Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

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  Looking east towards the start of the W&OD Trail in Arlington County (May 2014)
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  The W&OD crushed limestone bridle trail just east of the junction with Wiehle Avenue (VA-828) in Reston, Virginia in August 2021.
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  Marker at end of the W&OD Trail in Purcellville showing the trail's route (August 2018)
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  W&OD Trail Elevation Map (2008)

The W&OD Trail begins in the Nauck neighborhood near the Shirlington section of Arlington County, close to the boundary between the County and the City of Alexandria.[8][9] The trail ends in Purcellville in western Loudoun County. Its route largely parallels the routes of the Potomac River and Virginia State Route 7 (VA 7).[10]

The trail connects at its origin to the paved Four Mile Run Trail, which travels eastward through Arlington along a stream embankment to meet the Mount Vernon Trail at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near the Potomac River.[8][11] The start of the trail is also accessible from the Shirlington exit (Exit 6) of Interstate 395 (I-395) (the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway).[8][12]

Bridge over Four Mile Run in Glencarlyn Park south of Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) (July 2020)

The trail parallels the more curving and hilly Four Mile Run Trail throughout its route in Arlington.[13] Although they coincide in several locations, the two trails generally travel on opposite sides of the Run. There are no restrooms and few water fountains alongside the W&OD Trail in the County. Restrooms and additional water fountains are available near ball fields and picnic areas along the Four Mile Run Trail.[8] The W&OD Trail's trailhead (Mile 0) is at the intersection of South Shirlington Road and South Four Mile Run Drive.[8][9] The trail starts in the Atlantic Coastal Plain at the trail's lowest elevation: 72 feet (22 m) above sea level.[14]

W&OD Railroad Regional Park sign in Falls Church (September 2012)

The trail climbs 213 feet (65 m) in 5.8 miles (9.3 km) while traveling northwest through Arlington County. While in Arlington, the trail ascends through the Atlantic Seaboard fall line while climbing upstream in the valley of Four Mile Run. The trail crosses the Run seven times in the valley on bridges whose abutments were constructed before the Civil War by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, a predecessor of the W&OD Railroad.[14]

After crossing Columbia Pike (VA 244), the trail enters a steeply-sloped woodland that covers both sides of the valley. The trail crosses under Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) while within the woodland.[8][14]

Near the end of the woodland, the trail intersects the Bluemont Junction Trail, a 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long paved rail trail that travels to Ballston on the bed of a former W&OD Railroad branch that once ran to Rosslyn and Georgetown.[8] 0.6 miles (1.0 km) past that intersection, the W&OD Trail intersects the Custis Trail, a 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long paved shared use path that travels along Interstate 66 (I-66) (the Custis Memorial Parkway) to Rosslyn and which provides access to Washington, D.C. and the northern end of the Mount Vernon Trail.[8][14]

After crossing its intersection with the Custis Trail, the W&OD Trail travels northwest near an I-66 soundwall for most of its remaining course in Arlington. After crossing under North Sycamore Street next to Four Mile Run, the W&OD Trail crosses over the Run and passes the East Falls Church station on Washington Metro's Orange and Silver Lines.[8][14]

After leaving the fall line, the W&OD Trail enters the Piedmont plateau region near the west corner of the County. The trail continues to climb in the Piedmont while traveling northwest through the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County.[14]

The trail reaches an elevation of 489 feet (149 m) at its crossing of I-66 in Fairfax County. When it reaches this point, the trail has risen 417 feet (127 m) while traveling 8.4 miles (13.5 km).[14]

Bridge over Difficult Run in Fairfax County (October 2020)

After crossing over I-495 (the Capital Beltway) on a trail bridge and passing Dunn Loring, the trail begins a long descent as it travels through Vienna. After leaving Vienna, the trail continues to descend until it reaches Mile 14, where its elevation of 242 feet (74 m) is only 170 feet (52 m) higher than is its elevation at the trail's origin.[14]

After the trail crosses Difficult Run (Mile 14.3), it ascends and descends between additional streams (including Sugarland Run, Broad Run, Beaverdam Run, Goose Creek, Sycolin Creek and Tuscarora Creek) as it travels further northwest in the Piedmont through or near Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and Leesburg. While traveling through Reston, the trail crosses Wiehle Avenue (VA 828), 0.3 miles (0.5 km) northeast of the Wiehle–Reston East station on Washington Metro's Silver Line.[14][15]

