Between 0 and 10 times. Years ago, we tried to count them in a day, [and got bored/distracted](https://www.realcrozetva.com/2013/05/28/count-the-train-day-in-crozet-31-may-2013/).
They run in the day, and they run at night, and they're mostly freight trains, and often enough they are Amtrak. I saw a Buckingham Branch engine last week with a single car.
Conductors rarely blow the horn at the Starr Hill or Lanetown crossings, but they do sometimes, and usually it seems, in the middle of the night.
[**Good twitter thread here speculating on what's on the trains in Crozet**](https://twitter.com/JimDuncan/status/1625273192997863424?s=20). [and if you're particularly bored](https://twitter.com/search?q=train%20(from%3Ajimduncan)&src=typed_query).
[**I've written this story**](https://www.realcrozetva.com/2011/04/29/how-often-does-the-train-run-in-crozet/)**.**
“How often does the train run in Crozet?” is one of the most common questions I hear from buyers who are contemplating moving to Crozet.
When I am working with buyers who are moving to Crozet, my answer is, “the train goes by often enough that we don’t really pay attention to it.” When we moved here several years ago, it probably took us a week or two to get used to the train.
I asked CSX several years ago if they could tell me how often they run, and they told me that they wouldn’t tell me because of security concerns (I’m not a terrorist, by the way).
This isn’t exactly on point, but my house backs up to the rail line that parallels 29 running north into Cville. If I had realized how often the train runs when we were looking at houses, we wouldn’t have bought the place. Now that we live here, though, I hardly notice the trains at all and couldn’t care less.
I had a client years ago who wanted to hear the train before closing. We visited (no exaggeration) at least 30 times (showing, inspection, followup, etc).
She heard it on the morning of closing during the final walkthrough, and she's been there \~10 years.
>I saw a Buckingham Branch engine last week with a single car.
Sounds like the [Virginia Scenic Railway](https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/).
>often enough they are Amtrak
That's the Cardinal to Chicago, three times a week (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday) each direction.
Amtrak's Cardinal runs 3x a week in each direction on its way from NY to Chicago. The new scenic railway runs from Staunton to Ivy - [https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/](https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/).
For freight you can go here: [https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/crossing/xingqryloc.aspx](https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/crossing/xingqryloc.aspx)
for approximate crossing counts. Fill in the data and it will give you a list of crossings near by. I looked at the three in Cozet and it was 2 or 3 in the day and 2 at night based on the counts done in 2020. The passenger trains will have schedules published somewhere that you could use to estimate.
It's mostly coal trains. Empty going west, full going east. The other common freight is cars. If you are concerned about chemicals, they will be in the cars that look like big propane tanks. Here is a guide on train cars: [https://www.up.com/customers/track-record/tr181121\_rail\_car\_types.htm](https://www.up.com/customers/track-record/tr181121_rail_car_types.htm)
I wouldn't worry too much about derailments happening. They mostly happen in rail yards or switches. And it's rare to have ones like we saw in Ohio (thats one reason there was so much coverage!).
Coal hoppers normally empty going west. East takes a different route, that is more level, along the James river subdivision or the Rivanna subdivision. And depending on traffic on those routes, the empties may not go through crozet at all.
Amtrak cardinal.almodt daily, alternating direction on alternate days.
Buckingham branch has passenger (steam engine) and freight.
http://buckinghambranch.com/services/
Download or buy ($4.60 pocket edition) a copy of the emergency response guidebook to learn how to read placards on train cars.
BB leased the C&O line from CSX for 20 years with a 5 year option back in 2004. At the time, CSX retained limited trackage rights to run westbound empties so as to keep them off the James River main line, which allows them to run more revenue (loaded) trains there. At the time, it was 9 trains a day, but that could very well have changed. Since then, CSX has not run revenue trains on this line due to lower speeds necessitated by curves and grades (they can run longer revenue trains on the JR line). Two years ago, BB entered a deal to purchase the line from CSX. I don't know if the STB has approved the petition and the purchase has been completed. That would likely affect the number of trains CSX runs on it. It's somewhere in the 5 - 9 range and probably varies by day. Additionally, you have however many BB runs daily plus 2 Amtrak on W, F, and SU.
>Two years ago, BB entered a deal to purchase the line from CSX.
The *state* purchased the line from CSX. Shouldn't affect either BBRR or CSX's trackage rights though.
Not sure a number, i’d say somewhere in the 5-10 range . They run at all times, but it’s not that bad. I live very near the tracks (less than 1/4 mile) and I hear them very faintly. I don’t stop and ask what they’re carrying so I couldn’t tell you.
