUkNh ()
Date: November 22, 2015 06:56PM

Joke Insurance, thanks for the link. I like the picture of the Street sign because I was trying to remember what was on Main befor PNC Bank and you can see it behind the sign!

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: You're not a "historian" ()
Date: November 22, 2015 07:02PM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, that site is not very reliable or useful.
> The topographical map for instance is from 1915,
> and the line between Vienna and Fairfax was built
> in 1903-04. While there was a connection to the
> W&OD in Vienna, the trolleys continued on from
> there down to 12th & D Streets, NW, completing the
> full run from Fairfax City in just about an hour.
> Also the direction of the view from Library Lane
> is misstated, and the few photos included are
> quite pedestrian. The shot of the right-of-way
> near Ranger Road ought to be particularly
> dramatic, but it could as easily be any old path
> in the woods.


Nice try, kid. You're full of lion poop.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 22, 2015 07:47PM

I'm not a kid. And the "abandoned rails" site is inaccurate and misleading while bringing nothing new to the table.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: topcat ()
Date: November 22, 2015 11:29PM

For whatever it's worth. I spoke to my 83 year old mom tonight and she remembers the track crossing Gallows Rd at Electric Ave. in 1938. Our family had a farmhouse at that location. She remembers walking down stairs outside the gate of the home and crossing tracks.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: November 22, 2015 11:31PM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not a kid. And the "abandoned rails" site is
> inaccurate and misleading while bringing nothing
> new to the table.

Shut him up by proving him wrong.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2017 11:43AM by Joke Insurance.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 23, 2015 10:13AM

topcat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For whatever it's worth. I spoke to my 83 year
> old mom tonight and she remembers the track
> crossing Gallows Rd at Electric Ave. in 1938. Our
> family had a farmhouse at that location. She
> remembers walking down stairs outside the gate of
> the home and crossing tracks.

Today's 83-year olds would have been born in 1932, so you are talking about the recollections of someone who would have been six at the time. But there is no question that the tracks crossed Gallows Road there. This is where the names Electric Avenue and Railroad Street came from. The shot below is from the 1937 aerial archive. The tracks come in (from Vienna) along Electric Avenue from the left. They cross Gallows Road and continue (toward Falls Church) along what would later become Railroad Street to the right. The farmhouse south of the tracks is about 200 feet from the station.
.
Attachments:
gallows_and_electric.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 23, 2015 11:33AM

Joke Insurance Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shut him up by pricing him wrong.

I suppose you meant "proving" rather than "pricing", but the unmet burden of proof would have been on the person(s) who put up the minimalist "abandoned rails" site. Meanwhile, the extension of the trolley from West Falls Church to Fairfax was built in 1903-04, and the topographical map is a USGS product from 1915. These facts are confirmed by nothing more remote than the wikipedia page on "Northern Virginia trolleys." Apparently, the "abandoned rails" people never got as far as that. Further, the wall at and to the west of Library Lane in Vienna runs along the north side of the old right-of-way. Note the north-falling shadows in the picture. Hence the view is to the southwest, not to the northeast. The site further refers to the "A&FE", but no name for the line that could have been the source of that acronym ever actually existed.

To summarize, the reason that the site was not linked to earlier was not because of an oversight, but rather because the site is inaccurate and misleading, being
therefore of little material use or purpose in any serious discussion.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: November 23, 2015 01:15PM

Abandoned Rails is a good website for what it is. I doubt the creator ever intended it to be considered an in depth source of information on the former railroads that it depicts. Given the indifference of most people to the history in general, or the history of transportation in particular, I feel that anything which stirs an interests in those topics is welcome.

Hopefully this thread will do that for northern Virginia trolley service, just as other threads have spurred some interest in the former airfields that used to be located in this area. It shouldn't be about proving who is right and who is wrong, but rather about spreading the knowledge that we collectively have.

@ causeican-I have not forgotten about that station pic, but I am having trouble locating it.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Speaking4Causeican ()
Date: November 24, 2015 12:32PM

Ditto Bill.N. Thanks for putting that down. All input is welcome, as far as I'm concerned. I've gleaned so much from this thread. I hope people will share their information and ideas; and stories from older residents without reservation.

