Bluemont Junction
In June 1945 The scene nearby would have included The multiple tracks, gas-electric combine, electric substation and passenger station shown below. As of 1912 the Bluemont Junction serviced as the hub of the multi-line Washington & Old Dominion Railway. One line ran between Georgetown and Great Falls. The other was the former Southern Railway branch between Alexandria and Bluemont, Virginia. To serve commuters from the Virginia suburbs and vacationers traveling from the city to resort towns in western Loudoun County, the W&OD's owners moved the eastern passenger terminal from downtown Alexandria to Georgetown. Much freight traffic, however, still moved in and out of Alexandria. All eastbound and westbound trains, whether they carried people or freight, now passed through Bluemont Junction.
Rosslyn Station
If you are a passenger on the Washington and Old Dominion railway heading into Georgetown, you would first have to pass through Rosslyn, Virginia, a 15-minute train ride from here. The first Roslyn Terminal dated from 1906 with the establishment of the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad. That line ran from Georgetown in Washington northwest through Virginia to the falls of the Potomac River. Streetcars often shuttled passengers from the railroad's eastern terminal in Georgetown across the bridge to Rosslyn. There passengers boarded cars-- the most modern you equipment of the day --and continued their journey up the steep bluffs and through the Virginia countryside. In 1911 the Great Falls and Old Dominion became the Washington and Old Dominion Railway. The new company took over the former Southern Railway Bluemont Branch, bringing still more passenger business to Georgetown. Rosslyn became the railroad center of operations.
The Great Falls Line
The Bluemont Branch of the Washington Old Dominion was not the railroads only line. The Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad arose in 1906 from the vision of two prominent men. Senator Stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia had prospered through coal, lumbar, and railroads in his home state. John S. McLean was involved in several businesses and owned the Washington post. Elkins and McLean bought land on the Virginia side of the Potomac River at Great Falls. They turned it into a resort, complete with a carousel, dance pavilion, and an electrified trolley line to bring the crowds from Washington. The largely underdeveloped land along line was ideal for residential communities including one named for McLean.
