Map of the District of Columbia - 1901 LOC 87694449

The earliest

electric railway A railway electrification system supplies electric power to Rail transport, railway trains and trams without an on-board Prime mover (locomotive), prime mover or local fuel supply. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling pa ...

, or streetcar line, in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

opened in 1892. At their peak, when merged into a single

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

system (the Washington-Virginia Railway), the successors of this and several other lines ran between downtown

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Rosslyn and Arlington Junction – in present-day Crystal City – and out to

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

Fairfax City The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census the p ...

and Nauck (in

Arlington County Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

). Electric trolleys also went west from Georgetown and Rosslyn on the

Washington and Old Dominion Railway The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad (colloquially referred to as the W&OD) was an intrastate short-line railroad located in Northern Virginia, United States. The rail transport, railroad was a successor to the bankruptcy, bankrupt Washingto ...

's (W&OD's) Bluemont Division, traveling through

Herndon Herndon may refer to: People * Herndon (surname), an American surname * Herndon Davis (1901–1962), American artist, journalist, illustrator, and painter Places in the United States Communities * Herndon, California, an unincorporated commun ...

and Leesburg to reach the town of

Bluemont Bluemont is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia located at the eastern base of Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The village's center is located along Snickersville Turnpike ( Virginia Route 734), west of the incor ...

at the base of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

. Those on the W&OD's Great Falls Division traveled from Georgetown and Rosslyn via Cherrydale and

McLean MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Goidelic languages, Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish language, Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John (given name), John). The clan surname is an A ...

Great Falls Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

(see:

Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad The Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad (GF&OD) was an interurban trolley line that ran in Northern Virginia during the early 20th century. History Chartered in 1900 by a group of local landowners and acquired in 1902 by John Roll McLean (o ...

). Despite early success, the trolleys were unable to compete with the automobile and with each other. Plagued with management and financial problems, the last ended their operations in the 1930s and early 1940s during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Northern Virginia's trolleys were originally operated by three different companies that all planned to operate within the District of Columbia and were never integrated into the Washington streetcar network (see: Streetcars in Washington, D.C.). Their tracks were laid when most of Northern Virginia was undeveloped and had few streets and roads. As a result, the trolleys mostly operated on private

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

s that their companies leased or owned. After they began operating, a number of communities developed along their routes. The major lines of the Washington-Virginia Railway converged at Arlington Junction, which was located in the northwest corner of the present-day Crystal City south of

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

. The Railway's trolleys then crossed the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

near the site of the present 14th Street bridges over the

Long Bridge Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...

and, beginning in 1906, the Highway Bridge. The trolleys then traveled to a terminal in downtown Washington located along

Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a diagonal street in Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland, that connects the White House and the United States Capitol and then crosses the city to Maryland. In Maryland it is also Maryland Route 4 (MD 4) ...

, NW, and D Street, NW, between 12th and 13 1/2 Streets, NW, on a site that is now near the Federal Triangle Metro station and the Old Post Office building within the

Federal Triangle The Federal Triangle is a triangular area in Washington, D.C. formed by 15th Street NW, Constitution Avenue NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and E Street NW. Federal Triangle is occupied by 10 large city and federal office buildings, all of which are ...

. The W&OD Railway terminated in Georgetown at a station on the west side of the

Georgetown Car Barn The Georgetown Car Barn, historically known as the Capital Traction Company Union Station, is a building in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Designed by the architect Waddy Butler Wood, it was built betw ...

after crossing the Potomac River from Rosslyn over the Aqueduct Bridge. The Washington-Virginia Railway and the W&OD Railway had adjacent stations in Rosslyn near the present location of the Key Bridge

Marriott Hotel Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's brand of full-service hotels and resorts based in Bethesda, Maryland. As of June 30, 2020, there were 582 hotels and resorts with 205,053 rooms operating under the brand, in addition to 160 ...

, permitting travelers to transfer between the two trolley systems. After the Francis Scott Key Bridge replaced the Aqueduct Bridge in 1923, none of the Virginia lines terminated in Georgetown. Instead, Washington streetcars crossed the river on the new bridge and entered a turnaround loop within Rosslyn. There, passengers could transfer between trolleys whose lines separately served Washington and Northern Virginia.

