CSX Portsmouth Subdivision
A self-guiding railfan tour
Introduction
This is not part of a grand Frograil Tour, such as the CSX tour from Wilmington, NC, to Atlanta and beyond, or that from north Jersey to Florida; rather, it is a short tour, but a very important piece of the railroad puzzle in the east. This is how the south and southeast gets to the Virginia tidewater at Hampton Roads. Grady McKinney is our tour guide, and he'll take us from east to west across this modern-day rail highway. This tour is incomplete, in that many crossings were not observed. I'd be glad to have your help filling in the missing info.
As with all tours in the railfan guide, you will be able to print out this text and hit the road, but before you do, we suggest you take a long look at our tour guide page -- it's got some good tips on it.
Contents And Navigation
Contributors
Grady McKinley, complete text. This is his tour.
Peter Furnee, CSX logo
Tony Hill, Website creator -- the Guy Who Made it Go. Any first person singular pronoun refers to Tony, unless specifically otherwise indicated. Plural first person pronouns refer to Grady McKinley and Tony Hill, collectively.
Train Gifs. All train gifs used within this tour are from the Ed Bindler's train gifs site, which is here.
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. The original SAL station is still in Portsmouth, Virginia, at 1 High Street and has become a restaurant in recent years. This might someday serve as our jumping off point, but you should understand that regardless of the starting point geographically, the railroad traverses fairly simple territory. We are mostly east of the Fall Line marking the end of the Piedmont and the beginning of the Coastal Plain, and you'll not see wildly folded rock strata here -- this is the Coastal Plain. There are plenty of trains, and they ply back and forth between Rocky Mount and Tidewater, but don't expect any fireworks -- this is railroading in the eastern part of our country, and things are cool, calm, and collected.
Many of the railfan locations along the route have been detailed by Grady. On the other hand, many more are still to be detailed. These are enumerated, but are universally shown as "This crossing was not observed", and will be detailed as Grady has the opportunity to get back to the line and check out the individual crossings. To help Grady and I, your input will be greatly appreciated.
Railfanning considerations. This is the Coastal Plain, so you don't have to worry about cliffs, drop-offs, etc, but you definitely have to be concerned with treed-in portions of the route. Out in Nevada, there aren't any trees; in Virginia and North Carolina, there are lots and lots and lots of trees, and they all want to grow next to the tracks. Between towns, trees are a real problem, but in the small towns dotting this tour, there are plenty of wide open opportunities to take pictures unencumbered with trees.
Traffic patterns. You can expect a daily train count of 8-12, but they will not be neatly laid out in a "one train every 2-3 hours"; rather, you can expect to see nothing for several hours, and then see a bunch of stuff in a short period of time. As the port infrastructure gets increasingly built out in the years to come, you can expect to see ever more intermodal traffic.
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.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is virtually impossible if you have no detailed map for back country roads. Your friendly webmaster has done his best to give you precise and complete driving instructions, but there is simply no substitute for a good map and prior planning. I definitely recommend 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.
Maps and Driving navigation. There are conflicts between DeLorme, MapQuest, and any other map you can get your hands on. The best way to ensure on-the-ground accurate road identity is to use the Virginia local road numbering system. Most of the roads we'll be on are in the 600-series. Virtually all intersections outside of cities have a pole with numbers on them. Sometimes, you'll have to pull off and walk to the rear of the sign post facing the road you're on to verify that what you hope is VA-622 really is VA-622. Taking 120 seconds to do so can save you a lot of grief. You'll note that I try to stick with road numbers rather than names, and I'd suggest you do the same. The DeLorme is the best source for those numbers, unless you can get a VDOT map.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless I mention 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.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend, or even 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.
Site Listing
| Alphabetical Sequence | Sequential Order: East to West |
|---|---|
| Virginia | Virginia |
| Boykins | Suffolk -- SAL Station |
| Branchville | Kilby -- NS Crossing |
| Branchville -- Hall Siding | Kenyon MP SA 21.8 |
| Buckhorn -- Buckhorn Road | Buckhorn -- Buckhorn Road |
| Buckhorn -- Indian Trail Road | Buckhorn -- Indian Trail Road |
| Carrsville | Carrsville -- Kingsdale Road |
| Carrsville -- Kingsdale Road | Carrsville |
| Franklin -- Depot Area | Franklin -- NF&D Overpass |
| Franklin -- NF&D Overpass | Franklin -- Depot Area MP SA 37.16 |
| Handsom | Handsom |
| Kenyon | Newsoms |
| Kilby -- NS Crossing | Boykins |
| Newsoms | Branchville MP SA 54.0 |
| Suffolk -- SAL Station | Branchville -- Hall "Siding" |
| North Carolina | North Carolina |
| Margarettsville | Margarettsville |
| Seaboard | Seaboard MP SA 69.45 |
The Tour
Suffolk -- Station Area. Grady has decided to start the tour in Suffolk,VA at the Ex-Seaboard depot. The depot has been restored and says "Seaboard Railroad Passenger Station" on the sides. It's a unique looking building and now houses the visitors center and an HO model train display of the tracks in Suffolk circa 1940's.
