Meet the Webmaster
Jeff Hawkins
- Author & Photographer
Thank you for visiting the Rails in Virginia
website. I created this site in 2002 for the purpose sharing information,
history, and photographs relating to the many railroads, past and
present, that
operate throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. I hope you enjoy
your visit and check back often for updates.
Early in my days as a photographer I quickly realized that I wanted to
incorporate as much of the surrounding environment into the photos as
possible. Everyone knows what a train looks like. It is the scenery that
really adds to a photograph. Often I’ve looked at older photos,
especially from the steam era, and wished the photographer had included
more of the surroundings. Maybe it was a location that I frequent or
somewhere not many photographs were taken at. Trains do indeed change over
time, but so does the landscape through which they travel. With the
installation of new signals, removal of pole lines,
demolition of trackside structures, and urban sprawl the railroad
landscape is changing at a rapid pace before our very eyes.
It is my long term vision to be able to look back
30, 40, or even 50 years from now and be able to
appreciate all of those times I waited patiently in
the sweltering August heat of the Carolinas, or
freezing in the Virginia countryside on a cold
January morning waiting for that one shot.
Like a lot of railfans, I had
family members who worked for the railroad. My
maternal great-grandfather worked for the RF&P as
a passenger engineer. His tenure spanned over 40 years with an
impeccable record of service. The evening of May 30, 1965 marked
the end of his career with a final run into Broad St. Station in
Richmond. Unfortunately I was never able to meet him, but that
is something I would have very much liked to have done.
A number of other family members
worked for the RF&P at Potomac Yard in Alexandria. In addition,
two relatives on my father's side were employees of the
N&W. One an engineer on the Shenandoah Division, the other a
welder in the East End Shops in Roanoke. Lastly, my maternal
grandfather was a brakeman for the Atlantic Coast Line during the
mid-1940's.
Presently I am a member of several
organizations including the N&W Historical Society, C&O Historical
Society, and Old Dominion Chapter NRHS. In recent years I have
been a regular contributor to Railpace and Railroads Illustrated.
In January 2010 my first book was released by Arcadia Publishing
entitled Richmond Railroads. I have given
presentations for a number of NRHS chapters and historical societies
and am available for future engagements upon request.
It's been a pleasure to meet so many great people throughout the years and
I'm glad to call many of you friends.
Jeff Hawkins
jl.hawkins@comcast.net
Published Photography
Published
Writings
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