Washington-Virginia Railway

Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway

Washington-Mount Vernon line

The Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway began operating between Alexandria and Mount Vernon in 1892. On August 23, 1894, it was given permission to enter the District of Columbia using a boat or barge. However, the railroad never actually used any such watercraft.. The railroad completed its tracks in 1896 and began serving a waiting station at 14th Street NW and B Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. From the waiting station it used the Belt Line Street Railway Company's tracks on 14th Street NW to reach the

, a combined road and rail crossing of the Potomac River. In 1902, the railroad moved its station, as the Belt Line's tracks were circling the block containing the site of a planned new District Building (now the

John A. Wilson Building The John A. Wilson District Building, popularly known simply as the Wilson Building, houses the municipal offices and chambers of the Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia. Originally called the District Building, it was renamed in 1 ...

). The new station (address: 1204 N. Pennsylvania Avenue) extended along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, and D Street, NW, from 12th Street, NW, to 13 1/2 Street, NW, near the site of the present Federal Triangle Metro station and on the opposite side of 12th Street from the Old Post Office building...Washington-Virginia Railway Co. timetable ''in'' . In 1906, the Long Bridge's streetcar tracks and road were relocated to a new

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

(the Highway Bridge), immediately west of the older bridge. This span was removed in 1967. After crossing the Potomac River, the trolleys entered Arlington County (named Alexandria County before 1920) to run southward near and along the present route of Interstate 395 (I-395). They then reached Arlington Junction, whose site is now in the northwest corner of Crystal City west of Richmond Highway ( U.S Route 1) and south of

and I-395. At the Junction, the line's route diverged from that of a line that traveled west to Fairfax City and which connected to others that served

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, Rosslyn and Nauck. After leaving Arlington Junction, trolleys on the Washington-Mount Vernon line continued south along the present route of S. Eads Street while travelling largely on the grade of a towpath on the west side of the defunct Alexandria Canal. Near Arlington's present southern border at

Four Mile Run Four Mile Run is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 stream in Northern Virginia that starts near Interstate 66, at Gordon Avenue in Fairfax County and pro ...

, the railroad and its affiliates constructed an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

(

Luna Park Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-sc ...

) and a

rail yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or u ...

containing a car barn and a power plant. After crossing Four Mile Run into present-day Alexandria, the trolleys continued to travel south along the present route of Commonwealth Avenue. The Mount Vernon line then passed under a bridge at St. Elmo that carried the Bluemont branch of the Southern Railway and later the branch's successor, the Bluemont Division of the W&OD Railway. The lines' St. Elmo stations, located in Alexandria's present Del Ray neighborhood, gave travelers an opportunity to transfer between the railroads. The Mount Vernon line's trolleys then continued southward along Commonwealth Avenue until reaching King Street near Alexandria's Union Station. The line's trolleys then turned to travel east on King Street until they reached a station at Royal Street, in the center of

Old Town Alexandria Old Town Alexandria is one of the original settlements of the city of Alexandria, Virginia and is located just minutes from Washington, D.C. Old Town is situated in the eastern and southeastern area of Alexandria along the Potomac River. Old ...

next to

Market Square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. After traveling through New Alexandria, where the line had originated, the trolleys continued south through Fairfax County at speeds of up to per hour while traveling partially along the present routes of the

George Washington Memorial Parkway The George Washington Memorial Parkway, colloquially the G.W. Parkway, is a parkway that runs along the south bank of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, Virginia, northwest to McLean, Virginia, and is maintained by the National Park Service ( ...

, East Boulevard Drive and Wittington Boulevard. After crossing

Little Hunting Creek Little Hunting Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 primarily tidal tributary of the Potomac River located in Fairfax County, Virginia, not to be c ...

, they reached a turnaround loop on which they traveled to a terminal constructed near the entrance to the grounds of George Washington's home in Mount Vernon. At Mount Vernon, when the electric railway began service, the estate's proprietors insisted that only a modest terminal be constructed next to the trolley turnaround. They were afraid that the dignity of the site would be marred by unrestricted commercial development and persuaded financier

Jay Gould Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who is generally identified as one of the robber barons of the Gilded Age. His sharp and often unscrupulous business practices made hi ...

to purchase and donate thirty-three acres outside the main gate for protection. By 1906, the railway had transported 1,743,734 passengers along its routes with 92 daily runs. Passengers and others could read a 122-page ''Hand-book for the Tourist Over the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway'' that described in detail the railway's routes and stations as well as the landmarks, history and geography of the area through which the railway traveled. In 1913, the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway merged with the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway to form the Washington-Virginia Railway. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the railroad company extended the Washington-Mount Vernon line to

Camp Humphreys Camp Humphreys ( ko, 캠프 험프리스), also known as United States Army Garrison-Humphreys (USAG-H), is a United States Army garrison located near Anjeong-ri and Pyeongtaek metropolitan areas in South Korea. Camp Humphreys is home to Des ...

