CSX Bridge at Fredericksburg

Artist Marcia Chaves
CSX Bridge at Fredericksburg
Oil
11x14
City Dock on the Rappahannock River is one of Fredericksburg's most charming gathering places, especially in springtime as anglers are drawn to the river hoping to catch shad and herring, photographers with sophisticated equipment await to capture osprey and eagle action, tourists explore the well documented Civil War history, or a child hopes to catch his first fish. On weekends, couples dressed in formal attire for Jr. Sr. Prom pose at the water's edge, the young men in formal wear, the ladies in brilliant sequined gowns, spiked heels, with elegant corsages for a memorable portrait of this special evening. The great white goose Gary mingles about the crowd looking for a handout of cracked corn. Fishermen continue to cast and reel in the fish. 
The background of this bustling scene is the CSX bridge that connects the City of Fredericksburg with Stafford County. It carries freight, passengers and commuters along the Atlantic seaboard. Although I’ve only crossed the bridge by train, one of our family’s favorite stories, told and retold over the years, describes my aunts’ frightful crossing by foot during the Flood of 1942. This was the only means of getting to town after flood waters washed away the Chatham and Falmouth bridges. Today its elegant arches provide shade to kayakers on a sunny day, the quiet interrupted from time to time by the train whistle signaling the arrival or departure of Amtrak.