On May 30th 1993. Norfolk and Western Class J #611 ran an excursion on the former Southern Railway between Asheville NC & Hayne Yd near Spartanburg SC, Come along and ride with us.
At 4.7% The Saluda Grade is the steepest mainline railway grade in the United States. The grade has been out of service since 2001 and has recently been sold to become a biking trail.
0:00 Asheville Yard
0:55 Departing Asheville
2:53 Biltmore Station
3:56 Passing the
A&S Burma Shave Signs
5:24 Skyland NC
6:26 Hendersonville NC
7:17 Climbing to Flat Rock
8:09 Descending Arden Hill from
East Flat Rock to Lake Summit
9:31 Lake Summit
10:15 XO Dispatcher gives us permission
down Saluda Mountain
10:34 West switch at Saluda
11:37 Departing Saluda
12:18 Top of the grade
14:00 East Switch at Saluda
14:34 Sand Cut
16:20 The Dynamic Breaks are very
evident.
17:10 "One Half Mile to Timing Section"
18:20 Brake shoe Smoke can be seen.
18:40 "800 Feet to Timing Section"
19:28 "Starting Timing Section"
20:27 Dropping into Melrose NC
20:48 "Ending Timing Section"
21:40 Safety Track #2023
22:12 Wyeing past the 611 at Hayne
22:37 Departing Hayne Westbound
23:22 The curve over I-85 near Sigsbee
24:21 Backing at Melrose
25:37 Photo Run
27:48 611 Crests Saluda
29:40 Pulling past the 611 at Biltmore