EMB170 CAPT DESCRIBED INCIDENT INBOUND TO DCA WHEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS INVOLVED LOC THAT WAS NOT ON BECAUSE OF RWY CHANGE.

Narrative

WHILE DSNDING INTO WASHINGTON FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AT 'MINIE' INTXN ON THE LOC. THE FO AND I QUESTIONED THE INTXN AT WHICH THEY ASKED US TO HOLD AT. THE ATIS LISTED THE APCH AS LOC DME 19; MINIE INTXN IS ON THE ROSSLYN LDA 19. AS WE WERE CHANGING THE APCH IN THE FMS WE ARRIVED AT MINIE AND STARTED A TURN TO THE L TO ENTER THE HOLD. THE LOC WAS NOT ON AND FUNCTIONING SO WE HAD NO POSITIVE COURSE GUIDANCE. ATC THEN GAVE US A HDG AND ASKED US TO MAKE A TIGHT TURN. I TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND TIGHTENED THE TURN. THEN ATC CHANGED THE HOLDING FIX TO 'FERGI' INTXN TO HOLD ON THE LOC. WE SET THE LDA DME 19 APCH IN THE FMS AND UPON REACHING THE FIX I STARTED THE TURN TO THE L TO ENTER THE HOLD. THE LOC WAS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING. WE ASKED ATC IF THE LOC WAS ON AND ATC SAID 'NO;' THEY ARE CHANGING THE APCH TO ILS RWY 1. WE CONTINUED THE HOLD L TURNS 5 MI LEGS FOR ABOUT 3 TURNS AND THEN WE WERE SENT TO THE S ALONG THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT FOR ILS RWY 1. THE APCH WAS EXECUTED WITH NO FURTHER EVENT.