Facility 2298 Rail Bridge

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Facility 2298 Rail Bridge:
The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad (FBMRR) was constructed in 1918 when Camp A.A. Humphreys was made a semi-permanent cantonment as the U.S. entered into World War 1. The two main objectives for FBMRR were to bring supplies and troops to camp for its rapid construction and war mobilization and to train engineer troops on the building of railroads, bridges, and other facilities essential to the U.S. war effort in France.

Engineer troops began work for the 4.51-mile standard-gauge railroad January 1918 by clearing heavily wooded areas before building wooden trestles to span low-lying areas. Facility No. 2298, or Bridge No. 4, a railroad bridge with concrete arches, wood decking, and reinforced concrete stringers, piers, and abutments, was constructed in 1928 to replace the original 1918 wooden trestle. Here the decommissioned remnants remain, spanning Beulah Street.

The FBMRR passenger service was discontinued after the Korean War but the railroad remained in use moving supplies until the last locomotive left Fort Belvoir in 1993.

Marker Erected by Fort Belvoir.


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EDITOR'S NOTE:
Regarding the Rail Bridge -- It is publicly accessible on the road just to the north of the marker, but please don't try going any further past the bridge on Beulah Street. The street leads directly into the Fort Belvoir military installation, and the general public (meaning you) will not be granted access. The bridge is also on military property and they don't really enjoy people wandering in the forest near their secure facility.


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Here follows an article about the bridge from the Atlas Obscura website:

Facility 2298 Rail Bridge
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
The well-preserved remnants of a bridge that once made up a WW1-era military railroad.

The rail bridge that still stands just off of Backlick Road near Fort Belvoir was once part of the war effort as the United States prepared for World War I.

The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad (FBMRR) was constructed in 1918 to transport troops and supplies to Camp AA Humphreys. It was also designed to mobilize and train engineers on skills required to support the war effort in France.

Facility 2298 (also called Bridge No. 4) belonged to the 4.51-mile FBMRR system, and was one of six wooden trestles that supported the railroad. In 1928, it was replaced by a sturdier span featuring concrete arches and practical reinforcements.

One of the other six bridges, Facility 1433 (or Bridge No. 5), was similarly rebuilt in 1928 as a concrete bridge, but that span, which straddled Rte. 1 and connected the north and south posts of Ft. Belvoir, was removed in 2014 to widen the road beneath.

Facility 2298, the last surviving bridge on the railroad, supported trains on the railway for another 65 years, providing passenger service through the end of the Korean War until 1993.

Know Before You Go:
The marker is located on Backlick Road about a quarter-mile from where it meets the Fairfax County Parkway. The bridge is visible down a gravel path that juts off Backlick Road to the right. A fence and barricade that cordon off Ft. Belvoir are both on the other side of the bridge.