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C&O Milepost 131.3
Station Number: 131
Code Number: 0195
The first listing that I have for Buckner as a station is an 1873 timetable. Buckner was sometimes also known as Buckner’s Turnout. A siding was built by the Louisa Railroad near the Buckner home as a courtesy to the family. The Buckner Station Post Office opened on February 21, 1870 with William M. Buckner as postmaster. It remained open until November 3, 1904 when a Post Office opened in Buckner itself (or Buckner Station changed its name. I’m not sure which). That office closed in July of 1958. In the mid-1880’s, the Long Creek Female School operated near Buckner’s Station.
The station building at Buckner burned on February 3, 1883. According to the Side Track Record from 1937, Buckner had a 1041' house track (track number 855) and a 1000' spur (track number 856) serving the B. G. Jones Lumber Mill*. The stock pens were retired in March, 1941. The west turnout of the house track was retired in December, 1942. In May, 1947 a 65 car passing track (track number 2345) was added. This track was noted on both the Bumpass and Buckner Valuation maps, so it must have been between those two stations, but I have no further information on its exact location or length. Buckner was an agency station in 1948 but had been converted to a non-agency station by 1961. The C&O discontinued handling LCL freight at Buckner in 1961, but continued handling carload freight through a mobile agent as late as 1985. The passing track and the house track were retired in April, 1978, though the house track was reported as spiked and out of service in the August, 1973 C&O Historical Newsletter. Track 856 was retired in April, 1991.
* - I'm not entirely certain about the name of this company. The 1937 Side Track Record calls it the B. G. Jones Lumber Mill, but the Valuation maps call it the E. G. Jones Lumber Mill.
Photos |
This postcard image shows the depot building in Buckner, most likely in the early 1900’s. According to the C&O’s Building List and Valuation from 1946, the building was a combination passenger and freight depot. (Date unknown. Courtesy of Elizabeth Garner and the family of W.F. Harris, Sr, used with permission)
The depot from Buckner was one of the few that was not destroyed when the railroad was done with it. The 16' x 36' wood structure was purchased by Leo Riedelback for $15.00 and moved to his farm just down the road from its former location. The freight house handled freight and railway express; there was no office in the building. My thanks to Charlie Southworth for alerting me to the existence of this station. (November 2001 photo by Larry Z. Daily)
Another shot of the Buckner depot building. (November 2001 photo by Larry Z. Daily)
According to Charles Southworth, the C&O agent at some point operated out of this large brick store that was built in 1914. It burned many years ago - a CSX worker once pointed out the location to me. The foundation is still visible at the site during the winter when the vegetation isn’t so thick. (From a postcard in the collection of Larry Z. Daily.)
Mr. Southworth worked in the store from 1944 to 1950. He recalls that, as you entered, the agent’s office and post office were on the right. There were benches for the waiting room in the front of the store. (Floorplan prepared by Larry Z. Daily from information and drawings supplied by Mr. Charles Southworth.)
As shown on the maps of Buckner, one of the C&O’s sidings here served the B. G. Jones Lumber Mill. Though the siding was long gone at the time of this November 2001 photo, the mill had grown and thrived and was known as Tradewinds. I’m not sure when Tradewinds sold the property, but by 2001 the site was operated by the Trae Fuels company. (Photo by Larry Z. Daily)
Sometime before 2010, the Buckingham Branch built a siding to serve the facility. (June, 2010 photo by Larry Z. Daily)
Map |
This map was prepared from U.S.G.S. topological maps, C&O track charts dated 1963, C&O Side Track Records dated 1937, a copy of the Side Track Records updated through the 1990’s, C&O Valuation maps, also updated through the 1990’s, and information provided by Mr. Charles Southworth.
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