(now

Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Fairfax family for whom Fair ...

). As the company received only partial compensation for constructing the extension, the action placed a financial burden on the company. The company went into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in ca ...

in 1923 when buses became the dominant form of local public transportation (see:

History of surface transit in Northern Virginia Northern Virginia is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area of the United States, and its surface transit system is integrated with that of the city of Washington, D.C. However, because of the Potomac River separating Northern Virginia from the ...

). In 1927, the two railways were separated and sold at auction, the Washington-Mount Vernon line becoming the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway. The last trolleys of the line ran on January 18, 1932. Later that year the tracks were removed when some of the right-of-way was used for the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The path of the trolley turnaround at Mount Vernon remains as a traffic circle at the south end of the Parkway, while the former rail yard in southern Arlington now serves as a Metrobus yard.

= Stations

= The stations on the Washington-Mount Vernon Line of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway (Alexandria-Mount Vernon Branch of the Washington-Virginia Railway) were (with locations of sites in 2008):

= Remnants of the Washington-Mount Vernon line

= * Roads ** Wittington Boulevard, Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** East Boulevard Drive, Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** Potomac Avenue, Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria. Coordinates: ** South Eads Street, Arlington. Coordinates: * Metrobus yard ** Former rail yard at S. Eads Street (east side) and S. Glebe Road (north side), Arlington. Coordinates: * Traffic circle ** Former trolley turnaround at Mount Vernon estate, Fairfax County. Coordinates: * Tracks - In May 2020, during repair of a water main on King Street, a work crew of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services discovered old tracks buried under the pavement.

East Arlington branch

The Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Electric Railway constructed the East Arlington branch, which traveled from Arlington Junction to the Virginia end of the Aqueduct Bridge in Rosslyn. After leaving Arlington Junction, the East Arlington branch traveled northwest along a route that was south of the future site of The Pentagon, crossed Columbia Pike and entered Mt. Vernon Junction. At that Junction, the East Arlington branch met the South Arlington branch, which the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railroad constructed. After leaving Mt. Vernon Junction, the East Arlington branch crossed the southern boundary of the federally-owned "Arlington Reservation". The site of the crossing was at that time near the southeast corner of Arlington National Cemetery, which was within the Reservation. After entering the Reservation, the branch turned to travel north along the eastern side of Arlington Ridge Road (formerly named the Alexandria & Georgetown Turnpike), which was outside of the Cemetery near the Cemetery's eastern wall. While traveling next to Arlington Ridge Road, the branch passed the Cemetery's McClellan and

Sheridan Gate Sheridan may refer to: People Surname *Sheridan (surname) *Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named *Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician ...

s. An expansion of the Cemetery later encompassed this portion of the Road, whose route no longer exists within the Cemetery. Construction of the branch permitted visitors from Washington, D.C., to reach the Cemetery by rail for the first time. However, after leaving the trolleys outside of the Sheridan Gate at the branch's Arlington station, visitors needed to ascend a steep hill to reach most of the Cemetery's well-known features and burial sites. After passing its Arlington station, the branch crossed the north boundary of the Reservation and turned to travel northwest until it met Rosslyn's Chadwick Avenue (now named N. Lynn Street), on which it traveled north. The branch ended near the Aqueduct Bridge at the railway's Rosslyn terminal.

= East Arlington branch stations

= The stations of the East Arlington branch were (with locations of sites in 2008):

Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway

During its forty years of life, this interurban trolley company operated under a variety of names, as it repeatedly expanded, reorganized or contracted (voluntarily or involuntarily). Washington & Arlington — 1892–1896 On February 28, 1891, the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

enacted a statute that incorporated the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway Company in the District of Columbia, with authorization to reach

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, t ...

and the northwest entrance of

(the Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate) by crossing the

on a new bridge that the company would construct at or near the "Three Sisters" islets. The system started in 1892, as a

horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...

line with tracks from Rosslyn up the hill to the Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate - this would later become the Nauck Line. In late 1895, the system was electrified. The company never constructed its planned "Three Sisters" bridge (see Early proposals for Three Sisters Bridge). Washington, Arlington & Falls Church — 1896–1913 In 1896, track was laid from Rosslyn through Clarendon and Ballston to

Falls Church Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Churc ...

