Historic Image Archives
The Richmond Railroad Museum houses the historic image archives of the Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. To purchase digital or printed copies of images in the collection, contact info@richmondrailroadmuseum.com.
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Click on images to see greater detail. In some cases, modern day location images are available.
Seaboard Air Line's Q-3 2-8-2 #407 leads a northbound freight through Richmond's Main St station in this circa 1950 shot by J.I. Kelly. The photo was taken from the Chesapeake and Ohio's JN cabin. JN cabin was a tower that controlled train movements in Main St station. The C&O preferred to call their towers "cabins". Mr. Kelly was an agent for the C&O. Perhaps he was on duty at JN cabin this day and snapped this shot as the SAL train rolled through.
In this scene from the late 1940's Southern Railway's train # 7 from Richmond to Danville slips under the Atlantic Coast Line's concrete arch James River bridge. Train # 7 left Richmond at 3:15 PM and would arrive at Danville at 7:10 PM. It was a local train, meaning it served all the stations between Richmond and Danville. The train is led by a class Ps-1 4-6-2. The locomotive was painted a pleasing shade of green with gold trim. The consist is a baggage-RPO and two coaches. Being in the Jim Crow era, the first coach was probably for colored passengers and the second coach was probably for white passengers. Photo by J. I. Kelly
Seaboard Air Line Q3 2-8-2 #370 switches the yard at Bellwood in this circa 1950 era shot by R.I. Kelly. The route 1 overpass is in the background. The fence to the sprawling Defense General Supply Center is out of view to the left. This train was one of the SAL's road switchers that worked the many industries south of Richmond. The locomotive is carrying white flags to denote that it is an extra instead of a scheduled train.
On September 8, 1946, Southern Railway 2-8-2 #4540 leads a southbound freight through the tunnel underneath the Atlantic Coast Lines's fill entering Belle Island yard in South Richmond . Photo taken by J I Kelly. From the William Stratton Collection @2020 ODC NRHS.
A northbound Richmond and Fredericksburg and Potomac 28 car freight led by 4-8-4 #618 James Madison crosses the Chesapeake and Ohio's Richmond Charlottesville line at Doswell VA on Sept 1, 1946. This photo was taken by J. I. Kelly and is from the William Stratton collection @2020 ODC NRHS.