View of Goose Creek from the W&OD Trail in March 2012

When crossing Tuscarora Creek in Leesburg, the trail's elevation of 315 feet (96 m) is only 2 feet (0.61 m) higher than the highest elevation 313 feet (95 m) that it reached in Arlington. After crossing that stream, the trail climbs northwest in 6.0 miles (9.7 km) to reach its highest elevation (606 feet (185 m)) while traveling on a bridge carrying VA 9 (Charles Town Pike) over VA 7 near the saddle point of Clarke's Gap in Catoctin Mountain.[16] 0.3 miles (0.48 km) before this crossing, the trail travels under an old stone arch that formerly carried VA 7 over the W&OD Railroad.[14]

The trail then turns west, descends through Paeonian Springs to Hamilton Station and climbs to reach Purcellville. When the trail terminates in Purcellville, its elevation is 513 feet (156 m) above sea level.[14]

When the W&OD Railroad closed in 1968, its 100 feet (30.5 m) wide right-of-way extended from Potomac Yard in Alexandria to the center of Purcellville. Soon after the railroad closed, the Virginia Department of Highways purchased the railroad's property from the line's owner, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, with the intent of using a portion of the right-of-way for the construction of I-66.[22][23] In the same year that the railroad closed, the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) (part of which was incorporated into Dominion Virginia Power in 2000)[24] purchased most of the property from the highway department, as the company's electric power transmission lines were travelling within the right-of-way.[25] In 1972, voters approved the construction of a trail, then called "The Virginia Creeper," along the right-of way.[26]

In 1987, the U. S. Department of the Interior designated the trail as a National Recreation Trail.[66] In 1999, Virginia Department of Historic Resources staff determined that the "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Historic District" (053-0276) was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[67] A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.[68]

Purcellville Station, August 2008

The park and its immediate surroundings contain a number of historic structures, some of which date to the pre-Civil War period.[69] Most of these structures are railroad remnants, including intact stations[70] at Vienna,[71][72] Sunset Hills,[73] Herndon,[74] Hamilton[75] and Purcellville,[76][77][78] stone arches and culverts,[79] the piers and abutments of bridges, and a relocated passenger shelter (formerly at the site of the Clarks Gap station at the present crossing of the trail and Dry Mill Road (VA 699); now at the former site of the Paeonian Springs station near Simpson Circle).[80]

Part of the reinforced concrete floor of a brick electrical substation that the railroad constructed in 1912 to help supply power to its new electric locomotives and trolley cars is visible in Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Railroad Display south of Wilson Boulevard.[81] The floor is located in the space between a soccer field and a Southern Railway caboose.[82][83]

A remnant of a coal trestle stands south of the W&OD Trail, near the west end of the trail's bridge over Lee Highway (U.S. 29) in Arlington. In June 2014, the owner of a property adjacent to the regional park demolished part of the structure to provide space for a planned self-storage facility. At the time, the Arlington County government was considering a proposal to designate the structure as a local historic district. In September 2014, the Arlington County Board designated the remaining portion of trestle, which was located on NVRPA property, as a local historic district.[84] The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.

A white metallic marker post lettered in black with the words "Station 1 Mile" stands on the north side of the trail west of Little Falls Road near the boundary between Arlington and Falls Church. This post, which once stood next to the W&OD Railroad's tracks, is one mile (1.6 km) east of the site of the railroad's demolished West Falls Church Station.[85] The station was located near the east side of the railroad's crossing of W. Broad Street (VA 7) in Falls Church.

Concrete abutment of the bridge that carried the Arlington & Fairfax Railway over the W&OD Railroad near the east end of Vienna (December 2006)

Near the east end of Vienna, the poured concrete abutment of a bridge that carried an interurban trolley line, the Arlington & Fairfax Railway, over the W&OD Railroad remains on the north side of the trail.[86] An inscription showing the month and year of the abutment's construction (July 1904) is visible on the structure's east side.

The trail crosses Goose Creek in Loudoun County on a span that NVRPA built on top of the piers and abutments of the highest and longest (268 feet (82 m)) bridge that the railroad constructed within the present boundaries of the regional park.[86][87] Visitors can view these remnants and the intact span, pier and abutments of the railroad's deck girder bridge over Sycolin Creek from unpaved paths that travel between the streams in NVRPA's Two Creeks Trail Area on the north side of the trail.[88][89]

The Sycolin Creek bridge bears the only remaining span that once carried trains of the W&OD Railroad. As the trail travels on the concrete deck of the bridge, visitors can only see the span and the structures below if they leave the trail.[89]

The piers and abutments of the railroad's bridge over Tuscarora Creek are visible south of the trail near the east end of Leesburg. The bridge was the second longest (149 feet (45 m)) that the railroad built within the present boundaries of the regional park.[86] The piers and abutments are the only ones along the trail's route that do not presently support a bridge.