, constituting the North Arlington Branch and part of the Fairfax Line, and the name was changed to the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church (WA&FC). The track though Fort Myer was extended past the northwest entrance to Arlington National Cemetery to reach Penrose in 1900 and Nauck, just north of

, in 1901. That same year saw the opening of about a mile of additional track, extending from East Falls Church to West Falls Church. Work on a far more ambitious extension began at West Falls Church in 1903, bringing the line through Dunn Loring and Vienna in 1904 to reach the Fairfax County Courthouse in

. Between 1900 and 1904, the W.A. & F.C. built the South Arlington branch from Clarendon to Mount Vernon Junction (south of Arlington National Cemetery), where it met the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Railway's East Arlington branch, which traveled between Rosslyn and Arlington Junction. Washington - Virginia — 1913–1927 In 1913, the WA&FC and Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon were merged to form the Washington - Virginia (W-V) Railway, whereupon the WA&FC became the W-V's Falls Church Division. The company fell upon hard times and in 1924 declared

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

. In 1927, the two companies were split and sold at

auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...

Arlington & Fairfax freight motor trolley

Arlington & Fairfax — 1927–1936 The Arlington & Fairfax was organized by local governments to take control of the WA&FC line after the W-V went bankrupt. The South Arlington Branch was shut down, the tracks pulled up in 1931 and the right of way used to build part of Washington Boulevard. In 1932, the company lost the right to travel into D.C., and, on January 17, 1932, the last Arlington & Fairfax streetcar departed from 12th & D Streets, NW, abandoning all service in Washington, D.C. Arlington & Fairfax Auto Railroad — 1936–1939 In 1936, the company was sold to Detroit's

Evans Products Company Robert Beverley Evans, Sr. (March 19, 1906 – August 17, 1998) was an automobile industry executive, a prominent Republican Party (United States), Republican, an Business magnate, industrialist, a socialite, and an avid sportsperson. He foun ...

, an innovative railway and automotive industry supplier that had developed the first version of the present hy-rail system called auto-railers, small buses that can run on rails on flanged wheels or on roads with rubber (see

Road–rail vehicle A road–rail vehicle or a rail–road vehicle is a dual-mode vehicle which can operate both on rail tracks and roads. They are also known as two-way vehicles (german: Zweiwegefahrzeug), hi-rail (from ''highway'' and ''railway'', or variations ...

). In 1937, Evans replaced the trolleys with auto-railers. On rail, they went to Rosslyn where they were intended to switch to tires and cross the Key Bridge into Georgetown, eliminating the change in Rosslyn, but

Capital Transit Streetcars in Washington, D.C. transported people across the city and region from 1862 until 1962. The first streetcars in Washington, D.C., were drawn by horses and carried people short distances on flat terrain; but the introduction of clean ...

prevented that service by objecting that its franchise gave it exclusive service across the bridge. The auto-railers last ran in September 1939.

Nauck line (Fort Myer line)

Originally constructed by the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railroad, the Nauck line (Fort Myer line) of the Washington—Virginia Railway ran south from Rosslyn through

to an initially lightly developed area in South Arlington near Four Mile Run. After leaving the railroad's Rosslyn terminal near the Aqueduct Bridge, the line travelled south through Fort Myer Junction along the present routes of N. Lynn Street and N. Meade Street. The line then turned to the southwest and crossed the northern boundary of the Arlington Reservation and Fort Myer near today's Wright Gate. Within the Fort, trolleys on the line climbed a hill along the present route of McNair Road near the western wall of Arlington National Cemetery to reach a station (Arlington Fort Myer) located within the Fort at the present intersection of McNair Road and Lee Avenue, near the Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate (Chapel Gate of Fort Myer). After disembarking at the Arlington Fort Myer station, visitors could enter the Cemetery near its highest elevation. This permitted visitors to avoid the ascent required when entering the Cemetery through the Sheridan Gate after traveling on the East Arlington branch to that branch's Arlington station. After the East Arlington branch closed in 1921, the Nauck line provided the only rail service that visitors could use to reach the Cemetery. After leaving the Arlington Fort Myer station, the line traveled south through Fort Myer before turning southwest to cross the South Arlington branch of the railroad's Fairfax line at Hatfield Junction. Passengers could transfer between the two lines at the railroad's adjacent Hatfield station. Soon after leaving Hatfield Junction and continuing to travel southwest, the Nauck line crossed the west boundary of the Reservation and the Fort, a short distance north of the Fort's Hatfield Gate. The line then crossed the present path of Washington Boulevard (

Virginia State Route 27 State Route 27 (SR 27) is a freeway in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States, known as Washington Boulevard. It was built during World War II to connect the Pentagon with U.S. Route 50 (US 50) and northern Arlington to the ...

