Abandoned Railways: Saluda Grade - North America’s Steepest at 4.7%
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ม.ค. 2024
- Learn more about Saluda Grade: www.saludahistoricdepot.com/
Learn more about the Madison Incline: • Almost Abandoned: Madi...
Spanning 2.6 miles from the bottom of the grade at Melrose to the crest at Pace’s Crossing in downtown Saluda, the “Mountain of Challenge” averages an estimated gradient of 4.7%, peaking at 5.1% while gaining an elevation of 606 feet. With the grade railbanked since 2001, the City of Saluda hasn’t seen rail traffic in nearly twenty years - but the residents of this great community still remember the trains. What was once a bustling mainline railroad between Asheville, North Carolina and Spartanburg, South Carolina, is now a lonely, idle stretch of mountainous railroad. Covered in kudzu with multiple track washouts, Saluda Grade is slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
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See Saluda like never before. Ride a train down the grade by going to the 1:00:46 mark.
Hey Drayton this year is the 100 year birthday of the Santa maria valley 205 which operates on the albany and eastern railroad and you should come back and see it operate
Drove for 45years. Went up and down Saluda mountain on I 26 several times. At the end. Finally had a truck with 550 horsepower. Grossing 81000 pounds was still a struggle. But alot easier than the old days with 350/450hp. Great Video. Keep Up the Great Work. 🇺🇸👍👍
Sadly in the US you missed out on the mighty Scanias with the V8 engine , Scania had no interest in the US market and had they have entered would have been major players..I’ve driven them now for 50 years from my first the Scania 140 , now retired my last was an S650 , they were mountain stormers with incredible torque …You should look at them on Google or TH-cam , even the fantastic engine/gearbox braking meant your brakes were always cool , my last one was 6 axles running at 44 tons =88,000 lbs..I could sit back and relax when climbing because they oozed confidence, I use to cross from France into Italy via Aosta which was Mont Blanc and then the tunnel near the top aptly named Mont Blanc tunnel…Scania also had the T range which was like a conventional in the US and a longline sleeper cab…
I went down the hill on 26 and saw a mack truck trailer almost go out of control
I chased trains up and down the grade in 1994, so, hard for me to believe, it’s been thirty years since I was there. A great railfanning day, which included a local with practically new SD70s that had to triple the hill and the Belmont coal train tiptoeing down the grade with mid-train helpers. Glad I got the opportunity, especially since it was shut down just several years later.
This grade puts Marias Pass and Cajon Pass to shame. Excellent video!!
I live by an abandoned RR. It was built by the C&O RR around the 1800s or 20s and ran from the Main line to the mine. The spot where the line meets the mainline is located in Gauley Bridge, WV. Just a suggestion if your looking for some more abandoned RRs.
DIB doing a LOT of Saluda work this year so far between this and the Trainz stuff.
Always good stuffs.
Honestly Railroaders who operated over Saluda Grade were a whole tier above Railroaders today, mad respect to them
Both deserve respect equally not all as tough on grades but now with heavier more difficult trains and having to also deal with remote locomotives
And all the new technology 🤦♂️
Excellent video young man. Enjoyed it immensely. I think it’s safe to say you have affinity for this kind of work. Good luck from an old plow driver from upstate New York
Thank you! That really means a lot.
Good to see the man behind the camera every once in a while. You, trtr, and danny harmon are my top 3 favorite commentators.
Drayton, you mentioned at the beginning of this video, that you are on the lookout for abandoned railroad lines. Well I have one you may consider. Here in North Carolina we have the Aberdeen, Carolina, and Western Railway. A segment runs from Aberdeen, NC to Star, NC. From Star, NC to Charlotte, NC segment. Both of these segments are active lines. Now from Star, NC going east to Gulf, NC is a third segment. But this third segment is basically abandoned. A C & W still owns the trackage. And the tracks are still in place all the way to Gulf, NC. I have walked the line from Robbins, NC to a mile west. Their is a trestle over a creek still in place with a washout area just east of the trestle like the one you shown in the Saluta grade video. The Aberdeen Carolina and Western railway would be a great railroad to showcase. Thank for all your videos. When I lived in northeast Illinois, I was a member of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Indiana……Mark
Love the Saluda Grade, thanks for sharing this piece of history!
I was the tour center administrator for the Boeing Everett site back in the late 80s and early 90s. We used to tell visitors that the spur line that serviced the plant from the mainline at Mukilteo was the second steepest standard gauge railroad in the United States. Saluda held the top spot at the time. The Everett spur line still is in service.
