Rail fans would love to see the reopening of the line, but as others have posted, it would take a bunch of dollars to rehab it back to a use able condition.
I was among a packed special train trip sponsored by as I recall, the NRHS, from Charlotte to Asheville via the Old Fort Loops (current route) and down thru Hendersonville and the Saluda grade to Spartenburg and returning to Charlotte. Standing in a passenger car on that special was difficult due to the slant, then walking up hill towards the end of the train was like mountain climbing. We were told, the engines were some 22 feet lower than the rear of the train. NS tacked on two new engines as protection (not needed) to two new Genesis Amtrak engines. We were told the Amtrak engines pulled our train up the Old Fort loops without slowing, unlike the steam special that labored up the slope a couple of years earlier. We can dream, I'd love to see Amtrak negotiate the hill on a regular basis. Let me tell you, there has been no train trip I've ever been on in the states that could compare the excitement we had while riding down the grade at 15 mph with the exception of perhaps, riding the Shanghai Meglev on a 4" cushion of air @ 267mph.
I personally believe that it will reopen within the next few years. It does seem that NS is at least doing a feasibility study on reopening it. There have been several small clues to that make me believe this:
-They T&S'd the entire line from Landrum to Hayne Yard in Spartanburg this past February.
-NS has repainted/replaced propane tanks on switch heaters just below Melrose
-NS officials have been seen working on Signal/Relay boxes in downtown Saluda recently
-NS Track workers were seen working on a switch close to the cut rails in between Hendersonville and Flatrock, past any of the industries that are currently served.
-NS Officials stated in a town hall meeting in Tryon last January(ish) that they were planning to reopen the line in 2013 and denied the city of Tryon any encroachment of the ROW.
-The NS exhibit car was on display this year in Hendersonville and Landrum. In Landrum NS had originally planned to put the car in front of the new depot (they stated this in an official email) but then had to leave it right at the cut rails outside of Landrum because they stated they didn't have a work order to remove the pile of dirt and reconnect the rails.
None of the above are rumors. If I listed all of those I heard in the past year I'd have to write a book.
Hopefully we'll see/hear some good news in the months to come.
Note to Forum: There is a much longer Thread referencing the goings on on the Saluda Grade "W" line in North Carrolina
linked @ http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/147877/2333558.aspx#2333558
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