), south of the Boulevard's crossing of Arlington Boulevard (

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

) The Nauck line then traveled southwest and south while partially following the present routes of S. Uhle Street and Walter Reed Drive. After crossing S. Glebe Road (now

Virginia State Route 120 State Route 120 (SR 120) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Glebe Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Crystal City north to SR 123 at the Chain Bridge. SR 120 is a partial circumfe ...

), the line traveled downhill near the west side of S. Kenmore Street to end at a

railway turntable In rail terminology, a railway turntable or wheelhouse is a device for turning railway rolling stock, usually locomotives, so that they can be moved back in the direction from which they came. Naturally, it is especially used in areas where e ...

near the intersection of 24th Road S. and S. Kenmore Street. The line terminated a short distance north of the Cowdon (Nauck) station of the Southern Railway, and later, of the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division.

= Nauck line stations

= The stations of the Nauck line (Fort Myer-Arlington Branch of the Washington-Virginia Railway) were (with locations of sites in 2008):

= Remnants of the Nauck line

= * Station **2312 2nd Street S., Arlington, the former Penrose Station now a private residence. Coordinates: * Roads ** S. Uhle Street between S. Courthouse Road and 2nd Street S., Arlington. Coordinates: ** S. Walter Reed Drive between Columbia Pike and 13th Street S., Arlington. Coordinates:

Fairfax line

The Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railroad constructed the Fairfax line of the Washington—Virginia Railway. When completed, the line traveled from a terminus in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax City through Oakton,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Dunn Loring, Falls Church and Ballston to downtown Washington, D.C., and Rosslyn by way of Clarendon. Trolleys of the Fairfax line began their trips at the old Courthouse, located at the southwest corner of Chain Bridge Road (now part of State Route 123) and Main Street (now part of State Route 236). The cars first ran westward along Main Street and then turned north at the site of the Fairfax Electric Depot (the terminus of the line until the depot burned in 1907) onto the present route of Railroad Avenue. After crossing the present route of Fairfax Boulevard ( U.S. Routes 29 and 50), the line crossed a branch of

Accotink Creek Accotink Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. At Springfie ...

and Chain Bridge Road (now

Virginia State Route 123 State Route 123 (SR 123) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Woodbridge north to the Chain Bridge across the Potomac River into Washington from Arlington. It goes by ...

). The line then traveled northeast through Fairfax County a short distance east of Chain Bridge Road, crossed another branch of Accotink Creek, passed through Oakton, and reached the town of Vienna. The line continued northeast in Vienna about a block southeast of Maple Avenue W. (Virginia State Route 123's present name in Vienna). After crossing Center Avenue S, the line's trolleys turned to the northwest on one of three legs of a triangular wye and crossed Maple Avenue E. After leaving the wye, the trolleys stopped at the line's Vienna station. The Fairfax line's Vienna station was located in the center of town on the southeast side of Church Street NE, a short distance southeast of the tracks of the Southern Railway's Bluemont Branch, which became the W&OD Railway's Bluemont Division in 1912. The Southern's Vienna station (which remains intact on the southwest side of the W&OD Trail) was a block northwest of the Fairfax line's station. As the Fairfax line's tracks ended near Church Street, trolleys left their station by reversing direction. They then recrossed Maple Avenue E and traveled southeast on a second leg of the wye that paralleled the Southern's tracks, with which there was an interchange. Freight and work cars usually bypassed the station and avoided reversing by turning from the northeast direction to the southeast on the third leg of the wye. After leaving the wye, the line continued east in Vienna on Ninovan Road, paralleling the Southern's route. The line then crossed the Southern's tracks on a bridge built near Franklin in 1904. After the crossing, the line traveled east in Fairfax County along the present routes of Electric Avenue and Railroad Street (now parts of Virginia State Route 697) and within a railroad cut that is now in South Railway Street Park.Photographs of unpaved trails and trolley cut in Figures 14 (Walking along the trail) and 20 (The trolley cut showing erosion and a path with a 15’ – 20’ depth) in The line then crossed the present route of the Capital Beltway ( Interstate 495), travelled along the present route of Helena Drive, crossed the present route of

Interstate 66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It runs from an interchange with I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its western end to an interchange with U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Washingt ...

and continued to travel within Fairfax County until it reached the City of Falls Church. The line continued eastward through Falls Church until it crossed W. Broad Street (now

Virginia State Route 7 Virginia State Route 7 (VA 7) is a major primary state highway and busy commuter route in northern Virginia, United States. It travels southeast from downtown Winchester to SR 400 (Washington Street) in downtown Alexandria. Its ...