Y’all weren’t lying! I really want to document that Everett spur one day. Thanks for watching. -Drayton
The Everett spur is an interesting operation. Fun to watch. If you do make a summer trip out this way, I would suggest that it be after July 5th. That's when our summer seems to begin. Thanks to you for posting all these great videos!
Very great video of the rich history of the Saluda grade. It's definitely on my bucket list of places I'd love to visit! Another town that is rich with railroad history is North Judson Indiana. The town once seen trains from the NYC, Erie, C&O, and the PRR. As many as 125 trains a day used to go through town.
Sad trains dont run there anymore.
Such great coverage of this historical rail way. Thanks DIB!
I live off of Asheville highway (runs parallel to this railroad in parts) and I love going up to Saluda/Tryon, NC. It's sad how I-26 has re routed traffic from these smaller towns and we see a lot of otherwise great small business struggle in some of these towns because of a lack of outside traffic. Would love to see a train run from Asheville to Spartanburg along this grade to bring back some foot traffic to these smaller towns!
Great video. It took me back to when I was young. We lived in Spartanburg, S.C. and we would start the day filling up the picnic basket at The Beacon restaurant in Spartanburg and headed to Saluda. Grandma sold her homemade quilts to the stores in Saluda and Grandpa and I watched the trains work the mountain. It was never a disappointment. Sorry to know the line is no longer in service.
Thanks so much for the kind words. I appreciate you watching. -Drayton
Great memories!
The Saluda grade will soon be a rails to trails. The process has already began. I was born and raised in Hendersonville and my grandparents lived maybe a half from the tracks and I remember getting woke up at night when I would stay with them from the trains.
I will get my rear in gear with my 1000watt electric bike for some serious camping and bicycling. .
The clip starting at @41:44 combined with the story make it the best video I’ve seen of Saluda in action. Such an incredible job with this video!
Wow, thank you! That really means a lot!
The engineers who drove up and over saluda were top notch as far as skill is concerned
I love freight trains. Southern and L&N used to run behind my parents house when I was a kid. Mom would holler at me to stop running through the house. I'd say, but I have to get out to see the engine, it's the best part. For a long time due to being around them so much. I could tell you if it was a NS or CSX engine just by the horn. Norfolk Southern came to be from Southern and Norfolk & Western. NS and CSX are my favorite train companies.
EXCELLENT VIDEO.
We used to do the major parts change-outs on their locomotives at our Chattanooga diesel shop.
The locomotives were set up with a special barrel key in the control stand, that, when turned on kept Dynamic Brake in use, regardless of the train brake, so you wouldn't lose your brakes on Saluda Mountain. It had to be checked for operation, every time we checked out a unit. I've never been to Ssluda Mountain, but I've worked on a lot of locomotives and have put Saluda Mtn. switch projects on a lot of our units.
Thanks for making this video. The Delay In Block Logo, compared to the Southern Railway Logo, is drawn really close to it. Just different letters. The text is the same font and all the colors are the same. It gives me the tickles when I see the powerful statement it makes as it reyses up. I worked for Southern Railway from 1975 till its demise in about 1983. It was a wonderful world class company. Then I worked almost another 29 years for Norfolk Southern, till a WIDOW MAKER tree-limb fell out of a big tree onto my head and knocked me out. Messed up my neck. Tried to work, but got pulled out of service.
If that short stretch of 4.7% sounds too crazy, just look up the FCCA railway from Lima to La Oroya. A grade of about 5% is nothing special there, and its not just a short stretch, but miles after miles, dozens in fact, of this crazy grade, on a zig zag railway where you have to stop, run to the back end of your train, switch tracks and back up through more miles of crazy grade. Thats a railway with some chest hair...
Thank you for sharing this piece of railroading history
Really well put together video! I enjoyed it thoroughly. The old N&W Peavine Line in Ohio would make a great video similar to this.
I believe that the line should be opened back up and at least maintained for historic purposes.very cool video!
This is an excellent video and the extra hour of footage makes it extra special 😊
Thank you!
There was a railroad grade near Buena Vista Georgia that had a nasty grade. Not as steep as Saluda but steep. It was relatively short but was not far from the depot. I saw a train stuck on it. They brought a very large steam engine to push it forward. Amazing to see.
I stopped in Saluda a couple years ago and purchased the 611 poster. Very friendly staff there too.