Take the US-13/58/460 bypass around Suffolk, and take the exit listed as Downtown Suffolk. The exit will say Route 32/10. When you exit the ramp you will take a left at the stoplight. Proceed approximately 1/2 mile and you will come to another stoplight. Take a left here as well. This is business 460 (also Main Street once it gets to downtown Suffolk). The old Seaboard depot is approximately 2 1/2 miles.
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Kilby -- NS Crossing. After enjoying time at the Suffolk depot, turn left onto Main Street and cross the CSX tracks. Proceed approximately 1/2 mile and take a right on Washington Street (US-58Business). Continue west for approximately 4 miles until you junction with the US-58 bypass. Just before you get to the bypass you will go under the ex-N&W mainline from Roanoke to Norfolk. Also, just after going under the NS you can take a right onto a local un-named road that goes next to the NS to the over/under crossing with the CSX mainline.
Because of the way the overpass and lower railroad are laid out, you can take pix of one, but not the other simultaneously, unless you trespass. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the US-58 bypass also goes over the railroads at this spot -- it's a triple crossing! That said, if you have a scanner and have done some basic homework, you can get decent shots of either road -- just not both at a classic over and under pose.
Take a left on US-58 and you will be heading west, with the Portsmouth Sub on your right in the distance. Proceed approximately 2 miles to Kenyon Road.
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Kenyon. Take a right onto Kenyon road and go 1/2 mile to the grade crossing. There is room to park next to the mainline here, and this is also the location of the Defect Detector at MP 21.8. Photo angles are good because this is farmland, and there aren't many trees to get in the way.
Buckhorn -- Buckhorn Road. Continue north past the grade crossing to Indian Trail Road/VA-644. [If you're in a hurry, this road will take you all the way to US-58Business just east of Carrsville.] Proceed on Indian Trail approximately 3.5 miles; at Buckhorn Road/VA-610, take a left and you'll cross the tracks within 1/8th of a mile.
This is MP SA25.15.
Buckhorn -- Indian Trail Road. Go back north to Indian Trail Road/VA-644. Take a left, and Indian Trail will cross the tracks a little further west, at MP SA27.75.
Carrsville -- Kingsdale Road. Continue west on Indian Trail/VA-644 until you get to Kingsdale Road/VA-612. Take a right, and this will take you to a crossing, at MP SA28.65. There are good open photo ops from the north side of the tracks.
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Carrsville. Go back south on Kingsdale Road/VA-612 to Indian Trail Road/VA-644. Take a right, and you will come to US-58Business. This may be signed as Ruritan Boulevard. The highway passes over the Portsmouth Subdivision on an overpass (would not recommend for photos as traffic can be heavy). Carrsville is a small hamlet, and Old Carrsville Road (on the north), and Eleys Lane (on the south) parallel the tracks west of the overpass.
Carrsville -- Old Carrsville Road. This crossing was not observed.
Carrsville -- Jenkins Mill Road. This crossing was not observed.
Franklin -- Carver Road. This crossing was not observed. Upon leaving Carrsville, US-58Business has become Carrsville Highway. On the eastern edge of Franklin, the designation changes to US-258, which joins the road from the north at the junction of Carrsville Highway and Walters Highway/US-258.
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Franklin -- NF&D Overpass. Franklin is the only large town/city between Suffolk and the junction with the A-Line near Garysburg. Entering Franklin on US-258 on the eastern edge of Franklin, the next major intersection west of Walters Highway is Lees Mill Road. Just beyond that, look for the NS (ex-NF&D) line crossing over CSX. The bridge for the ex-NF&D still says "Norfolk Franklin & Danville" and it can make an interesting photo if an NS train is in the area.
Franklin -- Mechanic Street. This crossing was not observed.
Franklin -- Main Street. MP SA37.16. This crossing was not observed.
Franklin -- Depot Area. When US-258 gets downtown, take a left on High Street, and park. CSX serves some local businesses in the area along their route, and the depot (a typical SAL structure) is right in downtown off of North High Street. CSX usually keeps a small unit in the area for the local that serves the line.
Depart Franklin as follows: From the north, cross the tracks on High Street, and take your second right onto Barrett Street, and then your 3rd right onto Hall Street. This will curve 90° to the southwest, and parallel the tracks closely to the west side of the town. Somewhere along the way, it may become Bracy Street, which will again take a 90° turn (south, this time) and remain Bracy Street. At Maplewood Avenue take a right, and then the first right onto College Drive. Cross the tracks (NAG/NARL???), and then take a left onto Armory Drive.
Go thru the US-58Bypass, and stay on Armory Drive, which is now also VA-671.
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Watkins Corner -- Rose Valley Road. This crossing was not observed.
Delaware -- Delaware Road. This crossing was not observed.
Delaware -- Shady Brook Trail. This crossing was not observed.
Delaware -- West. This crossing was not observed.
Handsom. This is where the "Hand" DTC block begins, and is a small town with only a few homes. There is a siding here which sometimes has various rolling stock in it.