). The line then travelled near the north side of the Southern Railway's tracks, following the present route of Lincoln Avenue until it reached Arlington County (named Alexandria County before 1920). After crossing

and Lee Highway (now part of U.S. Route 29), the line continued to travel eastward north of the Run and the Southern Railway while traveling near and along the present route of Fairfax Drive, which

(I-66) and the

Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

lines have partially replaced. The Fairfax line then left the Southern's route, which continued southwest to Alexandria. Further along, the line left that of the present route of I-66, which travels northeast to Rosslyn. The Fairfax line then traveled along the present paths of Fairfax Drive and the underground tracks of the Washington Metro. Between 1912 and its closing, the line traveled under a

plate girder bridge A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. Overview In a plate girder bridge, the plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates (rather than rolled as a single cross-section), w ...

at Waycroft that the W&OD Railway had constructed near the west end of Ballston for its Thrifton-Bluemont Junction connecting line, which I-66 later replaced north and northeast of Ballston. After entering Ballston, the line passed a complex containing a car barn, rail yard, workshops, electrical substation and general office that the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway had built in 1910 at Lacey near the present intersection of North Glebe Road (now Virginia State Route 120) and Fairfax Drive. Continuing eastward through Ballston on the present route of Fairfax Drive (now

Virginia State Route 237 State Route 237 (SR 237) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from Virginia State Route 236, SR 236 in Fairfax, Virginia, Fairfax east to U.S. Route 50 in Virginia, U.S. Route 50 (US 50) in Arlington, V ...

), the line reached Clarendon, where it branched. The North Arlington branch continued to follow the route of Fairfax Drive (now partially replaced by Clarendon Boulevard) through and past Clarendon. The branch then traveled downhill on the present route of Fairfax Drive along the north side of Rocky Run, which U.S. Route 50 now covers. Approaching Rosslyn, the North Arlington branch turned to the north at Fort Myer Junction and joined the Nauck line. The combined lines then continued north along the present route of N. Lynn Street, joined the East Arlington branch, and ended near the Aqueduct Bridge at the railroad's Rosslyn terminal.(1) 1900 map of Alexandria County, Virginia (now Arlington County), showing the route of the "Washington Arlington & Falls Church Electric R. W." between Clarendon and Rosslyn:
(2) Circa 1907 map of Alexandria County, Virginia (now Arlington County), showing the route of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway (W. A. & F. C. Ry.) between Clarendon and Rosslyn: Beginning in 1906, travelers on the North and East Arlington branches and the Nauck line could transfer at the Rosslyn terminal to the

(later the Great Falls Division of the W&OD Railway), which crossed the Potomac River into Georgetown on the Aqueduct Bridge. After the East Arlington branch closed in 1921 and the Aqueduct Bridge closed in 1923, travelers on the North Arlington Branch and the Nauck line could transfer in Rosslyn to the electric streetcars of the

Capital Traction The Capital Traction Company was the smaller of the two major street railway companies in Washington, D.C., in the early 20th century. It was formed in 1895 through a merger of the Rock Creek Railway and the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Comp ...

and (later)

Companies, which crossed the Potomac on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. After leaving Clarendon, trolleys on the South Arlington branch largely followed the future routes of Washington Boulevard and Southgate Drive. The branch crossed the Nauck line at Hatfield Junction and joined the East Arlington branch at Mount Vernon Junction (which received its name because the East Arlington branch was a part of the Washington, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon Railway when the South Arlington branch first reached it). After leaving Mount Vernon Junction, the branch's trolleys traveled on the East Arlington branch's tracks until they reached Arlington Junction, where they joined the Washington-Mount Vernon line. After entering the tracks of the Washington-Mount Vernon line, the South Arlington branch's trolleys (some of which had originated in Fairfax City) crossed the Potomac River on the Long Bridge and, later, on the Highway Bridge. Their trips ended at the downtown Washington station. I-66 and the

Custis Trail The Custis Trail is a hilly -long shared use path in Arlington County, Virginia. The Asphalt concrete, asphalt-paved trail travels along Interstate 66#Virginia, Interstate 66 (I-66) between Rosslyn, Virginia, Rosslyn and the Washington & Old Domi ...

now travel from Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) in East Falls Church to Ballston on or near the Fairfax line's right of way along the former route of Fairfax Drive. Washington Metro's Orange and Silver Lines now follow the route of the Fairfax line and its North Arlington branch from Lee Highway in East Falls Church to N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.

