I've very much enjoyed the Ed Painter series! Thank you so much, Ed, for sharing these with Drayton and allowing him to put his great editing skills to use and sharing them with us.
This brought back great and terrifying memories. In 1985 I worked for ENSCO, Inc doing a track geometry survey of railroads in the Southeast. We used a Budd SPV, FRA # T-10. We surveyed Saluda grade, gingerly, with an NS pilot engineer on board. going downhill, the SPV's brakes began to fail. I popped the door and got ready to jump. Our protection power, a couple of high-nosed southern SDs, ran into us from behind and roughly coupled up on the fly. It was quite the afternoon. See TRAINS magazine, September 2009 for my story about the previous Amtrak survey in 1984. Great memories.
Great footage and I love the SD40-2s. I get to see them here In Akron Ohio on the Wheeling & Lake Erie while they haul stone trains to several destinations locally. Thank you for this video.
Vintage Railroading at its best,great video and footage, like seeing those old SRR high hoods and hearing those Leslie air horns. An iconic grade in all it's glory and what a display of horsepower!🛤🚂
Thank you so much for publishing this video. It is a shame that the marvelous engineering wonder Saluda grade got dismantled . At least we can watch now thanks to your efforts how the might grade once was operated.
Thanks for sharing this video. Im very familiar with this line growing up and still living in Spartanburg SC. The line goes past a building that I think might have been a freight depot in Tryon NC. Its now home to Sidestreet Pizza and has been for at leased 30 years. I have been in there eating my pizza when a train would pass by years ago. The whole building would shake.
I live near Campton Road, Inman SC. They have switches for tank cars for Milliken and a nearby liquid asphalt storage company. Between here and Landrum, I think they go there for the lumber yard in Landrum, occasionally.
Here's a bit of irony: Saluda Grade would be technically viable in 2023 because Norfolk Southern now has a large fleet of EMD/Progress Rail SD70ACe, and GE/Wabtec AC44C6M, ES44AC and ET44AC locomotives that could easily handle this grade, especially in Distributed Power Unit (DPU) mode.
Here's a wild thought: What if N&W had kept the Alco C628s that they sent to CNW in 1975, long enough to see the NS merger, and THEY could've run on Saluda!
That's Awesome, Bro Like the hear the sound of Nathan P5 horns on the Hi-Hoods riding on From Asheville to Spartanburg on the W line of trains ran on the line until 2001 when it was abandoned. We seen Coal Trains left Andover Va through Natural Tunnel through Speers Ferry Daniel Boone Rd through Watkins and on to Asheville I've seen Coal Trains passed by my house at Daniel Boone Rd years ago back in the 90's It was good times Saluda Grade will always be the class 1 mountain railroad grade in the US
Several groups here in South Carolina have banded together and have a tentative agreement worked out with NS to purchase this line and turn it into a rail trail. According to their press releases, it will take several years for this process to be worked out.
I agree but over the past several years the line has not been intensively maintained. There are several large segments where the road bed has been washed out. It's going to take a lot of work and money to rebuild it.@@RailPreserver2K
Would be cooler if it could become a historical / excursion railroad Edit: also being areas of double and even triple tracks seems a bit wide for just a trail
@harrisonashley1631if they could arrange something like what you’re suggesting, I think it would honestly be the best possible realistic outcome (considering how sadly improbable the revival of the Grade would be at this point). I typically kinda resent rail trails, which I’m sure is probably common among railfans (lol), but the idea of Saluda being transformed into a combined open-air rail museum & linear park is pretty damn intriguing. I guess anything beats the depressing state of disrepair that it currently suffers from.
If traffic levels were to increase greatly, NS could repair the washout damage and restore the line. But because of the grade, it would take a real demand to make it financially worthwhile.
They had to put that gondola behind the GE C39 because the fixed rear anticlimber would jut into the lead passenger car's diaphragm. Primary reason why you rarely, if ever, saw earlier six-axle GEs pulling passenger trains.
You know, the statement about Pentrex is actually a really good point. Why DIDN'T they cover saluda grade?! Shocking in hindsight, and it's forever a missed opportunity. Considering the current state the line's in and how NS completely severed these tracks from their system, I don't think there's any way in hell Saluda will ever see rail traffic again.
Everybody has an opinion about the trail conversion. I’m glad to see it repurposed. It was highly unlikely to be reactivated as a rail corridor. The only alternative was to see nature reclaim it. If that’s what you prefer, then be honest about it. I’ve seen that happen far too many times.
Saluda grade would make an amazing rail sim world route, as long as it gave you 6 ac4400’s to get up the grade. If it’s raining or snowing and your under 25 and have 15-20 miles to go up 1.5-2% grade good luck not stalling.