Historian seems to be a factual person - Just the facts. What is tact? Although I too took offense at one of his posts, I decided he did not intend to make it personal.
Still, it needs to be clarified - all contributions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks to "history buff" for finding that Google book. I was reading it and going back and forth to the 1937 map (from the Fairfax county link chuckhoffmann provided). It's been a good read and I finally have a picture for all my wondering what Fairfax use to looked. Everyone's input has added something and I know much more now than I ever could have imagined.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Historian ()
Date: November 24, 2015 01:55PM

No offense intended to anyone. Far from it. But the fact remains that many of the few claims made on the "abandoned rails" page are inaccurate and misleading. It doesn't do anyone any good to let such things sail by without challenge.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: 3VdX7 ()
Date: November 24, 2015 05:00PM

Duly noted.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: November 24, 2015 06:09PM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No offense intended to anyone. Far from it. But
> the fact remains that many of the few claims made
> on the "abandoned rails" page are inaccurate and
> misleading. It doesn't do anyone any good to let
> such things sail by without challenge.

What info on there was inaccurate and misleading?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: January 10, 2016 09:50AM

I guess you have no idea.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Well... ()
Date: January 10, 2016 07:26PM

I guess it's either that or you were ignored because the inaccurate and misleading info had been spelled out in some detail in an earlier post.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: January 10, 2016 11:05PM

I would think Joke Insurance that if this thread had sparked an interest in the Washington Virginia RR you would have tried to check out the book I mentioned above, or at the least would have visited the Wiki page on the line. Abandoned Rails is a great site for what it is, but it isn't an authoritative source on the rail lines it depicts. However since you specific examples of incorrect or misleading information, here are a couple.

1. "Built in the late 1800s" Actually the portion of the line running west from Falls Church to Vienna and then south to Fairfax Courthouse was built by the Washington Arlington & Falls Church RR around 1907. The portion of the WA&FC line from Falls Church to Rosslyn dates from the late 1800s.

2. "connected with the Washington & Old Dominion at Vienna" Correct only in the sense that there was an interchange between the Washington Virginia and the W&OD at Vienna. However that was not the purpose of the line. The line from Vienna to Fairfax was part of the western extension of the Washington Arlington & Falls Church RR. At the time it was built the line from Alexandria through Vienna to Leesburg was owned by Southern. In 1912 the W&OD took over the former Southern line and used it as part of their own line through Georgetown to Rosslyn, so the WV and W&OD were competitors.

BTW did you know the uncompleted line of the Manassas Gap RR also runs through Fairfax, and portions of the roadbed are visible near the Fairfax Cemetery?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Asshole... Insurance ()
Date: January 11, 2016 01:09AM

Well... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess it's either that or you were ignored
> because the inaccurate and misleading info had
> been spelled out in some detail in an earlier
> post.


Or it could be because you're just an Asshole...

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Well... ()
Date: January 11, 2016 08:28AM

You're the guy who in six weeks couldn't find the six seconds it took to scroll back and find the very thing you were looking for. This one's on you.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: January 12, 2016 01:28PM

Well... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You're the guy who in six weeks couldn't find the
> six seconds it took to scroll back and find the
> very thing you were looking for. This one's on
> you.

What's on me exactly? I already knew the information. I wanted him to reply, and he did.

Go bugger off, troll.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2016 01:28PM by Joke Insurance.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: January 12, 2016 01:32PM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would think Joke Insurance that if this thread
> had sparked an interest in the Washington Virginia
> RR you would have tried to check out the book I
> mentioned above, or at the least would have
> visited the Wiki page on the line. Abandoned
> Rails is a great site for what it is, but it isn't
> an authoritative source on the rail lines it
> depicts. However since you specific examples of
> incorrect or misleading information, here are a
> couple.
>
> 1. "Built in the late 1800s" Actually the portion
> of the line running west from Falls Church to
> Vienna and then south to Fairfax Courthouse was
> built by the Washington Arlington & Falls Church
> RR around 1907. The portion of the WA&FC line
> from Falls Church to Rosslyn dates from the late
> 1800s.
>
> 2. "connected with the Washington & Old Dominion
> at Vienna" Correct only in the sense that there
> was an interchange between the Washington Virginia
> and the W&OD at Vienna. However that was not the
> purpose of the line. The line from Vienna to
> Fairfax was part of the western extension of the
> Washington Arlington & Falls Church RR. At the
> time it was built the line from Alexandria through
> Vienna to Leesburg was owned by Southern. In 1912
> the W&OD took over the former Southern line and
> used it as part of their own line through
> Georgetown to Rosslyn, so the WV and W&OD were
> competitors.
>
> BTW did you know the uncompleted line of the
> Manassas Gap RR also runs through Fairfax, and
> portions of the roadbed are visible near the
> Fairfax Cemetery?

