…Having just skimmed through and first looking at “The Loops” article I find this September issue of TRAINS seems to be an interesting one.
Very interesting article of the mountain railroad route through “The Loops”…
So I wish to express to Editor Wrinn of my thanks for such type of article.
My wish would be to see more in this same category in future issues.
Finding a bit of Saluda info in the article reminds me to ask: Has NS ever repaired the massive land slide along the ROW near Saluda that happened some months ago…? The land collapsed out from under the tracks at a location to a point it had the track suspended across this void…Anyone know…?
One of the better “wow, look at this” articles in a while.
Don’t get me wrong, but there is only so many ways you can write up Horseshoe Curve.
If not for this story, I would have had no idea such a fantastic piece of track even existed, much less was still in daily use.
Would love to see an article on railroad bridges, all types, from the viaducts to center swing and drawbridges…something in depth on how railroads managed to cross rivers, valleys and waterways, not to mention each other.
I concur…fascinating article. I stopped by Old Fort a few years ago. Next time I will go up the hill.
Jim seems to be hitting his stride quite nicely with the past few issues. Keep it going!
Drawbridges are interesting. Luckily here in the Chicago/NW Indiana area we have many of them. I never pass one without thinking…how did this get designed and implemented.
Personally, my favorite railroad “subject” is towers. Fortunately there are several still in the Chcago area.
One more things. Does anyone remember the articles by Frank Clodfelter about this line? He was mentioned in the article. The one I remember was in the mid 70’s. If you can look it up and read it.
I think some other magazine recently did Chicago bridges, possibly from a modeling perspective. But I like Ed’s idea about articles on bridges. There is a lot I’d like to know about the bridges around here, or maybe the crossings of the Mississippi, former and current, upstream to Huey Long.
Actually, for my money, the Ohio River actually has the more spectacular railroad bridges. Would that be because they’re older, more established, or what?
Tower 37 (I think) in Rosenburg was the last one near here, and it went about three years ago.
I think Tower 55 in Forth Worth is about the only one still in use.
Thats one of the things that gripes me, the railroad press seems to think railroading interest ends at the Mason Dixon line…you rarely see stories and articles about deep south railroads.
Not just in Trains, but almost all the other magazines, when or if Texas railroading is mentioned, it is just a quick blurb, and then nothing else.
Which is odd, there is more railroad tracks inside the borders of Texas than any other state.
Carl, I think the Ohio bridges would be a great starting point…so when are you going to begin writing?[:D]
Not having been there, I can only assume that they are as you say, older than the others.
And, If I remember correctly, the Ohio had a lot of tow barge and river traffic before most others, so the bridges would be more interesting, due to the design and age.
But back to the subject at hand…I agree, the last few articles by Mr. Wrinn have hit the mark dead on…just enough technical stuff to keep the rivet counters happy, and just enough “this is cool” stuff to keep the ordinary fan interested, accompanied by some really good photos.
I’m just glad I was able to pick up an issue of Trains and not have to read another article on something located west of the Mississippi. Kudos for reminding everyone that eastern RR’ing still exists!
Glad you liked the piece. I was truly blessed by growing up in some great railroading country in the southeast with the SR Murphy Branch, Graham County, SR main line in north Jawji and northern South Carolina not far away (great grandfather, Jerimiah, who migrated from Ireland, helped to run a mule and a drag pan on this one back in the 1800s), Saluda, the Loops, the Clinchfield, and Atlanta terminals all within a few hours of driving, a good buddy (Jim King) for a traveling, and understanding parents who advocated this.
I’ll have to check on the washout. Oh, and be sure and check out November… William D. Middleton has a great concrete bridges story that Senior Editor Matt Van Hattem has prepared for you guys. If you’re having a bridge story craving, we’ve got just the thing for you!
I liked the piece, too, simply because it’s about southern railroading. I agree with others on this thread, sometimes it seems like there is a back and forth series of cover stories concerning either UP or BNSF. I realize that they are the biggest in the neighborhood and because of their size, they have a lot of interesting stories that go with them.
In living in the south, however, I’d like to read about places and activities that I can actually go and visit. Illinois, Wisconsin, the LA basin are a bit out of my operating range- but North Carolina isn’t. Thanks for a good story!
…Thanks Jim re: Washout near Saluda. It may now have been nearly a year since one of our members had some great photos of it on here…Tracks were suspended on thin air over a distance where the supporting ROW was washed down the considerable hill…It was going to be a major job to repair it. It did happen after operations were shut down.
…Yes, I’m sure there are many locations of rough terrain in the eastern sector of the country that railroad surveyors of many years ago have put rail lines through with uniques features. Tunnels, bridges, cuts, fills…viaducts…to get through the mountain territory. Believe many railfans {I’m one of them}, appreciates the civil engineering required to get a line through with acceptable grades, etc…that could be brought to us via articles in TRAINS.
Another interesting piece of track in the Appalachians was a Virginian Railway line in central WV which ran up and down a valley shared with two C&O lines. There is a horseshoe and some tunnels shown here-
I can’t remember an article on the coal terminals in Norfolk and Newport News. Perhaps an article comparing them, and the CSX and NS lines from the coal fields, would be interesting.
Do you by any chance happen to remember if the washout was near the town or down near the bottom of the grade? It’s only about a 30 to 40 minute drive to Saluda. I’d be glad to go check it out and give an update.
Dale…Thank you, that is interesting stuff…Looks like that is / was a busy valley. A bunch of ROW’s crammed in there pretty tight. Real interesting railroad sights.
Near my home of Stoystown, Pa and Friedens…there was a branch of the B&O a coal hauler that had {and is still visible}, about 4 horseshoe curves just about end to end…In fact at one place the line crosses the same county road twice {a loop out and back}, within a couple hundred feet to gain perhaps 20 ft. or so elevation…The line was abandoned about 60 years ago but is still very visible in most places.
If you care to seek it out…{it is very visible on TerraServer photo section}…Look about a mile and a half northwest of Friedens, Pa. to try to locate it. I have a copy of it on the computer here if you can’t find it and we’ll try to send it to you if you would care to see it…
Thanks for inquiry…From what I remember of members description of the location it must not be too far {east}, downhill from Saluda. From what I remember a fellow that had too much to drink got on the tracks there at the crossing in Saluda with his pickup truck and drove on the tracks until he came to this washout where the tracks were suspended in mid air, etc…and of course some of the ties broke loose and the truck mired down on the frame to the rails…I understand this was done at night…and not knowing anything of this washout, etc…How he got out of the truck, who knows…
It’s a wonder the truck didn’t roll over and down the embankment a couple hundred feet and so on…How they ever got the truck out of there remains a secret to me…