Category: Railroads
RF&P
C&O
East Washington Railway
Washington was served by the following major railroads at Union Station.
Railroads that Served Union Station in 1950
Name: Atlantic Coast Line
Commonly Used Abbreviation: ACL
http://www.aclsal.org/
The ACL served Washington, D.C. and New York via interline agreement over the RF&P and PRR. The railroad served much of the Southeast United States including Florida.
Name: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Commonly Used Abbreviation: B&O
http://www.borhs.org/
Served 13 states from the mid-Atlantic to Chicago.
Name: Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
Commonly Used Abbreviation: C&O
http://www.cohs.org/
Served Washington, D.C. via trackage rights over the Souther Railway from Orange, Virginia. A major coal haul and heavy industry railroad from the industrial heartland of Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, and Kentucky to the eastern seaboard and Chicago.
Name: Pennsylvania Railroad
Commonly Used Abbreviation: PRR
http://www.prrths.com/
The largest of the major railroads serving Washington, D.C. with service to New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit and many other cities. Calling itself "the standard railroad of the world" the PRR once carried one of every 10 passengers in the United States.
Name: Pullman Company
http://www.newberry.org/sites/default/files/researchguide-attachments/PullmanGuide.pdf
Contractor to the railroads provided and operated most of the sleeping cars operated by major railroads.
Name: Railway Express Agency
Commonly Used Abbreviation: REA
From Trains Magazine
Fast intercity package express and shipping company provided by rail. Similar in concept to service provided by today Federal Express or United Parcel Service.
Name: Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac
Commonly Used Abbreviation: RF&P
http://www.rfandp.org/
A bridge line between Washington, D.C. and Richmond Virginia. Major business was through-traffic.
Name: Seaboard Airline
Commonly Used Abbreviation: SAL
Served Washington, D.C. and New York via trackage rights over the RF&P and PRR. Railroad served much of the Southeast United States including Florida
Name: Southern Railway
Commonly Used Abbreviation: SRY
http://www.srha.net/
Served from Washington, D.C. to much of the Southeast including Atlanta, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati.
Name: Washington Terminal Company
Commonly Used Abbreviation: WTCo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Terminal_Company
Washington Terminal Company was the railroad company formed and jointly owned by the B&O and PRR railroads to build and operate Union Station and associated infrastructure, to include Ivy City Shops.
Other notable railroads that served Washington, D.C. in the 20th Century include:
Chesapeake Beach Railway
Washington Baltimore & Annapolis Railway
Washington & Old Dominion Railway
Capitol Transit Company
Capitol Traction Company
A fairly complete list of the railroads that serve or have served Washingto, D.C (including predecessor lines) is available on wikipedia.