Norfolk - Petersburg
A self-guiding railfan tour
Introduction
This is a portion of what will, someday, be a Norfolk Southern, primarily ex-Norfolk & Western, tour from tidewater in Norfolk, Virginia, to lakeside in Sandusky, Ohio. This segment now spans the Lamberts Point coal complex in Norfolk to the south end of Portlock Yard, a distance of about 7.2 miles, and Waverly to Collier (Petersburg), Virginia, a distance of about 24.9 miles. In addition, several other portions are complete, and are detailed here.
If you've not taken a Frograil tour before, you are strongly urged to visit the Frograil Tours home page, as it is packed with information and suggestions to help you enjoy your tour, maximize the effectiveness of your time, and keep you safe and comfy along the way. To navigate anywhere within Frograil, click on the navigation buttons at the top of each page.
Contents And Navigation:
About This Tour:
WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE: From a particular starting point, each segment of this coverage will allow you to follow the instructions given, drive to a railfan site, then to the next, etc. etc. Traffic levels and patterns will be given, and the photographic/lighting considerations for each site will usually be mentioned. You'll be told about area attractions, such as tourist and historic sites, as well as hotels and restaurants which are trackside or otherwise worthy of note. In short, you'll be able to plan an entire family or railfan-only outing or even a vacation from this guide, as it is completed in the months to come.
WHAT YOU WILL NOT FIND HERE: This is a railfan guide, not a photo collection. There are already many excellent and enjoyable railroad photo sites available, and one more really wouldn't add much value to the general railfan. Besides, photos take up a lot of memory, and your humble Webmaster has to pay for memory.
You will not find fancy graphics, as this is a tour guide, not an exhibition of HTML or graphics expertise. You'll be able to load these pages quickly and print them without waiting a week for each page to print. Also, you'll conserve a lot of toner in the process.
Finally, no maps are included. Even if you cannot or will not purchase good deLorme or other such atlases, you can print maps from MapQuest off the Net. Maps take up a great deal of memory, and Tony see no reason to duplicate what is readily available elsewhere.
Contributors:
Major contributors to this effort include:
Train Gif Artists. Train gifs add life and color to these pages, and take almost no time to load. You can see hundreds and hundreds of train gifs by going here.
Tony Hill, retired Webmaster and content provider, entire tour
Lynn Burke provided Feb. 2013 updates for Norfolk due to the return of Amtrak service.
Help
If you'd like to contribute to this, or any other tour, please contact me at webmaster@frograil.com, and let me know what you'd like to do. We'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
The Railroad. This segment, part of the Virginia Division, is within the Coastal Plain, and as a result, the railroad is basically a flat, straight line from northwest of Suffolk to the eastern edge of Petersburg. The line from Lamberts Point to beyond Portlock Yard, however, is anything but a straight line, starting out due east and then swinging sharply to due south. The many branches of the Elizabeth River mean that there are many bridges, and these play a prominent role in the course of the railroad from Lamberts Point to Suffolk.
The Norfolk and Chesapeake portions of the segment border on being combat railfan tours. Northwest of Suffolk, a conscious effort has been made to reduce and eliminate crossings, so there are relatively few AG crossings -- but the viewing quality is, on average, very high. Beyond Suffolk, this is a drop dead easy railroad to fan, but the track speed is 50 miles per hour for freights, and you're probably better off getting comfortable and waiting for trains to come to you, rather than trying to pace them.
For timing purposes, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours is normal travel time for a train to run from Suffolk to Crewe, (107 miles @ 45-50 MPH). Add another 4 to 4 1/2 hours from Crewe to Roanoke averaging 40-45 MPH (45-50 MPH average for the 60 miles to Concord, 35-40 MPH average for the 70 miles Concord to Roanoke).
The Railroad -- Traffic. Much of the traffic on the line is coal going east and empties going west -- just as it has been for over 150 years. However, there is considerable intermodal traffic, especially now that the Heartland Corridor was finished in 2010, double stacks are able to go to and from the MidWest over the Virginia Division. Grain for export, cement, chemicals, etc, etc, will be seen. Expect 1-2 trains per hour on average.
See the information at Tidewater -- Intermodal Terminals for details about the terminals at the Port of Norfolk, where containers are loaded and unloaded between ships and trains. It was added in January, 2012.
