Van Dorn Avenue, Alexandria

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

When I worked as Extra Yard Clerk in the SOU Alexandria Yard back in the mid 50's,that Van Doren area was known as Old Cameron Yard.
This is the way the story was passed on to me by one of the old timers.
It seems that back in the early 1920's Fairfax Harrison who was the Pres.of the Southern back in those days got sort of pissed off at the RF&P for the charges for humping the Bean Man, Weed Line and other SOU Fts. The SOU owned that future yard land since the Orange & Alexandria took over the Manassas Cap line after the 1861-65 war. So Harrison built a small hump yard out west of town to hump his own trains every thing was fine until he offered to hump the C&O for less than the RF&P were charging. The Mighty PRR then went whinning to the ICC,
the ICC in turn told Harrison to close the yard and send his trains back to POTYD, also telling the RF&P to cut the price charged to the SOU and C&O.
Also Neither POTYD or Ivy City ever serviced a Southern loco. all returned to Alexandria Yard for service between runs.  

                  H.B.Lyon
                  Alex, VA