CSX Railroad Crossing the Potomac River - Harpers Ferry, WV
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 39° 19.426 W 077° 43.647
18S E 264887 N 4356254
There are many locations within historic Harpers Ferry where you can watch the many trains on the CSX line - my preferred location is from the trestle bridge that now carries the Appalachian Trail across the Potomac River.
Waymark Code: WMMVZV
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 11/11/2014
Views: 12
Harpers Ferry is a little mountain community that has a lot of history associated with it - including history that involved the railroad. The hilly streets and river side vistas also provide many opportunities to observe the many freight and passenger trains that pass through the tiny town.
The historic village of Harpers Ferry sits at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and is within a mountainous landscape. Harpers Ferry is also near the triple point where West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia meet. The main railroad line is the CSX, which took over the line from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It comes out from a tunnel on the north side of the Potomac River and crosses it at an angle on a trestle. There is a railroad station at the south end of the trestle. Here stops passenger trains on both Amtrak's Capitol Limited and MARC's Brunswick Lines. In between the passenger trains are freight trains of the CSX line. While there, is seemed like there was a train every 20 minutes - so it is a very busy line.
There used to be a spur of the CSX Railroad that also crossed the river and went into the tunnel. The bridge still stands and there are trestles within the National Historic Park that remain to show where this line went. The trestle has been remade into a pedestrian bridge that carries the Appalachian Trail across the river and into Maryland.
I saw trains from several locations within the village. There is the train station, which has a head on view of trains coming across the trestle from the tunnel. There are view points on the streets and porches of buildings - I saw one come through from an outdoor table from one of the eating establishments. One of the best views with the village buildings in the view is from the Appalachian Trail leading to Jefferson's Table Rock. But, my favorite is on the trestle bridge carrying the AT across the river. The only issue is that there are thick chain-linked fences that obscure the view.
Take a camera and walk around the village to get multiple view points!
Sources:
Amtrak (Capitol Limited):
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visit link)
MARC (MARC Station Information):
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visit link)
National Park Service (Harpers Ferry National Historic Park):
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visit link)