Diesel Trains on the W&OD

Diesel Trains on the W&OD (HMQ9)

Location: Leesburg, VA 20175 Loudoun County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 4.11', W 77° 31.113'

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Inscription
The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad switched from electric to diesel power during World War II. In 1941-42 the railroad bought its first three diesel-electric engines. Each General Electric engine had 380 horsepower and weighed 44 tons. Later engines weighing between 65 and 75 tons operated at about 660 horsepower.

The railroad was phasing out passenger service in favor of more profitable freight hauling. Diesel power allowed the W&OD to participate in Northern Virginia's growth boom in the 1940s and 50s. Trains hauled brick, lumber, and cement from Alexandria. Gravel was loaded into cars at Trap Rock Quarry (below) and hauled eastward to be used as fill for roadbeds. By the 1960s the encroachment of these same roads spelled the end of local suburban railroads, including the W&OD.
Details
HM NumberHMQ9
Series This marker is part of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad series
Tags
Placed ByThe Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 11:24pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 282110 N 4327397
Decimal Degrees39.06850000, -77.51855000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 4.11', W 77° 31.113'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 4' 6.60" N, 77° 31' 6.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703, 540, 571
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1700-1764 Washington and Old Dominion Trail, Leesburg VA 20175, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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