You must have an honest face. :lol:
Ralph, . . very, very interesing. Thanks for posting. Keep us updated on reopening, etc.
Found this old video on Youtube.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUPIynJq7tg&feature=g-vrec[/youtube]
Keep hearing more “noise” about the Saluda grade reopening. I found out that the track south of the cut hasn’t seen a train in two years.
Yet the ties were replaced. It would be nice to see trains on the grade again.
Ralph
Interesting video. I wonder how they got it started again; diesel pusher’s on the rear? The filmmaker didn’t stay with it long enough to show us.
I imagine they must have had a diesel pusher, or two. You see the bulk of the excursion train was pulled up the grade by diesels.
I do wish the filmmaker would have shot the entire train. Just to see how many cars it stalled with.
Here is another video shot just before they shut the line down. You see three big diesels pulling 13 cars 
Check out the auto tunnel at the end of the video. What you can’t see is there is a creek running under the tunnel. This was the main highway many years ago.
Tunnel is still there.
Ralph
Taken from one of the video comments:
“As of 07 / 2010, NS and a grant from the FRA has been authorized to begin reconstructing new track and upgrading bridges and crossings from Manly Crossing to Charleston for rail shipment thru and to and from Saluda. The constructon, according to the FRA is to begin in March 2011, according to FRA Spokeperson John Cox.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMgXGPYwA6s&feature=related[/youtube]
Not knowing where this is located on the line, but I guess the idea behind that short derailer is that it would be better to send a runaway into the ravine than risk it continuing down into more habitable areas or the prevent a train from entering the grade from the lower approach. Either way it looks like it was patched in after the line was closed.
Victor,
The derailer is a couple of miles down the grade, maybe a mile or so before the tracks enter the town of Tryon.
So yes, the idea is to sacrifice the train before it runs into town 
Ralph
Very interesting video Ralph… Do you know… and probably miss it somewhere, but what is the percent of the grade and how long is it from top to ether way going down? Just curries and look steep for a train… but then look what we do in our R.R. . laf. I see they used three Eng’s. with a short train loaded… looks like sawdust or chips. Anyway tks for the video …great job on it Guy…
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Noel,
Not my videos, but I thought they were pretty interesting.
The grade is 3.5 % - 4 %. The Saluda grade itself is considered 3 miles. But even after cresting in Saluda, it’s still uphill for quite a few miles more.
Likewise at the bottom. I think the double track is probably 3 miles. Overall, I think it’s 8 - 10 miles from top to bottom.
Ralph
Lake Summit is just north of the Saluda Grade. The embargoed Norfolk Southern line crosses the lake and runs along one bank. The other day I noticed a crane on a barge near the railroad bridge.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/LakeSummitM.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/LakeSummit02.JPG)
Zooming in on this photo of the bridge, the concrete above the first piling is heavily deteriorated. There is a huge hole. This may very well be why the line was shut down 10 years ago. It’s still to soon to determine what the crane is there for. The damn is beyond the RR bridge and the crane may very well be there to work on the damn. However, they would have to lower the lake level to allow the barge to pass under the RR bridge. Ralph
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/LakeSummitM01.jpg)
Is it done yet? :lol:
I thought I’d try to beat Rooster. Was I successful?
Great travelogue, Ralph. Thanks.
It appears the crane is probably there to work at the damn and not the RR bridge. Lake level has been lowered, much earlier than usual. The crane is no longer visable. An interesting note, I heard from another that there is a locomotive in the lake. No details at this time, but I’ll try to find some more information on this. Ralph
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/LSummitRRBM.JPG)
Ralph Berg said:
I imagine they must have had a diesel pusher, or two. You see the bulk of the excursion train was pulled up the grade by diesels. I do wish the filmmaker would have shot the entire train. Just to see how many cars it stalled with. Here is another video shot just before they shut the line down. You see three big diesels pulling 13 cars :) Check out the auto tunnel at the end of the video. What you can't see is there is a creek running under the tunnel. This was the main highway many years ago. Tunnel is still there. RalphTaken from one of the video comments:
“As of 07 / 2010, NS and a grant from the FRA has been authorized to begin reconstructing new track and upgrading bridges and crossings from Manly Crossing to Charleston for rail shipment thru and to and from Saluda. The constructon, according to the FRA is to begin in March 2011, according to FRA Spokeperson John Cox.”[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMgXGPYwA6s&feature=related[/youtube]
Anybody else notice the kid hanging on the end of the train at about the 2min 25sec mark?
Wayne
Wow, good eye! The kid’s only visible a couple seconds and is dressed in clothing that’s not much different in color from the train.
A friend on FB posted a link to a Southern RR training video of the Saluda Grade. Very interesting. Last death involving the Grade was 1940. This building housed a phone, where the Road Engineer would call in after his run down the grade.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/shed002M.JPG)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IABM8UPplY&feature[/youtube] Lake Summit is down an estimated 20ft plus. Weather permiting, I may walk the bridege this weekend. I’m really curious about the story I heard about a locomotive and three coaches being in the lake. Ralph
Ralph, neat video… thanks…
Thanks for the video. I really enjoyed that.
Neat video… Any more like that out there? I’d like to spend the time watching.
Mark Oles shared a link to this excellent video on FB.
At the end of the video, is the 611 stall. Caused by plugged sanders. 611 pulled 5 cars up the grade.
After fixing the sanders, they were able to start back up without diesel assist.
Three diesels pulled 15 cars.
Interesting narration on the video, including footage from the Old Fort loops.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/VakY50jaX2o[/youtube]
I also hiked the Saluda Grade several weeks ago from Saluda down to the washout below Melrose.
Discovered another washout just above Melrose. There is also a recent washout in Tryon at the fill that replaced a trestle that burned many years ago.
I took some photos. Not as many as I would have liked, as we were caught in the rain several times.
Send me a friend request on FB if you’re interested in seeing the photos.
Ralph
Whats FB?
I think you put some of these videos up just too confuse me and make me think Ralph!
Gotta Edit for page 3 cause I forgot to bring that video along …[youtube]http://youtu.be/VakY50jaX2o[/youtube]