Handsom -- Sunbeam Road/VA-688. This crossing was not observed.
Gum. This crossing was not observed.
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Newsoms. Proceed on to Newsoms on VA-671. The tracks are on your left. The tracks go through the center of "Downtown Newsoms" and if you hear a train and want a quick shot you can access the tracks by taking a left onto Everett Street. This road will lead to a grade crossing and easy parking.
Newsoms -- Cross Keys Road/VA-665. This crossing was not observed.
Boykins -- Fullers Mill Road/VA-743. This crossing was not observed.
Boykins -- Fullers Mill Road/VA-667. This crossing was not observed.
Boykins. When you decide to leave Newsoms, just come back to VA-671 and turn left to continue to the southwest. This route will parallel the Portsmouth Sub out of Newsoms for about 2 miles before you come to a stop sign with VA-35. Take a left and proceed into Boykins.
This is one of the better locales to watch the action on the Portsmouth Sub, as it's the junction with the NC&VA (North Carolina & Virginia Railroad). The NC&VA saw a dramatic increase in traffic with the opening of the Nucor Steel plant on the Chowan River near Ahoskie, NC. You will see multiple flat cars on the sidings here in Boykins and these are brought in by the CSX for the steel plates that are manufactured at Nucor.
The NC&VA now sees approximately 10,000 car loads per year, as opposed to 2,500 per year before NuCor opened. CSX now has a dedicated train that runs from Rocky Mount, NC, to Boykins and back to haul the cars for the NC&VA (symbol F774, Grady believes). The NC&VA comes up from the south and has a wye and siding tracks at the junction with the CSX. You can sit next to the VA-35 grade crossing in Boykins or proceed across the tracks and take a right onto VA-186. The CSX/NC&VA interchange usually occurs during the early afternoon between 11-3 and you can catch both trains switching in the small yard. NC&VA can usually be seen with units in multiple road colors such as CN/Arizona & California and LLPX.
When you're finished checking out the action in Boykins, proceed south across the tracks on VA-35, take a right on VA-186/Pittman Road towards Branchville.
Also west of Boykins, 2 crossings of Lincoln Street and an apparently un-named (?) road going up to Old Branchville Road/VA-666 were not observed.
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Branchville. This small town is bisected by the Portsmouth Sub and also has a long siding that is used for the occasional meets along the route. This town can be used for that "Small town" next to the track photos. To get to the tracks take a right on Hall Street and it will come to the tracks, and also offer easy return to VA-186. This is MP SA57.03.
When listening to the scanner you will hear trains in the Branchville block and sidings. These are located here in the town. CSX serves a small business just east of Branchville. Proceed southwest on VA-186 and next up will be Hall Siding.
Branchville -- Hall Siding. Take a right onto Hall Siding Road (VA-663, approximately 3 miles from Branchville). There is no siding here now, and we can't confirm if there ever was. There is nothing here more than a grade crossing that can be used for quick grab shots if you realize a train is approaching fast. This is MP SA 59.33.
Grady would recommend skipping this crossing in favor of other locations. Proceed back out to VA-186 and head south into glorious North Carolina.
North Carolina
Margarettsville. The road number is still 186, but it has now become NC-186. The first contact with the tracks on the NC side of the border is at the NC-186 grade crossing near Margrettsville. This is also the location of a Defect Detector. The actual town is one mile further west and is nothing more than a few buildings and a grade crossing. Note that this place is variable spelled with one T or two, depending on what map resource you're looking at.
The shots from the grade crossing across the farm land can be good during most times of the year, unless corn is being grown in the summer time -- shots become difficult during these times. Grady would recommend passing on the actual town of Margarettsville, and heading to Seaboard.
Margarettsville -- Mt Zion Church Road. This crossing was not observed.
Seaboard -- Un-named Road just west of Jordan Mill Road. This crossing was not observed.
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Seaboard. This is a small town with multiple photo angles near the tracks. This is the last small town before the junction at the Weldon Connection. This town is located right next to NC-186, and you can access the tracks from any of the side streets off NC-186. The old depot is located in the middle of town and can offer up some nice morning shots of Portsmouth bound trains. This is MP SA 69.45.
Seaboard -- Hargraves Road. This crossing was not observed.
Gumberry -- Pleasant Grove Church Road. This crossing was not observed.
Gumberry -- Post Office Street. This crossing was not observed.
Gumberry -- Gumberry Road. This crossing was not observed.
Gumberry -- Blackwell - Stevenson Road. This crossing was not observed.
Garysburg -- Cornwallis Road. This crossing was not observed.
Garysburg -- Ellis Street. This crossing was not observed.
Garysburg. Both Grady and your humble Webmaster can detail the drive thru the cotton fields over to the southern leg of the wye joining the A-Line and the Portsmouth Subdivision. However, any access must be made over private lands, and the resultant fact is that the entire area is NARL. Even if the area of the wye were not NARL, it is still close and treed, and definitely not a place for photos. It is, however, an excellent place to get shot during hunting season.