Clifton Forge Railroad Bridges

Several significant railroad bridges for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) and now CSX Transportation (CSXT) are located near Clifton Forge, Virginia.

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Several significant railroad bridges for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) and now CSX Transportation (CSXT) are located near Clifton Forge, Virginia.

The Virginia Central Railroad originated as the Louisa Railroad, chartered in 1836 by the Virginia General Assembly. ¹ Initially extending westward from a connection near the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, it reached Gordonsville by 1840. In 1850, it was renamed the Virginia Central Railroad and continued expanding westward. The Blue Ridge Railroad was chartered in 1849 to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains, though delays led the Virginia Central to construct a temporary track over Rockfish Gap. The railroad reached Goshen in 1856 and Jackson’s River Station, 1.5 miles west of present-day Clifton Forge, in July 1857. ^{1 3 4}

By 1861, grading for the line had been completed as far as Covington, ten miles west. ^{1 3} However, the Virginia Central declined to extend the route further until it was clear when Virginia would complete the Covington & Ohio Railroad, which was intended to link the Virginia Central to the Ohio River. The outbreak of the Civil War delayed construction on the Covington & Ohio.

After the Civil War, the Virginia Central extended its tracks west to Covington in 1867, connecting with the Covington and Ohio Railroad. 4 The following year, the two railroads merged to form the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (C&O).

In 1890, C&O executives designated Clifton Forge as a major division point due to its strategic location at the junction of three key lines: the Mountain Subdivision, which included the original Virginia Central tracks to Staunton and points east; the Allegheny Subdivision, which followed the Covington & Ohio line westward; and the newly acquired James River Subdivision, running east to Richmond and Hampton Roads via the Richmond & Alleghany Railroad. ⁴

Bridge 2293

Bridge 2293, a Pratt through truss, carries CSXT over the Jackson River.

In 1881, the Richmond & Alleghany Railroad completed its water-level line along the James River, connecting Richmond to the C&O at Williamson’s Station (Clifton Forge). ⁴ In 1888, the Richmond & Alleghany was incorporated into the C&O’s James River Subdivision. In 1900, the A&P Roberts Company and the Pencoyd Iron Works of Pencoyd, Pennsylvania, completed a two-track replacement. ²

Bridge 2785

Bridge 2785, a Pratt through truss, carries CSXT over the Jackson River at milepost CA 278.4 along U.S. Route 60 (West Ridgeway Street).

The first bridge over the Jackson River at Williamson’s Station (Clifton Forge) was completed in 1858. ¹ It was replaced in 1869 as the railroad expanded toward Covington and points west. It may have been replaced again in 1895 when the mainline between Clifton Forge and Covington was double-tracked.

As part of a major expansion of the Clifton Forge yards in 1923, the facility grew from 43 miles of track over 398 acres to 66 miles of track over 636 acres. ¹ Near the yard’s west end, a deck plate girder bridge with a reinforced concrete deck was constructed to carry 23-yard tracks over the Jackson River. The structure contained over 750,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 26,000 cubic yards of plain masonry, and 3,500 cubic yards of reinforced concrete slabs. It was rated for Coopers E-60 loading.

A double-tracked, two-span through truss bridge was relocated to the north side of the yard to carry the mainline tracks. ¹ The Brooks-Callaway Company completed the work under the supervision of C.W. Johns, C&O’s Chief Engineer.

On July 17, 1924, the bridge’s east abutment collapsed while westbound H-6 Mallet No. 937 (later renumbered No. 1518) was crossing. ¹ A new bridge was completed later that year by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company of Roanoke. ²

Abandoned Bridge

An abandoned Pratt through truss bridge once carried the C&O and CSXT over the Jackson River. Built in 1924 by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company of Roanoke, it was part of the 1923–24 expansion of the Clifton Forge yards and connected the classification yard to the Belt Line bypass of Clifton Forge. ¹

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Details

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Sources

1. Dixon Jr., Thomas W. “The C&O in Clifton Forge, Virginia.” Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Newsletter, Nov. 1984, pp. 3-14.
2. Bridge nameplate.
3. Million, Art. “History of C&O Lines in Virginia.” Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Newsletter, Sept. 1974, p.16.
4. Beckett, Anne Stuart. “Clifton Forge Commercial Historic District.” United States Department of the Interior, 26 May 2017.