Buckingham Branch
"Virginia's Rail Connection to North America and the World"
With four divisions utilizing 280 miles of trackage, the Buckingham Branch Railroad has grown from its humble beginnings as a 17-mile branchline operator to become the largest shortline operation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a handling line railroad, the shortline moves freight for local shippers to a variety of interchanges with both major Class 1 mainline operations in the state: Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation.
The Buckingham Branch Railroad is a family-owned, short line railroad that operates 275 miles of railroad in Virginia. Bob Bryant began his railroad career the day after graduating from high school in the early 1950s when he went to work for the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. After more than 30 years of railroading Bob retired and returned home with his wife, Annie, and family to Buckingham County from Baltimore when the C & O and Baltimore & Ohio merger eventually led to the creation of CSX Transportation. Bob and Annie created the Buckingham Branch in 1988, acquired from CSXT the 17 mile branch line between Bremo, VA and Dillwyn, VA, the Buckingham Branch Division, and ran the first BB train on March 6, 1989. Operation began with one locomotive and two employees.
The Buckingham Branch Railroad is a locally-owned shortline system operating in the commonwealth of Virginia. First organized in 1989 to take over from CSX Transportation a castoff Chesapeake & Ohio branchline in rural Buckingham County, today the BB operates 275 miles of track, has seven train crews and 14 locomotives, and more than 40 freight customers. The company has grown to operate three sections of railroad around the state:
- Buckingham: the original segment, 17 miles of former Chesapeake & Ohio branch line, from Dillwyn across the James River to Bremo and a CSX connection at Strathmore
- Richmond & Alleghany: the longest segment, 199 miles from Richmond through Charlottesville to Clifton Forge, leased from CSX since 2004. The BB is responsible for dispatching BB, CSX and Amtrak trains through a rail traffic control department.
- Virginia Southern: the newest segment, 59 miles from Burkville to Clarksville, leased from Norfolk Southern since 2009
Interchange is maintained with CSX Transportation at Strathmore, Doswell, Coleman Place, and Clifton Forge; with Norfolk Southern at Burkeville, Charlottesville, Waynesboro, and Portlock Yard in Norfolk.
Buckingham Branch system map / web
1994 Official Guide ad / collection
The Buckingham Branch Railroad provides eight interchanges with Class 1 railroads, four each with CSX and Norfolk Southern. The availability of interchanges with competing Class 1 railroads for connections to North America and the world ensures our customers can find the best possible freight rates and schedule. The BB has excellent working relationships with both CSX and Norfolk Southern and can help prospective freight customers cut through the red tape to get accurate and timely freight rate and delivery information.
Motive Power
First Generation
Buckingham Branch #1
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #1
to Seaboard System #2380
to Buckingham Branch #1
unit named "Pete Peters"
May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #2
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #2
to Seaboard Coast Line #932
to Atlanta & West Point #4976
to Seaboard System #4976
to CSX Transportation #1857
to Buckingham Branch #2
Buckingham Branch #3
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #3
to Atlantic Coast Line #257
to Seaboard Coast Line #857
to Seaboard System #4772
to CSX Transportation #1818
to Buckingham Branch #3
May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #4
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #4
to DLAG #54344
to Buckingham Branch #54344
later renumbered #4
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
The Baldwin RS-4-TC is a diesel-electric locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works between July 1953 and January 1955. The RS-4-TCs were powered by a supercharged twelve-cylinder diesel engine rated at 400 horsepower (298 kW), and rode on a pair of two-axle trucks in a B-B wheel arrangement. 74 of these models were built mainly for the Army while a few of them went to the Air Force.
The RS-4-TCs were originally built with Caterpillar D397 diesel engines. The Caterpillar D397s were chosen for their high speed and small bore and stroke for quick startup and shutdowns. There are two number systems for the RS-4-TCs, the 1200 series or the 4000 series. The locomotives in both series were the same, except the 1200s were built for domestic service and had fixed axle, standard gauge trucks while the 4000s were built for foreign service and had adjustable-gauge trucks for use on foreign narrow and wide gauge tracks. Even though the 4000s were built for foreign service, very few were actually deployed overseas, the vast majority served in the United States.
At the end of the Korean War, most RS-4-TCs were placed into storage while their World War II counterparts were sold as surplus. Today, the majority of RS-4-TCs have been sold as surplus and are currently serving tourist and shortline railroads with a few still in military service.