= Fairfax line stations

= The stations of the Fairfax line were (with locations of sites in 2008):

= Remnants of the Fairfax line

= * Station ** Oakton Station, 2923 Gray Street (between Pine Street and Oakton Drive), Fairfax County. Now a private residence. Includes rail and a raised trolley roadbed. * Roads ** Railroad Avenue, Fairfax City. Coordinates: ** Ninovan Road SE, Vienna. Coordinates: ** Electric Avenue, Vienna and Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** Railroad Street, Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** Helena Drive, Fairfax County. Coordinates: ** Lincoln Avenue, Falls Church. Coordinates: ** I-66 between N. Sycamore Street and N. Kennebec Street, Arlington. Coordinates: ** I-66 between N. Harrison Street and N. Edison Street, Arlington. Coordinates: ** Fairfax Drive, Arlington. Coordinates: *Bridge remnants ** Poured

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

railroad bridge

abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...

on north side of Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail between Electric Avenue and Ninovan Road, Vienna. Built in July 1904, according to engravings on its east side. Coordinates: ** Stone railroad bridge abutment on south side of Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail between Electric Avenue and Ninovan Road, Vienna. Coordinates: ** Abutments and

wing wall A wing wall (also "wingwall" or "wing-wall") is a smaller wall attached or next to a larger wall or structure. Bridges In a bridge, the wing walls are adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls. They are generally constructed of the same ...

s of demolished railroad bridge over branch of

between Fairfax Village Drive and Ranger Road, Fairfax City. Coordinates: **Poured

railroad bridge over branch of Accotink Creek near the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Fairfax Boulevard, behind the 29 Diner in Fairfax City. Coordinates: * Trails ** Unpaved trails and trolley cut between Gallows Road and Morgan Lane in South Railroad Street Park, Dunn Loring, Fairfax County. Coordinates:

North Arlington branch

Constructed by the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railroad as part of the Fairfax line, the North Arlington branch of the Washington—Virginia Railway connected Clarendon and Rosslyn. The branch traveled northeast from Clarendon along the present routes of Clarendon Boulevard, Fairfax Drive and N. Lynn Streets, approximating the present underground routes of Washington Metro's Orange and Silver lines. The branch turned to the north when joining the Nauck line at Fort Myer Junction, joined the East Arlington Branch while traveling north along the present route of N. Lynn Street and ended near the Aqueduct Bridge at the railroad's Rosslyn terminal.

= North Arlington branch stations

= The stations of the North Arlington branch (Clarendon-Fairfax branch of Washington-Virginia Railway) were (with locations of sites in 2008):

= Remnants of North Arlington branch

= * Roads ** Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington. Coordinates: ** Fairfax Drive, Arlington. Coordinates:

South Arlington branch

Constructed by the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railroad, the South Arlington branch of the Washington—Virginia Railway connected the railway's North Arlington and East Arlington branches when traveling between Clarendon and Mt. Vernon Junction. After most of the East Arlington branch closed in 1921, the South Arlington branch continued along the remaining route of that branch until it reached Arlington Junction, where it connected with the railway's Washington-Mount Vernon line.Circa 1907 map of Alexandria County, Virginia (now Arlington County), showing the route of the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway (W. A. & F. C. Ry.) between Clarendon and Arlington Junction: Eastbound trolleys using the branch while traveling to downtown Washington began their trips on the Fairfax line and entered the branch at Clarendon. The branch traveled from Clarendon southeast along the present route of Washington Boulevard and crossed the western boundary of the Arlington Reservation and Fort Myer. After entering the Fort, the South Arlington branch crossed the Fort Myer-Nauck line at Hatfield Junction. The branch then traveled south until leaving the Fort and other federal property within the Reservation when crossing the Reservation's southern boundary near the Fort's present South Gate. The branch then traveled east along the present route of Southgate Road, now immediately south of Henderson Hall, Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery. After passing the Cemetery's southeast corner, the branch reached Mt. Vernon Junction, where it joined the East Arlington branch, which was originally a branch of the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Electric Railroad.