Remnants of the facilities of a 19th-century lime company are visible in Leesburg on the northeast side of the trail, southeast of Harrison Street SE. Limestone (calcium carbonate) from a company quarry was mixed with coal and burned in a nearby kiln that was adjacent to the railroad's tracks. Quicklime (calcium oxide) was brought out of the kiln through two arched openings that visitors can see from the trail. The company also supplied farmers with agricultural lime and provided builders with lime plaster for walls and stone for roads.[90]

Near the saddle point of Clarks Gap, a stone arch crosses over the trail. Constructed around 1867-1868 soon after the end of the Civil War, the masonry arch once carried the original VA 7 over the railroad's tracks at the railroad's highest point.[86][91] The arch now carries Dry Mill Road (VA 699) over the trail.

The Norfolk Southern Railway and its predecessors have donated three cabooses for display along the W&OD Trail.[92] While none of these resemble the cabooses that once travelled along the route of the W&OD Railroad, two of the three cars house exhibits of materials relating to the W&OD Railroad and Trail.

A Southern Railway bay window caboose (number X441) within the Bluemont Junction Railroad Display in Arlington exhibits photographs, maps and other information related to the County's railroads and trolleys.[93][94] Staffed by a County park ranger, the caboose is open to the public on weekend afternoons from the Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.[95] The display also contains outdoor signage and photographs that describe and illustrate the history of the W&OD Railroad and of its junction that once operated at the site of the exhibit, as well as a metallic crossbuck and a metallic marker post that was once located 1 mile (1.6 km) from a station.[82][93][96]

Adjacent to the Trail in Vienna, the Freeman Store houses a museum of the town's history.[97] The museum contains maps, books and other materials that relate to the W&OD Railroad. Operated by Historic Vienna, Inc., the museum is open to the public during the afternoons of each week from Wednesdays through Sundays.[98]

A cupola caboose near the Trail in Vienna Centennial Park contains a museum that houses materials that the W&OD Railroad once used.[99] Staffed by members of the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, bearing on its sides the name "WASHINGTON & OLD DOMINION RAILROAD" and numbered 503, the caboose is open to the public during the afternoons on selected weekends and holidays. Near the caboose is a historical marker, an NVRPA information sign, a metallic crossbuck on a wooden post and a metallic marker post that was once located 1 mile (1.6 km) from a station.[100] A metallic white railroad whistle post with black markings is located in Vienna Centennial Park on the north side of the Trail between Church Street NE and the caboose.

The W&OD Railroad station in Vienna houses a museum and a model railroad layout. Operated by the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders, Inc., the museum displays materials that the W&OD Railroad once used and a model of the station as it appeared when steam locomotives stopped at the station. The model railroad and museum is open to the public during the afternoon of one Saturday of each month except June and August.[101]

Retired Norfolk & Western Railway caboose repainted and renamed to W&OD 504 after relocating to W&OD Railroad Regional Park near Herndon Depot Museum (August 2012)

Herndon Depot Museum in August 2012

View south from Luck Stone Quarry overlook in March 2012

The W&OD Railroad station in Herndon houses the Herndon Depot Museum, which the Herndon Historical Society operates.[102] The museum, which is open on Sundays from noon to 3:00 p.m. from March to mid-December, displays photographs and newspaper articles relating to the history of the Town of Herndon and the W&OD Railroad.[102]

The museum also contains materials that the railroad once used. The museum additionally contains information about the history of a nearby Norfolk and Western Railway cupola caboose whose sides bore the name and logo of the W&OD Railroad and the number 504 in 2006.[103] A railroad whistle post is located near the caboose[104]

An overlook at the Luck Stone Quarry east of Goose Creek displays a large trap rock quarry.[105] This mineral provides bulk for concrete, macadam and paving stones.[106]

The W&OD Railroad station in Purcellville houses the Loudoun Visitors Center. The Visitors Center contains a W&OD Railroad historical display and hosts wine-tasting events. The Visitors Center is open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from late April through October.[107]

Most of the landscaping in the park is left in a natural state to preserve green space and to provide wildlife habitat.[5] Some natural areas within the park are contiguous to larger natural areas in adjacent public parks, including those in and around the Sparrow Pond wetland,[108] Brandymore Castle[109] and Four Mile Run[110] in Arlington, Piney Branch and Difficult Run in Fairfax County,[111] and the confluence of Goose Creek and Sycolin Creek in Loudoun County.[112]