So good to see you back
Drayton
I remember back in the day when me and James went to Andover VA to see the coal trains ready to take on Saluda Grade of 96 cars with the radio control car with mid-slave locomotives of motive power to headed to Saluda, the train went through Natural Tunnel, Speers Ferry, passed by my house at Daniel Boone Rd continuing on to Gate City, Weber City, Yuma, and the yard at Frisco
On its way to the mountain of challenge of Saluda Mountain and I have seen a lot of Norfolk Southern Coal Trains tackled the grade back in the 90's and it was the day I will never forget of coal trains have ruled Saluda Grade and it was the class 1 steepest mountain railroad grade in the United States
I live near the Camton Road NS tracks, that has sidings to Milliken Chemical and a liquid asphalt storage tank farm. This is south end of Inman, just about 15 miles south of Tryon. The tracks are still used up as far as Landrum, for a lumber company, as far as I know. There are track repair/maintenance trucks and machinery right now, piles of ballast and ties. I'm not sure what exactly they're doing, but it looks like this stretch on down to Spartanburg has it's uses.
This is true. I’m in Spartanburg, so I’ve seen that local (P83) go out there quite a lot to Inman to serve those few customers. As far as the lumber facility, last I saw that place was served 100% by trucks. If it’s getting rail service again, good to hear!
Check out "Mustang Hill," north of Chickasha,Oklahoma, going into Oklahoma City. As a Conductor for the SLWC, dreaded this hill summer and especially winter.
There is an former SP line here where I live through Ukiah, CA that has been abandon for over 20 years now. It used to be a huge line for logging here on the west coast that tied the UP mains all the way up to Eureka, CA. This line has a lot of history and only see's use on a section of line for the Skunk Train. It could use some attention!
Seeing 611 stall out for a moment really contextualizes just how challenging this track was to operate over.
Yep, the most-powerful 4-8-4 ever built stalling really puts the steepness of Saluda into perspective.
I wish trains didn't leave the grade I miss hearing and seeing the trains it's totally ashamed how the grade is now with weeds and trees on the rails I miss hearing that lonesome whistle and the engines with it's consist going up and down the grade the last steam locomotive ever going up and down the grade was on November 13 1994 with Norfolk and Western 611 with 2 Norfolk southern diesels and a livery painted diesel with 25 passenger cars that was a sad day i wish one day trains come back to saluda grade
Same thing in my hometown in Emporia va it been 10 years since norfolk southern discontinued from suffolk to Lawrenceville va was through Danville until 1992
there is a live cam in the city of Saluda 📹sadly most likely going to be turned into a railtrail 😥
I enjoyed the ride! Thanks for sharing!
Try either the Andrews to Murphy section of the former Southern Railway Murphy Branch,
The abandoned segments of the former Louisville & Nashville Railroad Murphy Branch,
or Buchanan County, Virginia's two abandoned coal industry spurs (the one from Vicey to Haysi is an abandoned Clinchfield Railroad spur, and the one from Vansant to Little Prater is an abandoned Norfolk & Western Railway spur)
That is a serious grade, even in an automobile! I would assume, on more reasonable grades, you can use your kinetic energy to help you up the grade with a run up prior to the grade. In the case of Saluda, it looks like it is pure horsepower and brute force to drag the consist up the grade. It blows me away that sufficient tractive effort can even be achieved.
I heard the word "KUDZU" and my flesh began creeping, almost as fast as that evil vine can grow.
I've got an idea for a video of yours. If you can duplicate the excellent quality of this and your other videos, then I believe that a video of Goat Canyon trestle on the now abandoned San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway would be a good idea. The Goat Canyon trestle is STILL the world's largest all wood trestle, and even though abandoned - still stands.
That railroad is so high on my list. I really want to go there.
Drayton, another great video by DIB. Thanks so much for the informative video. We visited that area many years ago when the grade was active.
Thank you, Jerry. I always love your positive comments. -Drayton
Very happy to see you introduce your new production. You always provide the rXr junkie exactly what that person needs. Context.
Great content. Also, you can look up Norway's Flam railway, still running loco hauled passenger trains on grades of 5.5% (no rack and pinion). I would think modern electric trains with modern brakes and signals would be much easier and safer to operate, I have to admire anybody running steam on such a steep line!
Great work Drayton! Been watching since the beginning, great to see how your craft has evolved. I'd submit MILW's St Paul Pass line and N&W's Abdingdon Branch for future installments
If you're looking for abandoned rail lines, the Cedar Hill Yard in North Haven CT has been turned into a park, all of the rails are still in place. Part of the yard is still active, but much of the steam-era portions of the yard are explorable. It once was the largest rail yard in america.