= South Arlington branch stations

= The stations of the South Arlington branch of the Washington—Virginia Railway with locations of sites in 2008) were:

= Remnant of South Arlington branch

= * Roads ** Washington Boulevard, Arlington. Coordinates:

Historic designations

On October 19, 1994, the

Virginia Department of Historic Resources The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is the State Historic Preservation Office for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The agency maintains the Virginia Landmarks Register (the first step for properties and districts in Virginia seeking listin ...

(VDHR) added the Oakton Trolley Station, Oakton trolley station to the Virginia Landmarks Register (VDHR identification number 029-0477). The National Park Service subsequently added the trolley station to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 8, 1995 (NHRP identification number: 95000026). VDHR staff have determined that several other properties associated with the Washington and Virginia Railway Company/Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Electric Railway (VDHR identification number 029-5470) are not eligible for listing on the NHRP. As of February 6, 2018, the staff had not found any other such properties to be eligible for this listing.

Washington and Old Dominion Railway

Maps

* Expandable 1892 map of Washington, D.C., and suburbs, showing the route of the Washington and Arlington Railway (not labeled) between Rosslyn and Arlington National Cemetery's Fort Myer Gate: * 1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and eastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway (not labeled) between the city of Alexandria and Mount Vernon: *1894 topographic map of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway in the city of Alexandria and Fairfax County: *1898 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County (now Arlington County), Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Electric Railroad (W.A. & F.C. E.R.R.) and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway (W. A. & MT. V. Electric R.R.): *1900 map of Alexandria County (now Arlington County) and the City of Alexandria, showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway: *1900 map of Alexandria County (now Arlington County), showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Electric Railway and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway: *November 1901 topographic map of the District of Columbia and northeastern Alexandria County (now Arlington County), showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railroad (not labeled) and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railroad (Wash. Alex. & Mt. Vernon Electric R.R.): *1904 map of Alexandria County (now Arlington County), the city of Alexandria and northeastern Fairfax County showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railroad (W. A & F.C. R.R.) and the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Railroad (Wash. Alex. & Mt.V. R.R.): *1907 map of Alexandria County (now Arlington County) showing the routes of the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway (W.A.&FC RY) and the Washington & Mt. Vernon Railway (WA. & MT. V RY): *1907 map of Alexandria County, Virginia (now Arlington County), showing the routes of the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Railway (W. A. & Mt V. RY.), the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway (W. A. & F. C. RY.) and the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railway (G. F. & O. D. RY.): *1915 topographic map of northwestern Fairfax County, showing the route of the Fairfax line of the Washington—Virginia Railway (Electric RR) between Vienna and the city of Fairfax and the routes of the Washington and Old Dominion Railway between Vienna and Herndon and between Difficult Run and Great Falls: *1915 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Washington—Virginia Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway: * *1917 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Washington—Virginia Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway: *1924 topographic map of the city of Alexandria and southeastern Fairfax County showing the Washington-Virginia Railway's route between Alexandria and Mount Vernon: *1925 topographic map of south-central Maryland and southeastern Fairfax County showing the Washington—Virginia Railway's route in Fairfax County to Mt. Vernon: * 1929 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the Arlington and Fairfax (A & F) Railway, the Mount Vernon, Alexandria and Washington (Mt V A and W) Railway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railway:

Notes

References

* * * * ''In'' Appendix K of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority - Pre-filed Direct Testimony of Mr. Hafner, Mr. Mcray and Mr. Simmons, November 30, 2005 (Parts 4 and 5), Case No. PUE-2005-00018, State Corporation Commission (Virginia), Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in * * * * * *

External links

Northern Virginia Conservation Trust

National Capital Trolley Museum

from the National Museum of American History *
Before the Beltway: Streetcar Lines in Northern Virginia: Photographs from the Ames Williams Collection
an online exhibit from the Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria Public Library * Brief history of Washington-Virginia Railroad with photographs of cars and route map in Arlington. * * * * Website describing the history of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad and the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad, with photographs and lists of stations. * (5:56 minutes) *
Rosslyn Circle History
with photo from 1925 {{Portal bar, History, Transport, Trains, Virginia, United States Defunct Virginia railroads Defunct Washington, D.C., railroads Streetcars in Virginia Streetcars in Washington, D.C. Transportation in Arlington County, Virginia Transportation in Fairfax County, Virginia Transportation in Alexandria, Virginia Electric railways in Virginia Electric railways in Washington, D.C. Interurban railways in Virginia Interurban railways in Washington, D.C. Northern Virginia, Trolleys