Located in Southeastern Virginia, the line receives both Norfolk Southern and CSX intermodal trains bound for the port in Portsmouth, VA. Norfolk Southern has two trains that operate the line daily. In the early morning, the V14 leaves Portlock yard in Norfolk, VA and traverses the Norfolk District to Suffolk, VA. In Suffolk, the power runs around the train. The train will then traverse control point "Murray" and head onto CWRY trackage. NS crews will take the train to the CWRY Marshaling yard. There, the train stops to make a crew change where Commonwealth crews will take control. They will take the train to port and spot cars there.
NS V07 will depart from the port in the afternoon led by CWRY crews. The crew will take the train back to the Marshaling yard and wait for NS crews to arrive to take the train back to Portlock. NS will take the train back to Suffolk, run the power around the train, and traverse the Norfolk District back to Portlock thus completing the V14/V07 cycle.
CSX has various intermodal trains that come in and out of the CWRY, and at this time I do not have any knowledge of what trains operate and when. As with NS, CSX crews will change out with CWRY crews at the Marshaling yard. CSX trains come onto the CWRY from the Portsmouth Subdivision.
The Commonwealth Railway is now owned and operated by G&W. The company has a few locomotives, but the only one they regularly use is a LTEX GP15-1 for local operations. I do know they switch out a BASF industry. I have a lack of knowledge about these local moves, but I will do some research and ask around to see what I can find out.
So now that I have explained some of the basic operations this line sees, I will post a few screenshots of my progress. The route is quite short. Speed limits for this line are slow; at most 20 mph. It's not lengthy, but there will be switching possibilities.
Here is Gum Court in Chesapeake, VA. Highway 664 is in the background.
This shot was taken underneath highway 664, where the tracks begin to run straight down the middle of the highway. The tracks will follow 664 for a little ways, and then branch off to highway 164 which will basically take you all the way to the port.
Bromay Street in Chesapeake, VA
The Commonwealth Railway yard office at Marshaling yard in Suffolk, VA
V07 going underneath 664
Hope you all like it...
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