Commonwealth Railway: Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Reasonably referenced for a stub
 
(46 intermediate revisions by 32 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{distinguish|Commonwealth Railways}}
{{Infobox SG rail|
{{Infobox rail | gauge={{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}|
railroad_name=Commonwealth Railway, Inc.|
railroad_name=Commonwealth Railway, Inc.|
logo_filename=RLLOGO.gif|
logo_filename=Commonwealth Railway logo.png|
logo_size=100px|
logo_size=|
old_gauge=|
old_gauge=|
marks=CWRY|
marks=CWRY|
locale=[[Suffolk, VA]] to [[Portsmouth, VA]]|
locale=[[Suffolk, VA]] to [[Portsmouth, VA]]|
start_year= August [[1989]]|
start_year= August 1989|
end_year=present|
end_year=present|
hq_city= Wilroy, [[Suffolk, VA]]|
hq_city= [[Suffolk, VA]]|
system_map=|
system_map=|
map_size=150|
map_size=150|
map_caption=System Map (click to enlarge)|
map_caption=System Map (click to enlarge)|
}}
}}
The '''Commonwealth Railway, Inc.''' {{reporting mark|CWRY}} is a [[Class III railroad|Class III]] [[short-line railroad|short-line]] [[railroad]] operating 16.5 [[mile]]s (26.5 [[kilometre|km]]) of track of a former [[Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway]] line from [[Suffolk, Virginia]], to [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]. The main office is in the Wilroy area of Suffolk.
The '''Commonwealth Railway, Inc.''' {{reporting mark|CWRY}} is a [[United States]] [[Class III railroad|Class III]] [[short-line railroad]] operating {{convert|27|mi|km}} of track of a former [[Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway]] line from [[Suffolk, Virginia]], to [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]. The main office is in the Wilroy area of Suffolk. Commonwealth Railway was acquired by [[Genesee & Wyoming Inc.]] in 1996 (who still owns it today) and is a part of Norfolk Southern's "Thoroughbred Shortline Program". It interchanges with [[Norfolk Southern]] and [[CSX]] in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gwrr.com/cwry/ | title=Commonwealth Railway – A Genesee & Wyoming Company }}</ref>


The main industry on the line is the [[BASF]] Chemical plant in the West Norfolk area of Portsmouth. The plant is usually switched by locomotive #444, a [[GP16]] class locomotive rebuilt by [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad]] in the early 1980s. The main locomotive is #517, a [[CF7]] rebuild of an [[EMD F7]] performed by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] in the 1970s.
An important industry on the line was the [[BASF]] Chemical plant in the West Norfolk area of Portsmouth. The plant was usually switched by locomotive #444, a [[GP16]] class locomotive rebuilt by [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad]] in the early 1980s. The main locomotive was #517, a [[CF7]] rebuild of an [[EMD F7]] performed by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] in the 1970s.


The BASF plant closed in 2007 and was subsequently demolished. A small chemical company remains on the site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/inside-business/vp-ib-brownfield-sale-0120-20200115-pomqwcvg2rhjpk7cskpx2o3ptq-story.html|title=Last BASF parcel in Portsmouth sold to construction company|date=15 January 2020 }}</ref>
Commonwealth Railway is owned by [[Genesee and Wyoming Inc|Rail Link Inc.]] and is a part of Norfolk Southern's "Thoroughbred Shortline Program." They interchange with Norfolk Southern in Suffolk. [[Maersk]]'s APM Terminals opened in 2007, making the Commonwealth Railway the only rail line to access the port. They are also in the process of building another port on [[Craney Island]]. With the opening of the port two [[EMD SW1500]] type switch engines were added to the roster. To handle the rail traffic the Commonwealth Railway line through the city of Portsmouth is in the process of being realigned down the medians of I-664 and US 164. A small marshalling yard has been built in the Baileytown area of Suffolk.

Another important industry is ''APM Terminals'', which is a modern shipping container port in Portsmouth along the Elizabeth River. This port was leased by [[Maersk]] to the [[Virginia Port Authority]] in late 2010. Commonwealth Railway is the only rail line to access the port. Another port is planned for [[Craney Island (Virginia)|Craney Island]]; however, as of 2020 the port is still in the planning stage and has not been constructed.

With the opening of this new container port, two [[EMD SW1500]] switch engines were added to the roster. To handle the container traffic to and from the port, the Commonwealth Railway line through the city of Portsmouth has been realigned down the [[median (road)|median]]s of [[I-664]] and [[SR 164 (VA)|SR 164]], at a cost of $60 million. A small marshaling yard was built in the Baileytown area of Suffolk. [[Double-stack rail transport|Double-stack container service]] started in December 2010. A second phase, paid for by $9 million in federal stimulus funding, will further improve port access and is expected to be completed in September 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.joc.com/rail-intermodal/commonwealth-railway-start-double-stack-service_20101216.html |title = Commonwealth Railway to Start Double-Stack Service {{!}} JOC.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/new-commonwealth-railway-line-set-to-open/|title=New Commonwealth Railway line set to open|website=Trains.com|accessdate=2021-03-28}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=August 2021}}

The Commonwealth Railway had two GP20 locomotives numbered 2090 and 2091 which were sold in 2019 to Larry's Truck & Electric (LTEX) in McDonald, Ohio. By 2020 the Commonwealth Railway operated only one locomotive, an EMD GP15-1 numbered 1424, leased from LTEX.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=80437|title = Pictures of LTEX 1424}}</ref> The company's remaining EMD SW1500, No. 1551, is leased to the International Paper Company in Franklin, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3155887|title=International Paper Mill Power}}</ref>