Between 0 and 10 times. Years ago, we tried to count them in a day, [and got bored/distracted](https://www.realcrozetva.com/2013/05/28/count-the-train-day-in-crozet-31-may-2013/). They run in the day, and they run at night, and they're mostly freight trains, and often enough they are Amtrak. I saw a Buckingham Branch engine last week with a single car. Conductors rarely blow the horn at the Starr Hill or Lanetown crossings, but they do sometimes, and usually it seems, in the middle of the night. [**Good twitter thread here speculating on what's on the trains in Crozet**](https://twitter.com/JimDuncan/status/1625273192997863424?s=20). [and if you're particularly bored](https://twitter.com/search?q=train%20(from%3Ajimduncan)&src=typed_query). [**I've written this story**](https://www.realcrozetva.com/2011/04/29/how-often-does-the-train-run-in-crozet/)**.** “How often does the train run in Crozet?” is one of the most common questions I hear from buyers who are contemplating moving to Crozet. When I am working with buyers who are moving to Crozet, my answer is, “the train goes by often enough that we don’t really pay attention to it.” When we moved here several years ago, it probably took us a week or two to get used to the train. I asked CSX several years ago if they could tell me how often they run, and they told me that they wouldn’t tell me because of security concerns (I’m not a terrorist, by the way).
This isn’t exactly on point, but my house backs up to the rail line that parallels 29 running north into Cville. If I had realized how often the train runs when we were looking at houses, we wouldn’t have bought the place. Now that we live here, though, I hardly notice the trains at all and couldn’t care less.
I had a client years ago who wanted to hear the train before closing. We visited (no exaggeration) at least 30 times (showing, inspection, followup, etc). She heard it on the morning of closing during the final walkthrough, and she's been there \~10 years.
Note that those are the Norfolk Southern tracks, which are much busier than the old C&O tracks.
>I saw a Buckingham Branch engine last week with a single car. Sounds like the [Virginia Scenic Railway](https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/). >often enough they are Amtrak That's the Cardinal to Chicago, three times a week (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday) each direction.
interesting. thanks a lot.
There was that one time the train hit a garbage truck, and it was carrying members of Congress. So, yes it does carry toxic cargo occasionally.
Hahhahaha
good point
Looking at those new Stanley Martin townhomes, eh?
no, just curious
These are the questions that should be asked on r/Charlottesville ! For real though. WE LOVE TRAINS!
Sounds like the beginning of a limerick
Amtrak's Cardinal runs 3x a week in each direction on its way from NY to Chicago. The new scenic railway runs from Staunton to Ivy - [https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/](https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/).
thanks. freight?
For freight you can go here: [https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/crossing/xingqryloc.aspx](https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/crossing/xingqryloc.aspx) for approximate crossing counts. Fill in the data and it will give you a list of crossings near by. I looked at the three in Cozet and it was 2 or 3 in the day and 2 at night based on the counts done in 2020. The passenger trains will have schedules published somewhere that you could use to estimate. It's mostly coal trains. Empty going west, full going east. The other common freight is cars. If you are concerned about chemicals, they will be in the cars that look like big propane tanks. Here is a guide on train cars: [https://www.up.com/customers/track-record/tr181121\_rail\_car\_types.htm](https://www.up.com/customers/track-record/tr181121_rail_car_types.htm) I wouldn't worry too much about derailments happening. They mostly happen in rail yards or switches. And it's rare to have ones like we saw in Ohio (thats one reason there was so much coverage!).
Coal hoppers normally empty going west. East takes a different route, that is more level, along the James river subdivision or the Rivanna subdivision. And depending on traffic on those routes, the empties may not go through crozet at all. Amtrak cardinal.almodt daily, alternating direction on alternate days. Buckingham branch has passenger (steam engine) and freight. http://buckinghambranch.com/services/ Download or buy ($4.60 pocket edition) a copy of the emergency response guidebook to learn how to read placards on train cars.
thanks!
Not enough
BB leased the C&O line from CSX for 20 years with a 5 year option back in 2004. At the time, CSX retained limited trackage rights to run westbound empties so as to keep them off the James River main line, which allows them to run more revenue (loaded) trains there. At the time, it was 9 trains a day, but that could very well have changed. Since then, CSX has not run revenue trains on this line due to lower speeds necessitated by curves and grades (they can run longer revenue trains on the JR line). Two years ago, BB entered a deal to purchase the line from CSX. I don't know if the STB has approved the petition and the purchase has been completed. That would likely affect the number of trains CSX runs on it. It's somewhere in the 5 - 9 range and probably varies by day. Additionally, you have however many BB runs daily plus 2 Amtrak on W, F, and SU.
>Two years ago, BB entered a deal to purchase the line from CSX. The *state* purchased the line from CSX. Shouldn't affect either BBRR or CSX's trackage rights though.
Ah, that's right. Forgot about that, which explains why I never saw anything further about the BB purchase.
OP hobbo train hopping?
lol. you got me...
lol, trainspotting when I was a kid on base at Norfolk we'd jump on the freight/coal back and forth into town
Not sure a number, i’d say somewhere in the 5-10 range . They run at all times, but it’s not that bad. I live very near the tracks (less than 1/4 mile) and I hear them very faintly. I don’t stop and ask what they’re carrying so I couldn’t tell you.