NS still operates every locomotive seen here EXCEPT the oddballs...the C39, the U-boat, the Sd60 and the standard Sd40, which wound up in Pittston PA on the Reading & Northern, derelict. Standard SD40's are built on a different frame.
That was awesome great video I live in central Florida and was born in Asheville Nc I will be visiting again and will be rail fan there, I also have the dash 8 Ns in my collection along with Csx I run on my layout and share my channel on RU-vid, I am a new subscriber to your channel I look forward to next videos u share Love the information u are giving also Thanks
What was the gradient on Saluda? Wasn't it like 4.2% at it's steepest point? Makes one wonder how any consist of locomotives could pull a train up that... Wow! Super cool.
The good old days of railfanning when you could actually visit operating railyards. Today in 2023/24 you can't get anywhere near Hayne Yard or the old Clinchfield or ACL Yards in Spartanburg, fences with barbed wire, locked gates and tons of "No Trespassing" signs abound. Also notice how little graffiti was present, I saw just 1-car that had been defaced.
Rail to trail is the worst. Out of the main People who run it only one has any background to railroading and it was a guy who worked for NS. They rip everything up and just put a plaque. The rails should stay in place cover the top with gravel and keep the line intact in case of reviving the line. As well as signals Mile markers switch stands etc. it’s a shame this lines been another taken, understandable as to the reason it was abandoned but man it would’ve made a solid excursion run
Willing to bet..alot of those ties are still good, ballast (always reusable) tie plates, joint bars, and track components are prob all still good. My only hope is that if Saluda does get torn up....that all its steel and any other components get reused and distributed amongst other railroads!
@@rockguitarist931 Former railbeds often make the best trails...to be fair. Saluda makes zero sense as an operational railroad these days. Why not let the community and visitors get the most out a right of way that the railroad has no use for. Railroads nearly always reserve the right to return the right of way to use...but they almost never do. Railroads are in the business to tighten operating expenses...and this former route no longer fits into that plan.
@@NielsenSTL lmao you must be a blast at parties. I'm just saying, people who hike usually want to look at nature, not a former right of way. Why not preserve a historic route with an excursion run at least???
I believe crews needed a special endorsement to run Saluda. I think my dad had one in case of strike duty. Sadly, it is now washed out in several places.
@@EstorilEm Dynamic brakes require excitation provided by a field current to work, all locomotive prime movers will increase their output in heavy dynamics to generate a suitable field current.
Dam, someone needs to teach this engineer the proper sequence for blowing an engine horn. Its evident he hasn't the foggiest idea on how to blow the horn. How do I know, I'm a retired engineer!
Two possible reasons. Back in the day as a rule certain freight locomotives on NS we’re not allowed to couple against passenger cars because of the snow plows (most of the time located on both ends of the locomotive because the long hood was still considered the front) would not clear the vestibule on a passenger car. Another reason was most of the GE locomotives such as the C39-8 pulling the train had very high catwalks ( walkways) and anticlimbers which also would not clear the vestibule of a coach.
Must have been a excited rookie driving the C39-8. He has no idea how to operate the horn correctly at grade crossings. His operation goes against everything engineers are taught!! Just pure laziness!!! Super great video Drayton!!
Man apparently they never taught the passenger engineer how to properly blow a train horn! (had nothing to do with the people on the tracks, was doing it the whole time)
@@jwrailve3615 couldn't agree more my great grandady have southern railway a right of way thru our farm in Virginia it was jus a branch which was abonded in the 70s an left to rot an grndad talked to them an wa allowed to turn it back into one feild but leave tracks so the cows could cross an keep it from growing up.ever now an then sombody would walk thru which was fine we are friendly people an most people we new an we had no problems until one day in the early 2000 some people came thru an wanted to no whywe had a gate on each end an that he would see that. They were removed in the near future cause he was somebody like I should no him an he was turning this into a rail trail an he was goina do Al this crap well the neibors aren't as friendly an especially to a prick an it turned ugly an went to court my dad told all them they is no way to stop them unless you can produce about 10 percent more than what this peick is buying this right of way for which is bull shit everybody gave thr right of way but let's jus say a little north of here the people are like the old west you have a pistol on your side an it was jus about to turn into a civil war cause the people will shoot your ass an go eat dinner before the bury you an nobody talks but needles to say now we got a rail trail an the dam people are asholes an Karen's an its a dam nitemarre. You have your dream place one day that is a paradise only to loose it to people you have no peace an you can't do shit .rail trails outa be bannned