Photographic Considerations: As I've done in several Other Tours, I've attempted to rate the photo fields for all 4 quadrants of many crossings detailed in the tour. The following format is used: NE2, SE1, SW 4, NW4, where you go clockwise around the quadrants from northeast to northwest, and numerical ratings, from 1 to 4, with a 1 being excellent, and a 4 being non-existent, are assigned. Note that I'm rating only photo field availability, not the photogenic qualities of the site. I'm a picture taker, not a photographer, and you guys who are good photographers will have to make your own determinations.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. It is definitely recommended you get a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, study it before your trip, and copy pertinent pages for your field work. You can find information here about Railfan Maps that are available.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
AG. An at-grade crossing.
MP. Mile point.
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless Tony mentions otherwise, these are usually not worth the time and trouble to drive to them.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
NFOG. Not found on the ground. Many of the ancient country roads, fire roads, logging roads, etc., are still on the maps, but don't exist on the ground.
NPBL. Norfolk Portsmouth Belt Line. A terminal railroad owned today by NS and CSX. It essentially is a great semicircle leading from Portsmouth south to cross the South Branch of the Elizibeth River, and then north up to the NPBL docks in northwest Norfolk.
NS. Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad we are following on this tour.
Security. Beyond Suffolk, this is mostly a rural tour, and you will be in almost no physical danger of being mugged or robbed. Remember, however, even if you're in a very safe, rural area, if you fall and break an ankle in a remote area, you could die out there. That's why it is always recommended you fan with at least one male friend.
In Norfolk and Chesapeake, however, this is definitely an urban tour, and it is dangerous in many locations. There are people here who feel you owe them something (for whatever reason), and they want to take what you owe them. While this flies in the face of reason, it is a fact. You are always advised to fan with at least one male buddy, and you'd be wise to fan with a couple of them through here. If you just want to drive the tour, it's no sweat, but if you want to set up and hang around, you'd better have some pals with you. In no case is it wise to flash your new Nikon $1,000 camera gear or your fancy Canon tripod and motion picture camera. Use some common sense. Nowhere within urban Norfolk and Chesapeake is it wise to fan at night.
Probably the biggest security issue comes from the security concerns of Norfolk Southern Corporation. In this day and age, a jerk who knowingly trespasses, and then gets hurt sneaking up the steps of an engine, can sue the railroad, and will probably even win! While we could argue the idiocy of this situation, the result is quite apparent: The corporation wants you off its property, and will be aggressive in ensuring that, if you do trespass, you will be arrested, and very possibly fined and even jailed. The corporation is serious about this, and you had better be, also.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend or condone walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing or exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or any other tour which is part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic.
Railfan sites: Waverly -- Collier
The Tour
Norfolk -- Robertson Park. From the underpass on Hampton Boulevard/VA-337 east of the Lamberts Point coal handling facility, go south four blocks to a right onto Gates Avenue. When you reach the end of Gates, take a right onto what appears to be a private driveway. This is Armistead Bridge Road, and it dead ends at a chain link fence that is on the south side of the east yard throat of the Lamberts Point complex.
If you have a pick-up truck, sit in the bed in a lawn chair. If you have a van or camper, sit on top. Shooting over the fence yields wide open photo access from the south in both directions. This is a sweet location if you can get over the fence. Heck, just bring two 6' step ladders and a couple of stout crossmembers, and make a scaffold. It's well worth it.
There is also the same chain link fence to the west, separating public property from Norfolk Southern property. To the east is grassy Robertson Park, a well-kept secret by the residents in the area. Here, the folks walk their dogs, hike/jog around the paved pathway, play catch, etc. If you can shoot and see over the fence to the north, this is a superior railfan location. It is definitely a lawn chair and cooler spot.
Norfolk -- West 21st Street. Leave Robertson Park and drive back up Gates to Hampton Boulevard/VA-337. Because the traffic is so heavy, rather than trying to turn left to head north, it is advisable to turn right, do a U-turn, and just before going under the tracks, turn right onto Azalea Court. When you get to West 21st Street, there will be a parking lot directly across from you, so cross 21st, and park back near the tracks.
On your right is the Senior Center, and on the left is a commercial building. At the back of the latter is an area of NS property, so don't go there. You can shoot to the west from the northeast corner of the building, but it's a W3 at best. Put your back to the wall of the east side of the building, at the north end, and shoot to the east. This is easily an E2 shot.
