Saluda is being sold

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looks like Saluda is finally going to become a trail.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/norfolk-southern-to-sell-saluda-grade-for-conversion-to-trail/

It's a shame, but I can't imagine any insurer offering coverage for a tourist ride on the "steepest mainline grade in North America", and it's obviously been unneeded as a freight line.

It's a shame, but change is a constant.

[wm3798]

Someone will make a lot of money carrying bicyclists back up to the top in their van.

Lee

[Jbub]

Someone will make a lot of money carrying bicyclists back up to the top in their van.

Lee

https://www.ridethehiawatha.com/
and more imporantly
https://www.ridethehiawatha.com/trail-shuttle-rental-bike-prices

[DirtyD79]

Someone will make a lot of money carrying bicyclists back up to the top in their van.

Lee

You're a real bad mofo if you can bike all the way up that hill. It sucks it's no longer being used as a railroad but at least it's getting used for something.

[wazzou]

As someone that’s biked some rail trails, that one would be a bitch.

[packers#1]

Good lord we have so many rail trails up here; the original Swamp Rabbit, which is on the old Greenville & Northern branch, the Swamp Rabbit extension along the old SCL branch that goes down to the Carolina Piedmont’s trackage, the Doodlebug line that’s the original Pickens RR line, and some trails in Spartanburg as well. Sakura will be a nice addition; honestly this was never going to be reactivated or become a tourist line, so better that it is preserved as a trail instead of totally abandoned.

[milw156]

You're a real bad mofo if you can bike all the way up that hill. It sucks it's no longer being used as a railroad but at least it's getting used for something.

At least it doesn't start at 8000 feet above sea level!!! I've ridden some 20% in Indiana, though a mere 0.2 miles, but it was on good pavement!

[PiperguyUMD]

Since I can walk to the tracks from my home in Inman, I'm hoping this will be a boom for my property value - close enough for access but not so close to be bothered by passers by. I'm curious how they will remove the tracks. I have noticed a few hi railers on the line in recent weeks. I'm assuming for most of the line south of the grade some kind of scrap train would make the most sense. They have been using the tail end of the active line in Landrum for car storage, but there are some serious washouts on the grade. Not sure how they'll pull the tracks there. In any case, I'll try to document the process.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's an interesting topic.

Is it jointed rail or CWR?

I know usually they just do something like this, but that might be tough if there are washouts. I wouldn't think they'd fix something like that just to make pulling the rail easier, but ya never know.

[bman]

I've never bothered to look at the area around the grade on a map just heard about it. Now that it's turning into a trail I thought I would look it up on a map. Turns out I've ridden around that area a time or 2. Our cycling club would rent a house about 45 miles from there in SC for @ 8-10 days and just ride out daily in a different direction to jump start our spring training. I wasn't much of a model railroader at the time as cycling ate up most of my free time. I doubt I even knew it existed back then. It would have been nice to have been able to check it out and catch a train or 2.

[PiperguyUMD]

I grew up in Hendersonville. The best school days were when I was late to school after getting caught by the Belmont Special. I can just vaguely remember mixed consists of SD40-2s in tuxedos and fresh horse head paint!

[PiperguyUMD]

@Ed Kapuscinski its CWR and pretty heavy at that. Really surprised it hasn’t been pulled for use elsewhere before now.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@Ed Kapuscinski its CWR and pretty heavy at that. Really surprised it hasn’t been pulled for use elsewhere before now.

I guess they weren't gonna do it until they were sure.
But now, given the washout situation, I wonder how they'll deal with it. It'd be a LOT of work to cut it up small enough to load on trucks.