Norfolk Southern Denies Rumors About Reopening Saluda Grade Line

[Modelcar]

..10-4 on the Saluda school....And on the pictures of the cut rails near Saluda...That really brings it seriously to mind that the trains really aren't running anymore. Perhaps with some luck some day again in the future.

[Anonymous]

That's Saluda Elementary School, serving grades K-8. I could tell you more on the history, but to be honest I'm not all that sure since I went to Tryon schools. Since the school hasn't served 9-12 since the '91-'92 school year (same with Tryon High and Polk Central High), students either go to the consolidated Polk County High School or East Henderson High, depending on what side of Saluda you live on. The majority go to East. The county is also building a new consolidated middle school (http://www.polk.k12.nc.us/pcms/photos.htm) by merging Tryon Middle and Polk Central Middle (same principle as the high school merging), but the county has decided to let Saluda Middle to stay open for those that want to continue going there since the new middle school will be so much farther away.

I'll have to make my way up to Horseshoe Curve sometime, there are so many other rail destinations I would love to go to but haven't found the time to do so. I'll be sure to keep that one in mind though. And at least I'll be able to see some actual action, have to go a ways now to see any!

[Modelcar]

BRF....As you can tell of my interest of the Saluda situation...The equivalent up in my home area {Johnstown, Pa.}, would be a visit to Horseshoe Curve and Gallitzin tunnels just west of Altoona on the Old Pennsylvania RR and of course now NS....It used to be 4 tracks most of the way across Pennsylvania. Now in the area described, 3-tracks. So if you ever get to that area with your trusty camera zero in on those locations. There are more important and famous locations in that area too for the railroad fan.

[Modelcar]

....What school is that one sees {hope I'm remembering correctly}, I believe it was on the right coming into Saluda from the interstate....?

[Anonymous]

I didn't check to see what the material was made out of, wish I had, but I wonder if perhaps the thing is to keep the soil off of the rails and from exposing the iron to any of the minerals in the soil? The soil around here that hasn't been farmed and just sitting typically is acidic with a low pH. Don't know, just searching out in right field on that one.

Side note on the soil here, when they built the county high school in the early '90s and sent soil samples for where they were going to put the football field to NC State University for soil analysis, they wrote back asking if this was real soil! The pH was about bottomed out on the scale and there was next to none of the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphous and potassium in the soil.

[Modelcar]

PS....And the rust tells the full story....

[Modelcar]

....BRF.....That sure puts it into reality....to see that severed gap. What is the layer of material {tar paper..?}, for....?? I'm guessing it's so the mound of dirt didn't soak down into the ballast...Really don't know what they would worry about such a minor situation for....Thanks for all the photos on the subject...You're really keeping us informed of what they've done. Really appreciate that. Almost like being there...

[Anonymous]

Right, espeefoamer.

Glad I have my shorts on. It's too late to save my shoes . . .

Old Timer

[Anonymous]

Here's a few pictures from where they cut the line in Landrum, S.C. that I took yesterday. I'll get more up later on showing the actual crossing gates.

[espeefoamer]

With all those rumors flying around, the rust isn't the only thing that's getting deeper[8].

[Anonymous]

Yes, by severing the line NS avoids some maintenance and STB regulations, and as this is at least a long term situation, the right thing to do. True, a train cannot run the line, but a high-rail car could, so you still need to obey the stop signs at the trackis, even if the crossing signals are out of service. The rust is getting deeper every day..

[Anonymous]

Exactly. It will also be a dead give-away that they're re-opening the line if they start fixing everything back. The way it was. I'm working on scanning some pictures now...

[Modelcar]

...Yes, cutting the rails producing a gap so it's really not a continous rail line hence reducing the amount of cost of maintaining highway crossing signals, etc....and keeping other maintenance costs down. But still having a continous track in place with exception where it is cut...which would take minimum time to reconnect.

[Anonymous]

They haven't replaced any rail, it's all sitting there rusted. They cut it so that they wouldn't have to maintain that 20 or so miles of track; no possible way for trains to get through there, no maitenance for the tracks. I've got some pictures of what all they did, need to get them scanned though.

[Modelcar]

...Wasn't the reason to severe the line by removing some rails was for technical and cost reasons while the line lies dormant.....

[Anonymous]

I hope they reopen it soon. I would really like to see their steam engines use that grade again in regular service.

keep asking keep learning

[adrianspeeder]

Ahhh yes, the bronco goes through 3foot of snow, only had the diesel in 2foot, and the 97 is only good for 2 foot. I love the snow. Now ice is a different matter, 4x4 can get you goin, but you use four wheels to stop anyway, so no extra stopping power is added with 4x4. That is one thing most people with suvs dont understand.

You want a hard drive? How about 20miles from home, dark, in the 150, WITH A TRAILER, freezing rain, prolly an inch of ice on the road, and i had been up for a day and a half without sleep. I had chains, used 4lowrange, and just feathered the clutch in first gear. Used only the trailer brakes to slow me down. Yep i like the winter.

I dont think i will have the fun of snow drivin in the sticks here at widener.