Park interpreters, local teachers, environmental groups and amateur naturalists use the park as a resource for plant and animal study. These groups have identified approximately 450 species of wildflowers and more than 100 species of birds in the park. Wildlife in the park includes mammals such as foxes, river otters and beavers, and reptiles such as turtles and snakes. A variety of hawks and owls and other resident, non-resident and migratory birds, both upland and aquatic, find habitat in the park.[5]

Transmission lines over W&OD Trail in Loudoun County (March 2012)

The W&OD Trail lies beneath a set of electric power transmission lines between its trailhead and the Dominion Virginia Power's Pleasant View Substation in Loudoun County southeast of Leesburg. The power company removes trees along this section of the trail to protect its lines, at times eliciting protests from members of the public and elected officials in the impacted jurisdictions.[113] Trees shade much of the remainder of the trail.

In 2004, Dominion Virginia Power announced plans to extend its transmission lines in Loudoun County above ground from the Pleasant View Substation northwestward along the route of the W&OD Trail.[114] In response, on November 15, 2005, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution of continued opposition to the installation of the proposed transmission lines along the Trail.[115]

Citing the impending loss of trees along its trail, the NVRPA asked the public on December 13, 2005, to oppose Dominion Virginia Power's application for the transmission line project in hearings that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) was planning to conduct as part of its review of the project.[116] During 2005, 2006 and 2007, the NVRPA submitted testimony and briefs to the SCC that opposed the construction of transmission lines along the route of the trail.[117]

In January 2007, an SCC hearing examiner recommended the construction of an overhead transmission line that would follow a wooded segment of the W&OD Trail between Leesburg and Clark's Gap.[118] After the SCC ordered the examiner to consider construction of an underground line along that segment of the trail, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted on June 5, 2007, a resolution that supported the location of the line along that segment only if the SCC required Dominion to "install the line underground at a minimum width with the least amount of impact".[118]

The SCC nevertheless approved on February 15, 2008, a transmission line route that would travel above ground for 1.8 miles (2.9 km) along the same segment of the trail.[119] The Commission's approval order stated that the SCC had adopted the Examiner's recommendation against underground construction "due to both the physical, and the cost to the ratepayers, of the impacts that would result therefrom."[119]

Less than three weeks later, on March 4 and 5, 2008, the Senate and the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed emergency legislation that ordered the SCC to approve the underground construction of the line along that segment of the trail as part of a statewide pilot program for the development of such types of transmission lines. Sponsored by Delegate Joe T. May (Republican - Loudoun),[120] the legislation exempted the project from any requirements for further SCC analyses relating to the impacts of the route, including environmental impacts and impacts upon historical resources.[121]

The legislation went into effect when Virginia Governor Tim Kaine approved it on April 2, 2008.[122] Soon afterwards, the power company asked the SCC to approve construction of the underground transmission line in accordance with the terms of the legislation. The SCC approved construction of the underground line on May 28, 2008.[123]

The NVRPA expected the project to result in a significant loss of trees, as the power company planned to dig trenches on each side of the paved trail while installing duct banks to house its conduits.[124] Supporting the NVRPA's expectation, Dominion Virginia Power noted that the environmental impacts associated with underground cable installation in suburban and rural areas are significantly greater than are those of overhead line construction.[125] The W&OD Trail closed for a year in the project area while the power company constructed its underground lines. The trail reopened to the public in November 2010.[126]

• Cycling infrastructure
• List of rail trails in Virginia

• Harwood, H.H., Jr. (April 2000). Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847 — 1968 (PDF) (3rd ed.). Fairfax Station, Virginia: Northern Virginia Parks Authority. pp. 19–144. ISBN 0-615-11453-9. LCCN 77104382. OCLC 44685168. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

In Appendix K of NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY - PRE-FILED DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MR. HAFNER, MR. MCRAY AND MR. SIMMONS, November 30, 2005 (Part 5), Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in "Case Docket Search". Virginia State Corporation Commission. Retrieved September 28, 2017.

• Neville, Ashley M. (Gray & Pape, Inc., Richmond, Virginia) (July 25, 2000). "Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Historic District (Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) No. 053-0276)" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (NPS Form 10-900). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

In Appendix J of NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY - PRE-FILED DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MR. HAFNER, MR. MCRAY AND MR. SIMMONS, November 30, 2005 (Part 4), Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in "Case Docket Search". Virginia State Corporation Commission. Retrieved September 28, 2017.

• Williams, Ames (1970). The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. Alexandria, Virginia: Meridian Sun Press. ISBN 978-3-510-95917-4. OCLC 240192.

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