You have a cool name. Thanks for the video
WOW! Drayton, when I started watching this video, I was wondering what additions or corrections to your video on the Saluda Grade since you had uploaded your portion of this video before. I was fascinated by the video of the ride on the Norfolk Southern geometry train on the Saluda Grade. That portion of the video was a fantastic find. Thank you for adding the geometry train ride to your original video on the Saluda Grade with its historical information and for uploading the combined video for us to enjoy!
Hey DIB and Drayton, thanks for the info. It's sad to see the end of a once busy line. 😢. If you want to see another line is CSX old B and O St Louis line. It's so sad thanks again.
Saluda grade had an excellent history. Too bad no trains run on the Saluda Grade anymore. Wow
I'm a big fan of steam. So listening to 611 digging in and getting back going is absolutely awe inspiring
Excellent documentary, Drayton.
Much appreciated! I love your videos too. -Drayton
Suggestion: Lehigh and Hudson River Rwy.. Abandoned after Conrail takeover. Ran from Bethlehem PA through NJ to Poughkeepsie NY.
Its crazy to think americas classically recorded history is only a few hundred years. It already has such rich history.
Great video.
Really enjoyed this!❤️
Thank you for providing the closed caption. Love and interesting your videos.
My pleasure 😊
The view of the train climbing the grade at the end of the original video actually reminds me of a time lapse that was done on the White Pass in Yukon back in 2003 for one of their souvenir films that I had as a kid
Great video! Very informative and interesting!
As far as suggestions that you mentioned in the beginning, I think the Michigan Air Line would be interesting. I also wouldn't mind learning about the NYC line that ran between Detroit and Bay City, MI.
Fantastic video, so very well done.
Thank you very much!
This video is absolutely amazing!
Thank you so much!
It's technically not gonna be abandoned in a few years, but a long form video from you on the Lackawanna Cutoff would be awesome.
You mentioned that you like these abandoned railroads for future video productions. I enjoyed your Saluda Grade Video and learned some interesting things. Are you familiar with the old L&N line that ran from Paris, Ky. to Maysville, Ky.? It was later purchased and operated by TTI (Transcontinental Transportation Inc) which ran mostly coal but some local merchandise to towns it passed through. The coal was delivered by CSXT to TTI at Paris and then run north to Maysville where it traveled on CSXT Tracks for about 3 or 4 miles to a barge loading facility. A few years ago (memory fails me exactly what year) a 6" rain came overnight and washed out the roadbed in several places on the hill just south of Maysville. I was told there were numerous washouts in the 10 miles or so just south of Maysville but I've not traversed much of it. I did walk it from the junction with CSXT to a point about 3 miles south of Maysville and can confirm severe damage. It might be an interesting video opportunity for you and your drone. U'd have to walk some of that 3 miles because nearby roads are private since the washout. The RR passes through sections of the towns of Maysville, Lewisburg, Ewing, Neptune, Cowan, Carlisle, Millersburg, Paris and has notable grades and beautiful scenery.
RIGHT ON, RIGHT ON!!!
More trackage for people to drive their home built rail carts on!!!
I look forward to finding more abandoned rail trackage for building my own home built rail cart to drive on. 😃😁🙂😀
Hoping to find some in Northern California Kansas and Missouri.
(Abandon railway suggestion) North Western Pacific railway in Northern California stretching from Napa to eureka. As a southern pacific branch. Abandoned in the late 90s the line is now run by smart rail. The line is fully abandoned past willits California
Great video. Makes me a little sad to watch it.
A great abandoned line to profile Drayton would be the SCL from Norlina to Petersburg. I believe it’s slated to be revamped for high speed rail but nature has been reclaiming it since 1987. My great uncle’s farm is very near the line in Bracey,VA. Used to love to hear the trains esp as they roared N up the hill after crossing the big Lake Gaston bridge.
Thanks for such an educational and informative video about the Saluda grade.
Thank you so much for watching!
Excellent video fantástic Capture my friend awesome locomotive 😍 fantástic from argentina 🇦🇷 my support 💪🏻
One of the toughest, roughest grades in the United States, no contest.
I never heard about this abandoned railroad until now Elk River railroad in WV.
Hello, I would like you to explore the O&W railway from New Jersey to New York on the West shore. Also, The Lehigh and New England Railroad in PA.
super great video sir Love You All Time 😍😍❤❤
Well there is the Tennessee Railroad (AKA New River Scenic Railroad) out between Oakdale and Fork Mountain, TN. The photos I've seen include an abandoned ALCO Rs-1 in Southern green
That railroad is VERY HIGH on our list.