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Norfolk -- West 23rd Street. Keep going east on 21st Street, until you get to Colonial Avenue. [You will pass up Colley Avenue, as it is a NAG/NARL, but there is a station point above the underpass, at MP 1.9. To set the starting point at Robertson Park, Tony did an old-fashioned string measurement from here back to Armistead Bridge Road, and came up with a start point of LP 1.4. We'll use this start point to calculate the overall distance we travel on this segment.] Turn left at Colonial, go over the crossing, and immediatelyely turn right onto West 23rd Street, and park on the right. There is wide open viewing, at least according to the aerials, all the way from Colley Avenue east to Monticello, and Tony observed a good bit of the area. However, Tony did not see every block, and you'll want to scope them all out for yourself.
You're on the north side of the tracks, so the sun will fight you almost all the time, but this is a really nice place to just watch the traffic in and out of Lamberts Point.
Norfolk -- Llewellyn Avenue. Well obviously, there was someone who hailed from Wales that passed through here; how many street names do you know that have 4 L's in them?
Keep going east on West 23rd Street until you get to Llewellyn Avenue. This is one point along 23rd where you have fairly decent access from the south side of the tracks: NE1, SE1, SW2, NW1. This is the best location between Colley and Monticello Avenue for shots from south of the tracks.
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Norfolk -- Granby Street. At Granby Street you have another opportunity from the south: NE1, SE3, SW3, NW1. Beyond Granby, the railroad begins to gradually curve to the southeast.
Norfolk -- Barre Avenue. Go north on Granby to 26th Street, and take a right. Cross Church Street/U.S. 460. Turn right on Leo Street, and follow it as it becomes Lindenwood Avenue. Finally, at Barre Avenue, take a right and park (which is not easily done). The crossing itself isn't much, at NE1, SE3, SW3, NW3, but the view across a grassy area in the north east quad is very nice, indeed. Steam Powered Video's Atlas shows a line going northeast from Barre, but any evidence on the ground, at least in October 2008 was NFOG.
This point is "Barre Avenue", MP LP 3.5. There is a set of signals here.
Norfolk -- Taggart Street. Cross the tracks at Barre Avenue and take an immediate left onto Galt Street. Galt goes northwest - southeast as the tracks seriously curve towards the south, but there is no access anywhere from Galt. Finally, Galt ends at Tidewate/VA-168, a major thorofare. Turn right and drive south to a location where you can do a U-turn. Take the frontage road all the way to Billings Street. Turn right and go one block to a right on Taggart. Taggart hugs the tracks as they continue around the big curve to the south. All along the way the viewing is E4/W1, and it's really very, very nice from the west -- it's wide open.
There are industrial facilities to the east, so there are no photo ops from that side of the tracks.
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Norfolk -- St Julian Avenue. Continue on down Taggart to St Julian, and take a right. Go over the crossing and park somewhere -- where you park may be determined by the day of the week and the time.This is an interesting photo location: NE3, SE1, SW1, NW3. Tony's notes on shoooting from the SE quad to the south state as follows: "WOW". This is a summer location from both southern quads, as there is still a slight northwest - southeast bias here.
When Amtrak began direct service to Norfolk in December of 2012, the abandoned spur off the main line at St. Julian Ave. was refurbished into a wye to turn the trains and into the train storage facility. Chances of seeing a train in the yard during daylight is miniscule since, as of February 2013, trains leave Norfolk at 5 a.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. Saturday. They arrive in Norfolk at 9 p.m. every day but Saturday, when the arival time is midnight. (Feb. 2013 update.)
Norfolk -- Princess Anne Road. Go back west over the tracks and take an immediate left onto Bolton Street. Turn left onto Goff Streeet, go over the NARL crossing, and then take a right on Courtney Avenue. Then, take a right onto Princess Anne, and park on the left just before the crossing.
This is a morning location, at NE1, SE1, SW4, NW4. By this point, the tracks have become slightly northeast - southwest. The northeast quad has issues with a building's shadow, but can be excellent under the right conditions. You are at MP LP4.0.
There is a small commercial business at this location with a paved parking lot. Also, there is a new signal at that location called Princess for trains heading to Lamberts Point. (Feb. 2013 update.)
