Realignment

This is the current bridge (one of five) carrying the NS double main over Popes Head Creek. About 50 feet behind me stand the crumbling abutments of the original Orange & Alexandria (later Southern) trestle across the same waterway. The original span was only about 15 feet above the ground I was standing on, the right of way having been built with fill dug up a few feet away on either side, leaving two small ponds as a result of the digging. The bridge seen here is the result of a major realignment of the tracks (I'm not sure when) that raised the trackbed a good 40-50 feet, depending on where you measure from, which smoothed out a hill between Clifton and Fairfax Station, but eliminated what used to be a small section of level track flanked by two smaller, steeper hills.

Check out the satellite images in the area east of Clifton and you will be able to see the old alignment by the contours of the trees. Part of the old bed (to the right of this scene) is now a private drive to a few homes and clearly visible on the map. The portion to the left is now a long driveway leading to Colchester Road near Clifton. Much of this is now only visible in the raised earth and a few scattered ties and old telegraph poles lining the old route.

For those interested, the bridge in this photo is here: 38.792117, -77.359044

To come someday soon, a picture of the remains of the O&A/SOU trestle.

NS Piedmont Division, Washington District, CP Fairfax @ MP 24.9

Fairfax Station, VA
November 2010

<sub>Nikon D90 DSLR
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

Triple-exposure HDRi, ±1 EV, Photomatix Pro 3.2, adjusted in Photoshop CS5.

© Michael Mueller (Fritzchen | Fotografie). You may NOT use, replicate, manipulate, or modify this image without my permission. All Rights Reserved.</sub>