Yuck. Alcos are garbage
I actually commented on this INSANE video with an OUTRAGEOUS title. 😂
The quality of your videos speaks for itself, brother. You don't need to bait for my click. 😊
This looks like a re-upload of a previous video. Very good.
If you’re covering abandoned lines, you should cover Tennessee Pass here in Colorado! I believe it’s the largest dormant railroad line in America
Hey Drayton, you should checkout the abandoned line from Opelika, AL to Roanoke, AL. It was operated by the Southern RR company up until the 90s.
I can tell if this is a repost but yk what imma watch it anyway.
This topic was covered in an earlier video possibly by Delay In Block. There so much information that resonates with me like i have seen this before perhaps in a shorter video form
I was literally thinking, is this a re-upload? I've definitely seen this before
I understand why the line was abandoned but it's sad today it sure would have been nice to see 4014 Big boy battling it's way up Saluda grade
Buford Pusser…Road Foreman of Engines. Lol.
Seriously. These were the best of the best railroaders. I worked with a man from Bluefield who a fantastic engineer. A joy to work with. And these guys remind me of him. I’d have taken a train to the moon with him.
Hello,very interesting video,wondering with todays trains using DPU,s and rear of train helpers would it have been easier through the grades if the tracks were still in use today
DIB, I know this would require a bit of sacrifice but you may want to consider Donner Pass on the old Southern Pacific, especially it's snow sheds, as part of your abandoned lines series. There is also the railroad line in Monessen PA, coming out from I believe an old Bethlehem Steel mill across the Mon river. It's a long stretch, especially the high trestle from the mill to the other side of the river.
Great stuff as always. Been a longtime fan.
Thanks so much for watching. Donner as well as Tennessee Pass are high on my list. I really appreciate the suggestion! -Drayton
Fantastic content, really enjoy your channel. Greetings from a train fan in India!
Thanks so much for tuning in! Indian trains are really cool. I love the old ALCOs over there. -Drayton
Look into the South Carolina Central railroad and all the rail lines that used run further than what it currently is. When I worked there it seemed like most tracks used to be mainlines to other areas.
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still -motion pictures/detailed track maps. Enabling viewers to better understand what the orator is describing. Special thanks to veteran R.R. Employees sharing personal knowledge/experiences pertaining to this presentation. Jimmy Rogers the " Singing Break Men " was a genuine break men till changing careers for a singing entertainer 🎸🎶 ( 1926 thru 1933 . Classical recording. ( Break Man's Blues ). Viewing this presentation from the comfort zone of my computer room. Along the " Space Coast "🚀of Florida. 🐊🐊. Wishing viewers/R.R. Employees a safe/healthy/prosperous ( 2024 )🌈🎉😉
Thanks for watching!
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator is describing ( C.C. )
They need to make the tracks into a "rails to trails". Great video. There's a great BBQ place in saluda!
Im ready for the premiere
Do the Lackawanna Cutoff in NJ. Currently being partially restored.
You might try looking the Mullan trail in North Idaho. I do believe that was once a railway over Mullan pass way back in the day. I know there is a very large abandoned railroad trussel over the south end of lake couer d’ Alene in North Idaho as well, but I’m not sure what railroad it was associated with.
i wish they would never abandoned the caboose because i loved the caboose they always brought the train to an' end.
most excellent video. Extremely informative and lots of good comments with N&W 611 starring. Too bad a partnership couldn't be worked out with NS to have an easement for an improved hiking trail until such time as NS decides to reactivate the grade, or not. It would be a win-win situation
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Wonderful!
With parallel tracks people can race their homemade rail carts.
Great video!!! Hope you can come out and do one on the "Poor Folks & Preachers" - the Potomac, Fredericksburg & Piedmont - connecting Fredericksburg and Orange, VA. You can still see the embankment in many places. The eastern end is now the Virginia Central rail trail and the western end is where the Buckingham Branch RR meets Norfolk Southern.
So cool!
Rupert West Virginia has a part time coal line. One of the tracks have been abandoned for decades. Extremely dangerous near the old mine shafts up top.
A good abandoned RR to look into would be the old Pacific & Electric RR.
In Fullerton, there's still the old bridge and line from it. But I haven't been by there in forever and last I saw they were removing some of the tracks.
Great video my friend ❤❤
Thank you 🤗