masthead_shortlines
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bb_logo3 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.

Buckingham Branch Railroad

bb_state 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.

bb_map

Buckingham Branch system map / web

bb_guide94

1994 Official Guide ad / collection

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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.

Buckingham Branch Railroad

Motive Power

First Generation

Buckingham Branch #1

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:1951, EMD #12390
  • series:2610 produced 1949-54
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Louisville & Nashville #404, #2380
    to Seaboard System #2380
    to Buckingham Branch #1
    unit named "Pete Peters"
  • builder

    Buckingham Branch #2

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • rebuilder:Seaboard Coast Line
  • model:GP16 (rebuilt)
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:1950, EMD #12090
  • series:160 units rebuilt by SCL 1979-82
  • engine:EMD 567 (16 cyls, 1600 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Seaboard Air Line #1732
    to Seaboard Coast Line #932
    to Atlanta & West Point #4976
    to Seaboard System #4976
    to CSX Transportation #1857
    to Buckingham Branch #2
  • builder

    Buckingham Branch #3

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • rebuilder:Seaboard Coast Line
  • model:GP16 (rebuilt)
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:1950, EMD #12900
  • series:160 units rebuilt by SCL 1979-82
  • engine:EMD 567 (16 cyl, 1600 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Charleston & Western Carolina #203
    to Atlantic Coast Line #257
    to Seaboard Coast Line #857
    to Seaboard System #4772
    to CSX Transportation #1818
    to Buckingham Branch #3
  • builder

    Buckingham Branch #4

  • builder:Baldwin Locomotive Works
  • model:RS4TC
  • type:B-B industrial switcher
  • built:Mar 1954, BLW #61234
  • series:74 produced 1953-55
  • engine:Caterpillar D397 (12 cyl, 400 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt United States Army #4004
    to DLAG #54344
    to Buckingham Branch #54344
    later renumbered #4
  • builder
    icon_wikipedia

    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.

    Wikipedia

    tag_closeup Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101

    Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac #101

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:1953, EMD #18265
  • series:2610 produced 1949-54
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Richmond, Fredericks & Pot #104
    to Old Dominion Chapter NRHS #101
    leased to Buckingham Branch
  • builder
    tag_quote

    rfp101g 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.

    Old Dominion Chapter NRHS

    tag_jump

    See also our Old Dominion NRHS chapter scrapbook in Preservation

    Second Generation

    Buckingham Branch #5

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP40
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Nov 1968, EMD #34657
  • series:1221 produced 1965-71
  • engine:EMD 645E3 (16 cyl, 3000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Penn Central #3216
    to Conrail #3216
    to Ohio Central #3216
    to Buckingham Branch #5
  • builder

    Buckingham Branch #12

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP40-3 rebuild
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Oct 1968, EMD #34619
  • series:1221 produced 1965-71
  • engine:EMD 645E3 (16 cyl, 3000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Penn Central #3178
    to Conrail #3178
    to Kansas City Southern #4753
    to Progress Rail Services #2837
    to Buckingham Branch #12
  • builder

    Rolling Stock

    Scrapbooks

    tag_lagnLagniappe

    tag_quote

    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.

    Buckingham Branch Railroad

    journal_rwh

    bb_logo2 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

    Links / Sources

    This page was updated on 2019-05-11