Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information

Preferred Citation

Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Collection, MSS 02-01, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library

Acquisition Information

Collection assembled by Virginia Room staff over a period of years. Unused train excursion ticket donated by John K. Gott. W&OD Trail boundary marker and railroad magazines donated by Chris Barbuschak in 2015.

Processing Information

Chris Barbuschak, October 2018
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024

Historical and Biographical Information

What became known as the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad traces its origins to the Alexandria & Harper’s Ferry Railroad Company incorporated on March 20, 1847. On March 15, 1853, the Virginia General Assembly amended the charter and renamed the railroad the Alexandria, Loudoun, & Hampshire Railroad. Construction on the road began on February 1855, starting from Alexandria, passing through Falls Church, Vienna, and on to Leesburg. Union troops seized the railroad in May 1861, and the line saw much action during the Civil War. New owners acquired the railroad and on July 26, 1870, they renamed it the Washington & Ohio Railroad and extended the line to Round Hill. In 1883, the Washington, Ohio & Western Railroad took over the line, leased the road to the Richmond & Danville Railroad in 1886, and it became property of the Southern Railway in 1894. The Southern Railway extended the line to Bluemont. On May 2, 1911, John R. McLean and Stephen B. Elkins incorporated the Washington & Old Dominion Railway and leased the railroad from the Southern Railway. In 1912, the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad became the W&OD’s Great Falls Division, which was abandoned in November 1934. In 1935, the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad was organized by David Elkins and assumed operation of the railroad after it had been placed into receivership. The W&OD ceased passenger service for good on May 31, 1951. In 1956, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad acquired the W&OD, and the railroad ceased operation all together on August 27, 1968. The Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO) assumed ownership of the old right-of-way, and in 1977, they sold a portion of the route to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to create the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park rail trail.

Scope and Content

The Washington & Old Dominion Collection consists of 2.25 linear feet and spans the years 1914-2000 and consists of tickets, brochures, train schedules, magazines, copies of right-of-way maps, a small metal W&OD Trail boundary sign, and a CD-ROM containing scans of 1911 right-of-way maps. Subjects include the history of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad.

Related Material

Washington and Old Dominion Railway Records [microfilm], Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library. [Reel 1. Right-of-way maps, 1855-1912; Reel 2. Record of Way-Bills Received Nov. 29, 1916-May 2, 1917, Purcellville; Reel 3. Station Ledger, May 15, 1912-May 31, 1914, Herndon Station; Reel 4. Station ledger, Dec. 1, 1917-Oct. 31, 1919, Herndon Station] Call No. MICR V 385 W

Ames Williams Collection, Accession #63, Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections, Alexandria, Va.

Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Rail Road Account Book, Guilford, VA 1860-1868 (M 002), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

John Fletcher Railroad Memorabilia Collection, 1896; 1908-1921; n.d. (SC 0085), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Separated Material

None

Index Terms

• Railroads - Virginia
• Washington and Old Dominion Railroad
• Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (Va.)

Adjunct Descriptive Data