Evening star., 1942-11-21
Old Dominion
Passenger Plan
Held Unfeasib|e
Cars scropped and
Terminal Removed,
Line Head Saws

Restoration of passenger service
on the Washington & Old Dominion
Railway, as recommended in a re-
cent report by transportation ex-
pert, is not feasible, G. c. Baggett,
vice president and general manager
OF the railway, said today. He
claimed the report does not take
into consideration all of the prob
Iems involved.
Col. Noten D. Ballantine, nation
elly-known transportation consult
ant, made a survey of the railroad
from Rosslyn to Purcellville and re-
ported need exists to restore pas
eenger service for commuters be.
tween Rosslyn and Leesburg, Va.
he recommended that the company
rent railway cars at $12 a day. OBJ
calnable from the New York, On
tario & Western Railway. and re-
establish passenger service on an
experimental basis. Col Ballantine
said he recommended this plan so
the company would not have to
make capital outlay in purchasing
equipment.
Baggett Answers.
In his statement, Mr. Baggett de-
elared:
The facts are that with the dis
continuance of passenger service on
April IL, 1941, by authority of the
State Corporation Commission, all
passenger motor and trailer cars
were scrapped; the large and COM
modious passenger terminal former
" located on the Rosslyn Plaza ap-
proach to the Key Bridge was re-
moved by order of the District au-
thorities, and all the 4O-odd pas
senger shelter stations at country
points along the line were disman-
tied leaving the company with no
facilities for the handling of pas.
sengers.
I'm 1929 the line to Great Falls
was in existence and the passenger
revenue derived from the operation
Of that branch made up substan-
ial part of the $3.50 day
(shoWn in the Ballantine report)
When the Great Falls line was
abandoned in 1884, it placed an add
ed burden on the Leesburg Blue
mont line which has always depend
ed upon freight, mail and express
for its support.
Diesel Freight Engines.
"1n anticipation of an increased
freight business by reason of large
housing projects on and near the
line, the present company recently
bought three Diesel electric freight
locomotives which will enable it to
discontinue its all-electric operations
and release the copper trolley and
other wires for war purposes.
Nov with all of our facilities
devoted to the hauling of freight
tonnage consisting of coal, oil, cattle,
brick. sand, lumber and other ma
terials approximately three times
above normal, we are confronted
with a demand to restore passenger
train service by assigning one of
our three Diesel locomotives to
two-car coach train. This would
leave us with only one locomotive
to handle our freight since one
Juliet Is IiUW uScU exclusively 10
operate our United States mail and
express trains. These latter trains
operate at times to best suit the
convenience Of the Railway Mail
Service, but are entirely unsuitable
for comrauter service.
Matt Service Seen Impaired.
sShoLld the proposed coach train
be cor solidated with the present
mail trains, the Post Office Depart
ment las informed us that it would
impair the service more or less seri-
ously and no doubt would be made
the oasis for vigorous protests and
criticism of the service by patrons
affe cted. Obviously it would be i'm
pos sible to buy any additional
me tive power for operation on an
ex experimental basis"
The State Corporation Commis-
sion has reopened the case, in which
testimony was taken In June on
petitions OF residents to restore pas
senger service. The commission will
meet Monday at Richmond to take
additional testimony, including the
report of Col. Ballantine. An order
will be entered by the commission
at a subsequent date.