Southern's Saluda Grade Training Video

[jordon412]

Saluda Grade, a hill in southern North Carolina that has grades up to 5% that was often the sight of many runaway trains coming down the side of a mountain. Not surprisingly, the Southern Railway's only articulated locomotives, a group of 2-6-8-0's, was stationed at the bottom of Saluda Grade to push trains up the side of a mountain. It's no surprise that this grade requires special training to get a train up or down this mountain. Therefore, Southern made a training video focusing on getting trains down this mountain.

 

[gunmetallawyer]

Its amazing to be of a generation that saw the sad end of this grade... I would like to note though, that the grade has been rail banked. It is in an "inactive" state currently... rumor has it that NS could rehab the line to slow order in 72 hours....... should the need arise. Several short line companies have tried to purchase trackage rights, but NS wont let it go. I WANT TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION THAT IT IS NOT ABANDONED. It is officially rail banked per NS. The areas from Spartanburg to Landrum are still active, as are the areas from Hendersonville on.

 

[JCitron]

Its amazing to be of a generation that saw the sad end of this grade... I would like to note though, that the grade has been rail banked. It is in an "inactive" state currently... rumor has it that NS could rehab the line to slow order in 72 hours....... should the need arise. Several short line companies have tried to purchase trackage rights, but NS wont let it go. I WANT TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION THAT IT IS NOT ABANDONED. It is officially rail banked per NS. The areas from Spartanburg to Landrum are still active, as are the areas from Hendersonville on.

Rail banking is good. My state did that with a lot of lines because the lines in the eastern portion of the state were turned over to the state transit organization, but unfortunately a change in management and a little bit of influence from a Rail-Trail organization, and we've lost a number of usable routes now to trails. The sad part is the traffic is horrific in most of these areas that can really use the rail service, and in some areas the trails are useless due to the high crime in the surrounding neighborhoods making the trail a dangerous place to be.

Maybe this is different with the NS, and let's hope so.