Hamilton in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Diesel Trains on the W&OD
The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad switched from electric to diesel power during World War II. In 1941-42 the railroad bought its first three diesel-electric engines. Each General Electric engine had 380 horsepower and weighed 44 tons. Later engines weighing between 65 and 75 tons operated at about 660 horsepower.
The railroad was phasing out passenger service in favor of more profitable freight hauling. Diesel power allowed the W&OD to participate in Northern Virginia’s growth boom in the 1940s and 50s. Trains hauled brick, lumber, and cement from Alexandria. Gravel was loaded into cars at Trap Rock Quarry (below) and hauled eastward to be used as fill for roadbeds. By the 1960s the encroachment of these same roads spelled the end of local suburban railroads, including the W&OD.
[Caption:]
Above: A 1925 postcard shows Goose Creek with the bridge in the background. As diesel engines got bigger, Goose Creek Bridge could not withstand their weight. Railroad cars were transferred to smaller engines for the trip across the bridge and westward. Below: Diesel engine at Trap Rock Quarry, 1958.
Erected by Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts
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Location. 39° 8.632′ N, 77° 38.705′ W. Marker is in Hamilton, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker is on Washington and Old Dominion Trail, 0.1 miles east of Hamilton Station Road (Virginia Route 704), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 39236 Irene Rd, Hamilton VA 20158, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Tracks into History (approx. ¼ mile away); Hamilton Station (approx. 0.3 miles away); Major General Ben H. Fuller (approx. 1.3 miles away); Paeonian Springs Station (approx. 1.4 miles away); Clarkes Gap (approx. 1.9 miles away); Loudoun Branch, Manassas Gap Railroad (approx. 2.6 miles away); Mother of the Wright Brothers (approx. 2.7 miles away); Mahlon Taylor Springhouse (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hamilton.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 88 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