Norfolk -- Park Ave. You are now close to the Elizabeth River, but there is one more location of interest befor you have to concentrate on getting over the river. Cross the tracks heading west, turn left on Cooke Avenue, and take the tricky right onto U.S. 58/Virginia Beach Boulevard. At Tidewater/VA-168/337, take (at another tricky intersection) a left to head south. Pass up the crossing at Olney Road (NARL), and take a left onto Brambleton Avenue/U.S. 460. When you get to Park Avenue, take a right. In the area of Claiborne Avenue, you'll cross the remnant line that used to be a joint (original) Norfolk Southern Railway/Virginian Railway line to the west edge of Norfolk, where the two railroads had a passenger station (together with Norfolk & Western). Follow Park as it goes under I-264, takes a 90º turn to the right, and ends up at Norfolk's Harbor Park. The eastern boundary of the park is the Norfolk Southern line we've been following.
To avoid trespassing, shoot from the sidewalks: NE2, SE4, SW4, NW1. To the south, you can see two large black objects rising up many stories high. These are the decks of bridges which lower to allow a train to go over the river. Obviously, if one or both of them is down, something is coming at you. The visible signals before the bridges will tell you what direction the train will be moving.
This is the location of Amtrak's Norfolk station. There is a platform along the tracks and the adjacent parking area is patrolled 24 hours by private security. Besides the signal leading to the drawbridge on the right as you stand on the platform, there is a new signal on your left called Harbor Park that will tip you off to trains coming across the drawbridge heading toward Lamberts Point. (Feb. 2013 update.)
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Norfolk -- Indian River Road. To cross the Elizabeth River and continue the tour towards the south, go back up Park Avenue all the way to Brambleton/U.S. 460/VA-166 and turn right. Once over the river, veer right off the highway on Wilson Road/U.S. 460/VA-166, which will then intersect with Indian River Road. Turn right. You'll pass a large cemetery on the right, and then see some commercial establishments. Be alert, because Indian River inexplicably takes a 90º turn to the right, and then another to the left. Meanwhile, the "main" road continues straight ahead as East Berkley Avenue.
The crossing is decent, but watch for heavy traffic on the road, as this is a heavy industrial area. Photo ops are NE4, SE2, SW1, NW4. Light for northbounds can be a problem, as the tracks are almost dead north - south. The big railroad bridges mentioned in the Park Road location entry are quite visible to the north, and a lowered one is definitely an acute heads up.
Chesapeake -- Berkley Avenue. Continue west on Indian River Road, and take a left onto Farquar Street. This will take you to East Berley Avenue that we left at the odd 90º turn leading to the previous location. Cross East Berkley Avenue, and you're on Berkley Avenue Extension. If you think you're finished with these bizarre street names, you're not. When you cross Oberdorfer Road, the name of your street becomes simply Berkley Avenue. The crossing on Berley rates as: NE4, SE1, SW3, NW4. The view from the southeast is quite good, and there is some room to maneuver.
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Chesapeake -- Seaboard Avenue North. Turn right onto 22nd Street/U.S. 460/VA-166. This will take you southwest over a railroad junction (discussed below). As soon as you've gone over the tracks, there will be a bank to the left, and you should turn into it. Drive through the parking lot to the street before the tracks and park. The street is Seaboard Avenue, and it hugs the tracks on the west. Shooting from the sidewalk skirting the bank parking lot, here are your photo ops: Roster shots W1 to the north and south; panorama shots W2-W3, depending on how much the pole line bothers you. The east side of the tracks is hugged by Wilson Road, but there are two really ugly pole lines that completely ruin the location: E4.
The junction that is under the overpass to the north is NS Junction, and is at MP N 2.5. Apparently, the milepoints began with 0.0 at the previously mentioned passenger terminal at the west edge of Norfolk. To figure out the mileage for this tour, assume the following measured distances: Armistead Bridge Road to the north bank Elizabeth River is 3.5 miles. It is 1.1 mile south to the westbound (compass south) signal protecting the junction. Therefore, a distance of 4.6 miles has been covered.
The junction itself is a left-leaning X, with the main line we're following almost straight north - south, and a line coming up from the southeast going over to the industries to the north and west. This latter line was the original Norfolk Southern Railway, and that's why the N&W called the location NS Junction. Today, obviously, the tracks are all the current Norfolk Southern, but expect to see just about anything here. Most mainline trains are coal and empties, but you'll see plenty of stuff going west, where, besides the industries to the west, the Belt Line has a large yard. North of the junction the traffic is almost all coal trains and empties, so there is a good bit more traffic here than that which we've seen so far.