See, that is what I was looking for.

And yes, I'm aware of the Manassas Gap Independent Line. I would assume that you're also familiar with The Loudoun Branch of the Manassas Gap Railroad.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: January 12, 2016 07:39PM

I am familiar with it from maps, but have never tried to actually find the old ROW.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: January 12, 2016 11:25PM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am familiar with it from maps, but have never
> tried to actually find the old ROW.

I think there is a spot on the grounds of the Dulles. Could be mistaken. All I'm familiar with, is this old map.
Attachments:
Loudoun Branch.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Steve M ()
Date: April 04, 2016 04:30PM

Here it is on in west Falls Church circa 1922. Opposite from where the Murphys funeral home now sits. Roughly where to Bike path bridge crosses Broad Street.
Attachments:
G&G253.jpg

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Human Tripod ()
Date: April 06, 2016 08:17PM

The W&OD had to die because the socialists on what was then the Virginia Department of Roads (Today's VDOT) didn't like the idea of a for-profit company offering public transportation within the Commonwealth.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: EV7ku ()
Date: April 12, 2016 11:32AM

EV7ku

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: J. Todd Leffar ()
Date: December 05, 2016 10:19PM

I tried to check out the bridge abutment on the south side of the W&OD trail at the end of Ninovan today, not knowing that it was a construction site. Got stopped by one of the developers who seemed suspicious of my intentions at first, but eased up a little bit when I told him I just wanted to check out the abutment. Still wouldn't let me access it from that direction; kept insisting that I needed to get to it from the trail (which is tricky with all the overgrowth). He said that the south abutment was going to be on private property anyway, so no dice.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: December 06, 2016 04:11AM

troll

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: December 06, 2016 07:46AM

The W-VA abutment on the north side of the W&OD is depicted on this site. It is immediately adjacent to the trail. http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Railroad_Regional_Park

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: phelpsmarc ()
Date: December 06, 2016 05:19PM

Historian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bill.N. Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The station pictured was only used for a few
> years
> > before it burned down.
>
> Perhaps the postcard is the only surviving picture
> of it.
>
> > Later tracks were laid up the hill to the
> intersection
> > of 123 and 236. The station was located in the
> Willcoxon
> > Hotel, which was where the bank is now.
> Supposedly
> > operating up the hill taxed the railroad's
> electrical
> > system.
>
> I think the plan was always to go to the County
> Courthouse (just like the stagecoach did), but
> service as far as the Fairfax Electrical Depot may
> well have begun before the last of the tracks were
> laid. Grades are meanwhile an issue for rail
> systems, no matter how they are powered.
>
> > There is a book on the Washington-Virginia
> called "Old
> > Dominion Trolley". I believe the library has a
> copy.
>
> "Old Dominion Trolley Too" by John Merriken. It
> focuses on the Mt. Vernon Line, but covers others
> as well.


Yeah, my bro. has a copy of that book. It should have the answer.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: December 26, 2016 08:42PM

I've always wondered; were there ever any plans for the trolley line to extend to Burke from Fairfax City?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: eG9Yn ()
Date: December 27, 2016 07:37PM


Wairfax residents were told a trolly was being studied using FAIRFAX MONEY

Why democrat are you telemundo calling it "Washington-Fairfax Trolley" ??

Do you plan to take over all the jobs and put only niggers and spics in them?


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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: December 27, 2016 08:07PM

Why is your brain warped?

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: December 27, 2016 08:59PM

@Joke Insurance-I am not aware of any plans to extend the trolley line to Burke. It would be a circuitous route though as Burke is southeast of Fairfax. If you lived in Burke it would probably have been faster to take a Southern Railway train into DC by way of Alexandria.