Adrianspeeder

[Anonymous]

I was through Saluda last Wednesday. Yes Saluda has been shut down before, but this time the rails are severed at both ends and part of the reason for closure was the need to resurface and replace rail. Re-open Saluda, only if you believe in miracles. As for running a tourist line-the first word from the NS corporate mouth will be LIABILITY.
Still, I would love to see it happen!

[Modelcar]

Very true...Especially in Government....As the rumors start, it's probably already happened.

[espeefoamer]

The first indication that something is going to happen,is that the party involved denies the roumor that it will happen.[:D]!

[Modelcar]

...Those people would have had some excitement if a train would have slammed into the "runaway track" there....and maybe in times past they have.
As for winter in your part of the south...very easy to believe in that area of mountains. Further more, just a few years ago I saw it down to mid 20's in central Florida in the winter. Don't think I've ever seen any snow flakes there but I know it has sprinkled some down there in the past. That is a telling scene of a dormant rail line in your photo.

[Anonymous]

And speaking of snow, here's a picture I took this past January at Melrose after a light snow (yes, it does snow in the south, parts of it anyway [(-D]) You can see the safety track running up to the left and one of the side tracks along with the steep start of the grade, but not the steepest. The mile marker is showing 35 miles to Asheville.

[Anonymous]

Oh yes, the infamous black ice. It's hard to know how to dress too isn't it? Freezing in the morning and sweating in the afternoon. Ugh[V]

[Modelcar]

...Indiana is kinda known for ice too.....and sometimes it's called "black ice", guess it gets it's name because it's hard to see. Back about 10 years ago we had an ice storm come through here in late March and broke down trees over power lines, etc....In our addition here around a golf course and just outside of Muncie we were without power for 5 days. March-April and October can be known as weather transition months and anything can happen...This year we're experiencing weather warmer than normal and extremely dry. It can be snowing or like you say..in the 70's in these months...Weather in transition, not sure what it wants to do.....

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure if the snowfall totals include sleet and ice or not. It'd be higher if it did I would imagine. We always get some sleet and ice (lower elevations here anyway, but up there too of course) starting out before the snow unless it's just really cold. Last year, went to Chimney Rock on a Saturday in March, temperature up in the 70's, felt great, cold front came through overnight and snowed three inches on Sunday! Few years back in April, got into the 90's and the hottest it got for the whole year. Next week got a few inches of snow. Crazy weather down here! End up with a nice inch layer of ice, another inch of sleet, and then a few inches of snow on top, making for an interesting experience driving. That's something that "Yankees" don't realize when they get down here and start bragging about driving in the snow (no offense to anyone in the north, but I hear this all the time [(-D][;)]). There's always a nice sheet of ice on the road they can't see, and it doesn't matter what tires, chains, or 4x4 you have when you get on some ice. Not to mention the numerous curves, hills and mountains around here.

[Modelcar]

...That snowfall in Asheville is interesting....Here in Indiana, central In. we have an annual avg. snowfall of about 27". Our elevation is 937' out at the airport. Asheville is about 500 miles by auto travel in distance and most of that is headed south. At least that's what my odo. read several times as we stayed at a Hampton Inn, Asheville.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: I am fascinated by the western North Carolina region and have classified two cities that I would like to live at...Flagstaff, Az or Asheville NC. I find both of them similar in size, weather, and geography.

The altitude in Asheville (mainly within the city, the topography varies greatly) averages around 2,100'-2,500.' Of course you have elevations within Buncombe County over 4,000' and 5,000' and nearby Mt. Mitchell in Yancey County at 6,684' being the highest peak east of the Rockies. Farther down my way you get to the 1,000'-1,500' range (foothills) with peaks over 3,000'. Average annual rainfall for Asheville is 49.97" and snowfall is 14.9." Last year we had 92.59" of rain in Tryon though! Flagstaff averages 22.8" of rain and 110.8" of snow yearly.

[Modelcar]

...MP173: Have been to both the cities you mention and I agree with your assessment of the suroundings...Believe Flagstaff is a bit highter at 7000'. And Humphrey's Peak near by is some piece of mountain. Snow load in winter is massive in Flagstaff too....

[MP173]

Blue Ridge:

Thanks so much for sharing the pictures and info. Lets hope they do re-open the line. I have never seen it and would make a diversion on the yearly trip to the North Carolina coast.

Several things....do not apologize for the photos nor your passion for that area. Sometimes we get too wrapped up in the nuts and bolts of this hobby to enjoy other things. Back in '02 on our way to the coast, we went via Asheville, rather than Charleston WV and toured the Biltmore. I really didnt want to do it, but the people we were travelling with wanted to.

What a wonderful place. It was well worth the time and money.

On the way east, we stopped at Old Fort and the depot was open, converted to a museum. Another neat experience.

I am fascinated by the western North Carolina region and have classified two cities that I would like to live at...Flagstaff, Az or Asheville NC. I find both of them similar in size, weather, and geography.

You are truly lucky to be living in that region.

Keep us posted on the Saluda grade.

MP