Chesapeake -- Liberty Street. From the bank parking lot, head south to Liberty Street and figure out where to park. This is a very short distance from the previous location, but you have a somewhat different view, and at least a fair to poor shot south from the southeast quad. Also, scrambling from the bank parking lot to the crossing and back would probably draw more attention to yourself than necessary. Here are the fields of view: NE4, SE3, SW1, NW1. Be advised that Liberty Street is very busy, so be careful.
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Chesapeake -- Seaboard Avenue Church. On the west side of the Liberty Street Crossing, go south on Seaboard Avenue. Pass Phillips and Guerriere streets, and there will be a large church parking lot on the left (the church itself is on the right side of the street).Turn left and drive to the tracks. Viewing to both north and south is excellent. This is a nice, quiet location: W1, E4.
Chesapeake -- Portlock Yard West. From the parking lot at the church on Seaboard, you can see the signals at South Norfolk Interlocking. If you were hovering over the junction, this is what you would see (from the north to south): A line going to the southwest, crossing the South Branch of the Elizabeth River, and going on to Suffolk. This is the NS, ex-Virginian line. Next is a line going to the northeast, which is also NS, but used to be joint Virginian/NPBL. This line is very important today, as it serves the Norfolk International Terminal and NPBL's Sewells Point Docks. South of this line branching off is the end of the junction area and the northern end (timetable east) of Portlock Yard.
These are Tony's instructions for driving to the south end of Portlock Yard, but there really are no railfan locations between the church lot and that point. Continue south on Seaboard Avenue to a left onto Ohio Street. The crossing is NARL, but you're a long block closer to the interlocking to the south. Once across the tracks, take a right onto Commerce Avenue and go two long blocks to Park Avenue. Take another right onto Park Avenue, and the crossing is NARL, but you're pretty close to the interlocking. There is also what appears to be a defect detector just to the south.
Turn around and go back over the tracks, and blend to the right at Old Atlantic Avenue/Martin Avenue, and finally take a right onto Atlantic Avenue/VA-168. For the next 1.5-2 miles, you'll skirt Portlock Yard to the east, but there is most definitely no public access. Portlock seems (judging from aerials) to be an intermodal and trash container facility primarily, with lots of grain and tank cars. Coal trains apparently go through the yard without stopping.
At the busy intersection of Atlantic and Compostella Road, take a right, and then at Portlock Road, take another. The latter will take you across the south yard throat -- all 8-9 tracks worth. If you can find a place to park where the viewing is good, this is a fine place to watch trains; however, this is not a photo location, because Portlock is extremely busy (it's the only public street crossing the tracks east - west from Park Avenue, which is north of South Norfolk interlocking). This is a really cool railfan spot, but it is dangerous and you are advised to be very, very low key here. Stay in your car for the most part. This is MP N 5.3.
Note that Norfolk Southern's Virginia Division is a timetable east - west railroad. The compass north end of Portlock Yard is considered Portlock East, and the compass south end is Portlock West. It can be confusing, indeed.
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Sadly, that concludes this segment of our Norfolk - Lake Erie tour. If you'd like to make corrections, additions or suggestions, please contact me here. Also, it you'd like to extend the tour towards Suffolk and Waverly, let me know and we'll work out the details.
Waverly -- VA-40/Main Street. From the intersection of U.S. 460 and VA-40, go southwest one block on VA-40 to the crossing. It's busy and somewhat noisy, but the photo ratings are solid at NE1, SE2, SW2, NW1, and remember, the railroad is consistantly northwest - southeast all the way to Petersburg, so this is really a x rather than a +. From this point to the northwest, we will encounter surprisingly few crossings, but the viewing is mostly very, very good, and you'll have lots of opportunities to get some good train shots.
Waverly -- Cabin Point Road.Go back up to U.S. 460 and turn left to go northwest towards Petersburg. You'll have to drive several miles to the next crossing. When you see Cabin Point Road to the left, take it and park before going over the overpass. This is NAG, but there is sufficient clearance for picture taking on the overpass. I'd rate the photo ops as E2/W2, but you need to be carefull. Also, be aware that there are two prisons south of the overpass, so you don't want to be seen lurking around for an extended period of time. Heaven knows what someone will think!
