The Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway was an electric interurban system located in Northern Virginia that existed between 1900 and 1911. The line was constructed from Georgetown, Washington D.C., to Great Falls, Virginia, and was powered by an overhead electrified wire for all of its existence. The line was originally thought up by local landowners and a charter was formed in January of 1900. The line was later bought out in March of 1902 by West Virginia Senator Stephen B. Elkins and Washington Post owner John R. McLean. Their goal was to have a double tracked electric interurban that connected Washington D.C. with Great Falls, Virginia.

The rails weren't laid until 1906 when the first revenue train ran across the entire line from Georgetown to Great Falls on July 3rd, 1906. Later in its life, the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway purchased three used forney type steam locomotives from the Manhattan Railway of New York City. These small 0-4-2T "Tea Kettles" as they were known, were used for freight service on the line and also for passenger service when the power plant located in Rosslyn couldn't provide enough energy for the afternoon rush.

The Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway was also in charge of ferrying riders from Rosslyn to Georgetown on what was aptly known as a bridge car over the aging aqueduct bridge. This didn't just apply to the Great Falls & Old Dominion's own passengers, but ones of rival Washington, Arlington, & Falls Church and Washington, Alexandria, & Mount Vernon Railway; both of which shared a terminal in Rosslyn.

On May 2nd, 1911, Stephen B. Elkins and John R. McLean decided to merge the Great Falls & Old Dominion with the newly leased Bluemont Branch of the Southern Railway. This led to the creation of the widely known Washington & Old Dominion Railway and the end of the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway as an independent operation.

One of the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway's 0-4-4T "Tea Kettles" #169 is seen stopped with a short freight train in 1906 probably at Rosslyn. Built by the Rome Locomotive Works on March 22nd, 1887, #169 had truly operated on both ends of the spectrum after beginning life as a speedy commuter locomotive working for the Manhattan Railway in New York City, to being relegated to secondary passenger service and hauling gondolas filled with local farm produce on the Great Falls & Old Dominion.

1905 Cincinnati car #3 is seen stopped at the terminal at 36th and M Street in Georgetown around 1906. Directly to the right of this photo is the Georgetown Car Barn. Other then the Georgetown Car Barn located just outside this photo, the only thing to survive in this image is the stone retaining wall located behind the car. It's also interesting to note that after the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway's predecessor, the Washington & Old Dominion, was forced to abandon service into Georgetown after the closure of the Aqueduct Bridge, the train shed located in front of the Georgetown Terminal was transferred to the railway's new shop complex in Rosslyn where it protected cars near the engine house. It was finally removed and scrapped sometime in the 1950's.

1905 Jackson & Sharp car #8 is caught at an unknown location, most likely Rosslyn, in 1906. Notice what appears to be one of the former Manhattan Railway trailers located behind the car on the right side of the photo. As this car was practically brand new in this image, most of the details applied by Jackson & Sharp are still easy to pinpoint. This includes the ornate lettering applied to both the sides of the car as well as the fancy border paint stripe that encircled the wood paneling sides and the front and end vestibules.