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:CWRY444GP16.JPG|[[Genesee and Wyoming Inc|Rail Link Inc.]] #444, a GP16 rebuild, is used for switching along the Commonwealth Railway in [[Suffolk, Virginia]].
Image:CWRY444GP16.JPG|[[Rail Link Inc.]] #444, a GP16 rebuild, was used for switching along the Commonwealth Railway in [[Suffolk, Virginia]]. It has since been transferred to the [[First Coast Railroad]], another G&W property, in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Image:Suffolk Va.JPG|Locomotive #517 runs past the site of the new yard at [[Suffolk, Virginia]] after switching the [[BASF]] plant
Image:Suffolk Va.JPG|Locomotive #517 runs past the site of the new yard at [[Suffolk, Virginia]] after switching the [[BASF]] plant. Today it sits behind a warehouse in the Wilroy industrial park, out of service and awaiting a scrapper to cut it up.
Image:CWRY 1552 WJ Grimes.JPG| Commonwealth Railway #1552 an SW1500 parked at Wilroy in [[Suffolk, Virginia]].
Image:CWRY 1552 WJ Grimes.JPG| Commonwealth Railway #1552 an SW1500 parked at Wilroy in [[Suffolk, Virginia]]. It has been transferred to the G&W's [[Georgia Central Railway]] in Lyons, Georgia.<ref>Georgia Central Railway</ref>
Image:APM Terminals WJ Grimes.JPG|Maersk's APM Terminals in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], at night.
Image:APM Terminals WJ Grimes.JPG|Maersk's APM Terminals in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], at night.
</gallery>
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Portal|Railways}}
⚫
* [http://williamgrimes.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=1120 Pictures of CWRY Locomotives]
* [https://www.gwrr.com/cwry/ Commonwealth Railway official webpage - Genesee and Wyoming website]
⚫
* [http://www.vpa-engineering.net/rail_project/index.htm Virginia Port Authority Engineering Project]
⚫
* [https://archive.today/20130222030735/http://williamgrimes.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=1120 Pictures of CWRY Locomotives]
⚫
* [http://www.vpa-engineering.net/rail_project/index.htm Virginia Port Authority Engineering Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724011153/http://www.vpa-engineering.net/rail_project/index.HTM |date=2008-07-24 }}


{{Genesee & Wyoming}}
{{US Class III - Virginia}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Commonwealth Railway}}
[[Category:Virginia railroads]]
[[Category:Virginia railroads]]
[[Category:Genesee & Wyoming]]
[[Category:Spin-offs of the Norfolk Southern Railway]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 22:36, 17 March 2024

Not to be confused with Commonwealth Railways.
Commonwealth Railway, Inc.
Overview
HeadquartersSuffolk, VA
Reporting markCWRY
LocaleSuffolk, VA to Portsmouth, VA
Dates of operationAugust 1989–present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Commonwealth Railway, Inc. (reporting mark CWRY) is a United States Class III short-line railroad operating 27 miles (43 km) of track of a former Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway line from Suffolk, Virginia, to Portsmouth, Virginia. The main office is in the Wilroy area of Suffolk. Commonwealth Railway was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 1996 (who still owns it today) and is a part of Norfolk Southern's "Thoroughbred Shortline Program". It interchanges with Norfolk Southern and CSX in Norfolk, Virginia. [1]

An important industry on the line was the BASF Chemical plant in the West Norfolk area of Portsmouth. The plant was usually switched by locomotive #444, a GP16 class locomotive rebuilt by Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in the early 1980s. The main locomotive was #517, a CF7 rebuild of an EMD F7 performed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in the 1970s.

The BASF plant closed in 2007 and was subsequently demolished. A small chemical company remains on the site.[2]

Another important industry is APM Terminals, which is a modern shipping container port in Portsmouth along the Elizabeth River. This port was leased by Maersk to the Virginia Port Authority in late 2010. Commonwealth Railway is the only rail line to access the port. Another port is planned for Craney Island; however, as of 2020 the port is still in the planning stage and has not been constructed.

With the opening of this new container port, two EMD SW1500 switch engines were added to the roster. To handle the container traffic to and from the port, the Commonwealth Railway line through the city of Portsmouth has been realigned down the medians of I-664 and SR 164, at a cost of $60 million. A small marshaling yard was built in the Baileytown area of Suffolk. Double-stack container service started in December 2010. A second phase, paid for by $9 million in federal stimulus funding, will further improve port access and is expected to be completed in September 2011.[3][4][needs update]

The Commonwealth Railway had two GP20 locomotives numbered 2090 and 2091 which were sold in 2019 to Larry's Truck & Electric (LTEX) in McDonald, Ohio. By 2020 the Commonwealth Railway operated only one locomotive, an EMD GP15-1 numbered 1424, leased from LTEX.[5] The company's remaining EMD SW1500, No. 1551, is leased to the International Paper Company in Franklin, Virginia.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Commonwealth Railway – A Genesee & Wyoming Company".
  2. ^ "Last BASF parcel in Portsmouth sold to construction company". 15 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Commonwealth Railway to Start Double-Stack Service | JOC.com".
  4. ^ "New Commonwealth Railway line set to open". Trains.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  5. ^ "Pictures of LTEX 1424".
  6. ^ "International Paper Mill Power".
  7. ^ Georgia Central Railway

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commonwealth_Railway&oldid=1214266889"