Disputanta -- Alden Road. Once back on U.S. 460 headed northwest, pass the Prince George County line marker, and start looking for Alden Road to the left. Take it and you'll very shortly be at the crossing. Parking is easy, and the photo fields are pretty good: NE3, SE1, SW2, NW1. Pay attention to your surroundings, because Alden is not as peaceful and bucolic as you might think -- it's pretty busy.
Disputanta -- Golf Course Road East. As you head (via U.S. 460) into the major not-quite-metropolis of Disputanta, look for Hines Road on the left. Take it, and then take a left onto Golf Course Road. This street will be our companion for quite a ways to the northwest, but here we go to the southeast. The crossing is pretty good at NE1, SE2, SW1, NW2.
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Disputanta -- Robin Road. This is perhaps the best photo location we've seen since we started out in Waverly. Continue northwest on Golf Course Road from the last crossing. Pass Queen Street on the right and look for Robin Road on the left. The photo ratings are pretty gaudy: NE1, SE2, SW1, NW1. Since this is an x rather than a +, you can get pix here virtually any time of day.
Disputanta -- Private Lane. Compared to the three previous crossings detailed in the Disputanta area, this one is a bit of a wuss, at NE2, SE4, SW4, NW4. The two southern quads are on private property, and you can't go there. However, the reason Tony includes it is that there is a station sign, "Disputanta", just northwest of the crossing. This is MP N 68.7.
New Bohemia -- Enterprise Drive. Continue northwest along Golf Course Road, and you'll be frustrated, as the tracks are seemingly close enough to reach out and touch, but they are hopelessly treed in. There are a few open spots, however, so stay alert. Eventually, Golf Course Road will end at Prince George/VA-156, and then go back over the tracks on a NAG/NARL. Once back at U.S. 460, take a left and continue to the northwest.
Look for Enterprise Drive to the left. You'll probably spot it by the high volume of trucks, especially Food Lion trucks, going back and forth between U.S. 460 and Enterprise. As you will probably suspect, this is the site of a huge Food Lion distribution facility, but it is not at all a location for the railfan to avoid. Indeed, the photo ratings are NE2, SE1, SW1, NW1. The trick is to remain unobtrusive and still enjoy yourself. You can avoid trespassing easily, but you will still want to be cool.
Actually, west of here, the railfanning deteriorates from poor at Rives Road to nonexistant all the way to the west of CSX's Collier Yard in Petersburg. If you think something is coming shortly, wait here, because it will be a good ways west before decent fanning will start up again.
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New Bohemia -- Rives Road. Once back on U.S. 460, continue northwest to the intersection of Bull Hill on the right and Rives Road on the left. Take the left to the crossing. It's not much, at NE3, SE3, SW4, NW1, but as Tony mentioned above, it will be the last for quite a ways to the west. You can look to the left and see autoracks -- that's because there is an auto mixing center just west of where you are standing, but between Rives Road and Collier, there are no public places to see trains.
Petersburg -- Collier. Between Poe, which is east of Petersburg, and Jack, to the west of the city, there are two separate routes. The Norfolk & Western's "Old Main Line" goes straight east-west, while the more recent main goes up and through the city of Petersburg. Eventually, both routes will be detailed for this tour, but for now, we end on the Old Main at the point at which the railroad passes underneath Halifax Road and the CSX (ex-ACL) A-line between Florida and the northeast.
From I-85 south of Petersburg, take the Squirrel Level Road exit, and go south on Squirrel Level Road. Go straight on Wells Road, which will dead end at Halifax Road. Turn right onto Halifax (which has been re-aligned to go over both the NS and CSX on overpasses), go up the lower part of the overpass, and then go straight on to continue on Halifax, towards the CSX Collier Yard, which is in front of you to the south. To see the NS trains through here, I'll let you in on a nice little secret: Photos of NS in this area are generally very poor, as the cut under the road and CSX is narrow, and there are lots of trees and shadows east of the underpass. Photos from the road are impossible, because there is no safe area on the bridge. However, and this is the secret, if you walk across Halifax (be careful, as it's still a pretty busy road) south of the underpass, and step over the guard rail on the western edge of the road, you'll see a manhole cover surrounded by a concrete pad about 12'x4'. Standing on that pad gives an outstanding morning southwestern view of the main, which is single track here.
This is a very good place to watch trains, as the A-line is quite busy. Collier Yard begins on the south side of what used to be the Halifax Road crossing, and NS can be sporadically busy, also. It's a good place to end our tour. By the way, more CSX info concerning this area is here.