A more likely extension would have been to run the line to Fairfax Station, which was due south of Fairfax, but I have not read anything on that either. There was not much potential traffic to tap, and you'd be competing against the well funded Southern Railway for traffic. At one point though there seems to have been some thought about extending the trolley line west from Vienna. There was a charter issued for the Washington & Winchester around the time the extension of the WA&FC line to Fairfax was being built. Remember at that point what we now know as the Washington & Old Dominion was a Southern Railway branch line running from Alexandria to Round Hill. The Great Falls & Old Dominion took it over in 1912 and re-oriented it to a line running from Loudoun to Georgetown with the segment to Alexandria becoming a branch line.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: causeican ()
Date: December 27, 2016 09:12PM

"There was a charter issued for the Washington & Winchester around the time the extension of the WA&FC line to Fairfax was being built."

very interesting

Thx

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Jamison ()
Date: January 09, 2017 11:04PM

Does anyone know what happened to the land when it was abandoned in 1939? Did it just go back to the adjacent landowner? I now own property that abuts the old trolley line but from the historic image search the land does not appear to have gone back into my lot as it did with neighbors down the block.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: January 10, 2017 04:08PM

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Joke Insurance-I am not aware of any plans to
> extend the trolley line to Burke. It would be a
> circuitous route though as Burke is southeast of
> Fairfax. If you lived in Burke it would probably
> have been faster to take a Southern Railway train
> into DC by way of Alexandria.
>
> A more likely extension would have been to run the
> line to Fairfax Station, which was due south of
> Fairfax, but I have not read anything on that
> either. There was not much potential traffic to
> tap, and you'd be competing against the well
> funded Southern Railway for traffic. At one point
> though there seems to have been some thought about
> extending the trolley line west from Vienna.
> There was a charter issued for the Washington &
> Winchester around the time the extension of the
> WA&FC line to Fairfax was being built. Remember
> at that point what we now know as the Washington &
> Old Dominion was a Southern Railway branch line
> running from Alexandria to Round Hill. The Great
> Falls & Old Dominion took it over in 1912 and
> re-oriented it to a line running from Loudoun to
> Georgetown with the segment to Alexandria becoming
> a branch line.


Washington & Winchester, are you sure?

Don't you mean the Winchester and Potomac Railroad (W&P)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_and_Potomac_Railroad

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: January 10, 2017 04:34PM

Not the same line Joke Insurance. The Winchester and Potomac was a 19th century line that became part of the Baltimore & Ohio's line through the Shenandoah valley after the Civil War. The company I am talking about was around 1900, and I don't think it progressed beyond the paper stage. Even that late you have a number of railroads that were being formed but never became operational or even laid any tracks, and unless you wade through old journals of the General Assembly you won't hear of them. I could be off on the name though as it was years ago that I read about it.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Col. Mosby ()
Date: January 10, 2017 06:48PM

Jamison - In 2008, the City of Fairfax sold the portions (or offered to sell) adjacent to Mosby Woods to the respective residents along Confederate Lane and Atlanta Street (I believe). I think I saw the transactions in the City Scene and asked the City about it. So I assume the Town of Fairfax ended up with at least some of it at some point.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: W&OD buff ()
Date: February 20, 2017 10:04AM

Here are a variety of shots of the abutment on the north/east side of the W&OD. They include a photo with the most commonly posted view, of the abutment's side facing to the south-southeast. But I've added photos from different angles, including from the direction of the opposite abutment, from the northwest looking at the embankment off the east-northeast (long) side of the abutment, and from overhead (with the Follin Lane/Electric Avenue curve in the upper right). Finally, there's one photo from the embankment looking towards the east-northeast, illustrating the alignment with the current Electric Avenue.
Attachments:
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Screen Shot 2017-02-20 at 9.45.05 AM.png

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: W&OD buff ()
Date: February 20, 2017 10:19AM

Two shots of where the opposite abutment was, on the south/west side of the W&OD. The face that's illuminated by the sunlight is facing the abutment on the opposite side of the trail. This time of year access from the trail isn't too difficult, in contrast to the warmer months, where the undergrowth is much greater (and the risks of ticks from the deer infestation is worse). The last shot is of the bridge itself, from the 1937 aerial imagery.
Attachments:
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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Joke Insurance ()
Date: February 20, 2017 11:45AM

It would have been nice if those images were scaled down some.

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Re: Washington-Virginia Trolley Fairfax Line
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: February 20, 2017 12:09PM

Thanks for the pics W&OD. Does anyone else wonder whether the grade on the bike path has been elevated since the W-V bridge was removed? It does not seem like the bridge would have been high enough to clear period rail cars and the electric overhead wires on the W&OD.

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