Nestled where the foothills meet the Blue Ridge Mountains, hides a picturesque town called Saluda, North Carolina. Main Street is lined with quaint shops and the sidewalks spill over with old friends greeting each other, rejoicing over the long-awaited warm weather. A small coffee shop, tourist center, bakery, and even a dog grooming shop are staples of this small town. But what I came to see was, of course, the railroad. Back in 1878, this town was a skeleton of what it is today, consisting of only two houses within the city limits. Southern Railways changed all that when it began its construction and completed the Asheville Subdivision.
Trains started making it climb up America’s steepest standard-gauge mainline grade into Saluda in 1878. Downtown Saluda (2,097 feet) peaks at 5% with an average gradient of 4.25% over nearly 3 miles.
Passenger Service
The first passenger train stopped in Saluda on July 4, 1878. At its peak, the line would see 8 passenger trains daily. From 1911 to 1968 the popular Southern Railways’ “Carolina Special” ran daily 597 miles from Cincinnati, Ohio to Columbia, South Carolina. In the early 1990s Norfolk & Western 611 (steam locomotive) was able to conquer Saluda Grade twice.
The Saluda Depot built-in 1903 served the town for nearly 70 years as a passenger station. The station was moved up the road and into the heart of downtown and serves as a museum all about the railroad and Saluda Grade.
Freight Service
Southern Railways operated freight service on the line from 1894 to 1982 until it became Norfolk Southern Railways. This line became known as the W-Line. In 2001 a portion of the line was closed between Landrum, South Carolina, and Saluda, North Carolina.
Rail To Trail?
In 2017 there was talk about converting the line into a rail trail. The proposed trail would run from Tryon and Saluda. In my option, this wouldn’t be the best purpose for the line since it would be a likely uphill ride from Tryon to Saluda since Tryon is 1,000 feet (elevation) below Saluda.
Today
It’s been 20 years since the line was removed from service. The tracks are still in place but there is a layer of rust on the railhead. In some parts of the line, the ballast is washed out due to past rainstorms. In some sections outside of town, the line is covered by kudzu, an invasive vine plant. I would love to see a scenic passenger railroad run on this historic railroad line rather than it just become a rail trail or overgrown and forgotten.
