Archives

Buckingham Branch Railroad Adds Intermodal Facility in Charlotte Co.

   Written by on July 29, 2020 at 2:19 pm

The Buckingham Branch Railroad recently announced the purchase of the Blue Ridge Railcar Repair Facility in the Charlotte County Industrial Park located on Horseshoe Bend Road adjacent to the Heartland Industrial Park.

The facility was opened by Alderman Railcar Service in 2007.  Following the closing of Alderman the facility was purchased in December 2013 by Blue Ridge Railcar Repair, a subsidiary of Patriot Rail Company.  The company planned to “invest $2.41 million to expand its operations in Charlotte County, Va., as part of a project which will create 37 new jobs.”

The Blue Ridge Facility was closed following a fire in January 2016.  The company announced plans to repair and reopen the facility in May, 2016.  

The facility was purchased by Buckingham Branch Railroad earlier this year and just announced their plans for the facility. 

The Buckingham Branch Railroad is a family-owned, short line railroad that operates 280 miles of railroad in Virginia.   Bob and Annie created the BB in 1988, acquired from CSXT the 17-mile branch line between Bremo, Va. and Dillwyn, Va., the Buckingham Branch Division, and ran the first BB train on March 6, 1989.  Operation began with one locomotive and two employees.

Today, the BB operates 275 miles of track, has seven train crews and 14 locomotives, and more than 40 freight customers.  The BB also operates passenger excursion trains on the Buckingham Division in spring and fall, as well as Santa trains and a Toys for Tots train in December.

At the new facility, Buckingham Branch will offer multiple tracks with 80 spots for rail car storage, security fencing, trans-load shed and office building. Scheduled rail switching service will be provided in connection with Norfolk Southern Railroad five days per week. This facility can accommodate storage for liquid or dry bulk commodities such as chemicals, plastics, lumber, fertilizer and construction aggregates. Indoor and outdoor space can be reserved for stockpiling materials. Competitive rail car storage rates are ideal for seasonal businesses.

Leave a Reply