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101
to Old Dominion Chapter NRHS #101
leased to Buckingham Branch
May 2004 / RWH
May 2004 / RWH
Built by EMD in 1953 and originally numbered RF&P 104. Part of four unit order (101-104) built in 1950 (order #5066) and 1953 (order #6197). Rebuilt in 1986 at Bryan Park Shops from parts of GP-7's RF&P 101, 102 (567BC engine), 103 and 104 (shell), and a control stand from a GP-35. Donated to Old Dominion Chapter in June, 1986 and leased to Buckingham Branch RR in July, 1991.
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
See also our Old Dominion NRHS chapter scrapbook in Preservation
Second Generation
Buckingham Branch #5
Staunton, Va / Jul 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #5
to Conrail #3216
to Ohio Central #3216
to Buckingham Branch #5
Buckingham Branch #12
Staunton, Va / Jul 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #12
to Conrail #3178
to Kansas City Southern #4753
to Progress Rail Services #2837
to Buckingham Branch #12
Staunton, Va / Jul 2016 / RWH
Staunton, Va / Jul 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
All time Buckingham Branch Railroad locomotive roster
Rolling Stock
Buckingham Branch #223
caboose / Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #224
caboose / Dillwyn, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #222
bay window caboose / Dillwyn, VA / May 2006 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #810
excursion commissary / Dillwyn, VA / May 2006 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #301
excursion car / Dillwyn, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #302
excursion car / Dillwyn, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #115
boxcar / Alpha, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #1508
boxcar / Alpha, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Buckingham Branch #2001
box / Doswell, Va / Dec 2017
Chesapeake & Ohio #2112
track speeder / Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Orange, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Scrapbooks
Lagniappe
The Buckingham Branch offers world-class freight service to customers as part of our 7-day-a-week operations. As a short line railroad the BB can give individual attention to our freight customers in terms of modifying schedules if needed to accommodate changes in production schedules. The BB has 40+ freight customers across our three rail divisions, ranging from international corporations like Klockner Pentaplast to local customers like Luck Stone quarries. The Buckingham Branch moves a wide variety of freight, from heavy industrial materials like stone and lumber, to chemicals required for fertilizer production, to gases such as butane, to finished food and beverage products like beer and wine. Our freight trains run regular schedules Monday through Friday and special trains as needed on weekends. We have seven train crews. Some of our freight customers include Augusta Cooperative, Bakery Feed, Bear Island, Buckingham Slate, Builders Specialty, Dominion Power, Essroc, Kopprs, Klockner Pentaplast, Luck Stone, Martin Marietta, Stella Jones, Sound Structure and Sunoco.
Ready for Action
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Temptation
Staunton, Va / Jul 2016 / RWH
Come On In
Dillwyn, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Bremo Boy
Bremo, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Ladies in Waiting
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Take Me Down to the River
New Canton, Va / May 2004 / RWH
The Menagerie Limited
May 2004 / RWH
Number One on the Point
May 2006 / RWH
James River Crossing
Nov 2016 / RWH
Two Twenty Two at Penlan
Penlan, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Top of the Morning
Dillwyn, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Orange, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Orange, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Orange, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Orange, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
Special Delivery
Charlottesville, Va / Nov 2016 / RWH
During my nine years of living in central Virginia, I enjoyed several trips over to rural Buckingham County to photograph and ride the Buckingham Branch Railroad.
I made it to two of their annual May excursions (2004 and 2006) put on in conjunction with the Old Dominion Chapter of the NRHS; my brother-in-law and I rode in 2004, and dad and I made the 2006 trip together.
As a fan of first generation diesel power, I was glad to get better acquainted with the BB and to see firsthand their great stable of factory Geeps and Seaboard Coast Line rebuilds.
Seeing the well known Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101 in operation was a real treat as well.
In 2004 it was the power on the excursion, but by 2006 it had been stripped down and prepared for repainting.
The original Buckingham Branch branchline out of Dillwyn is a treat to ride: slow, meandering shortline trackage through several interesting industrial sites ... finally culminating in a terrific overhead view of the muddy James River.
Of course, the little BB became famous in the railfan world for taking on operation of the 200+ mile CSX subdivision between Richmond and Clifton Forge. I have yet to see this operation up close, but I'm impressed by any shortline that hosts regular Amtrak trains over its rails!
Snapshots
Dillwyn, Va / May 2006 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / Will Hankins
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Dillwyn, Va / May 2004 / RWH
Links / Sources
- Buckingham Branch company website
- Diesel Shop roster for Buckingham Branch
- Old Dominion NRHS chapter excursions on the Buckingham Branch
- Virginia Railway Association Buckingham Branch listing
- Central Virginia Railfan page for the Buckingham Branch
- Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide - Fifth Edition (Kalmbach, 1996) 51