Fredericksburg's Rail Station

Fredericksburg's Rail Station. Welcome to Fredericksburg. , You are standing where the first railroad tracks were built through Fredericksburg, in 1837. By 1842, they extended from Richmond to Potomac Creek, where steamboat service allowed travelers to complete their journey to Washington D.C., hence the name Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac (R.F.&P.) Railroad., The first engines on that new line consisted of light, wood burning equipment, but heavier tracks and American-made rolling stock were in use by the time of the Civil War. The tracks were finally extended to Washington D.C. by 1872. The concrete structure in front of you was built in 1926, to elevate the busy tracks above four city streets., The heaviest traffic on this line occurred during World War II, when it carried huge numbers of men and vast amounts of materiel. Passenger rail declined in the post-war era, but has resurged, with service provided by the Virginia Railway Express and AMTRAK. A third track is planned to meet the growing demand., [Captions:] , The Virginia Railway Express began providing commuter service through Fredericksburg on July 20, 1992., The City's Visitor Center is within a few blocks of this gateway to Fredericksburg., The Civil War sketch by Edwin Forbes shows military engineers in the spring of 1862, reconstructing the bridge recently burned by Confederate forces., An R.F. and P. work crew, circa 1900-1920. The two fellows standing at center appear to be the engineer and his brakemen. The man in the white shirt and derby hat, seated, is likely the Captain of this crew., These photos show the existing double-track concrete bridge under construction in 1926. Note the steel, single-track bridge to the left, on the stone abutments also shown in the Civil War sketch., (top and left) These old postcards show the station building as it looked between 1910 (when it was built) and 1926 (when it was expanded and the tracks elevated)., The shabby looking rail platforms were refurbished for VRE service., The entry to the commuter platform was once the rear of the station complex. It was cleaned up and adapted for this new use in 1992.