The Crescent Route
Greenville, SC, to Charlotte, NC
Introduction
This is a continuation of our self-guided tour of the Norfolk Southern's Crescent Route. The Introduction to the over-all tour is here. In this segment, we'll cover a part of our country which alternates between virtual wilderness and urban sprawl. This entire tour segment is complete from Greenville to the Charlotte Amtrak Station. There is a portion of the Atlanta - Greenville segment now complete, and you can continue north of Charlotte all the way to Washington, DC, on completed segments. Links to all segments are contained in the Crescent Route's home page, referenced above. Altogether, this is a completed tour of over 450 timetable miles.
Contents And Navigation
Contributors
Fred Burton -- Spartanburg to Charlotte
Tony Sissons -- Gastonia area
Tony Hill -- Retired Webmaster, and text from Greenville to Spartanburg
Help
Frograil is a fairly large site, and as it gets larger and more comprehensive, it becomes a more valuable tool for railfans around the country and, indeed, around the world. However, the only way it can continue to grow is for folks like you to contribute material. Your contribution can be one favorite train watching site or a large, complex tour, but every and all contributions cumulatively add to the worth of Frograil as a railfan tool. Contact me here, and we'll work together.
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
The Railroad -- Geography
The name of the Norfolk Southern division which stretches from Washington, DC to Atlanta is the Piedmont Division. As the name implies, the division traverses the Piedmont through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. You won't find mountain railroading like you'll find on our Clinchfield tours, and you also won't find flat, easy terrain like that encountered, say, on the CSX East Coast tours south of Petersburg, Virginia. What you'll encounter are rolling hills, many streams and some major rivers, and trees -- lots and lots of trees.
However, the entire area of this segment of the Crescent Route tour is rapidly gaining population, and commercial and industrial activity are growing apace. Charlotte and Gastonia are virtually becoming one large city, and both Spartanburg and Greenville have become much larger metro areas within the past 20 years. Therefore, you'll have a broad variety of railfan ops within this segment -- as mentioned in the Introduction, this segment will take you from virtual wilderness to urban sprawl.
The Railroad -- Traffic
Unlike most of the eastern NS system, you won't find a lot of coal moving on this segment, because the mountain at Saluda to the north of Spartanburg dictates that most south- and southeast-bound coal comes either via Roanoke or Bulls Gap and Chattanooga. The same is true of unit grain trains for the poultry industry. However, what you will see, and see a lot of, are intermodal and manifest freights zipping between the northeast megalopolis and the gateway to the south -- Atlanta.
The intermodal traffic poses a problem for railfans, in that these trains are designed to arrive very early in the AM, and therefore tend to depart at a time designed to meet that objective. Obviously, many of these zoom over this part of the Crescent Route in the middle of the night. Trains departing New Jersey, Allentown, Harrisburg, and Linwood all have to get to the new Austell, Georgia, intermodal yard at almost the same time. On the other hand, northbounds are a little more spread out, time-wise, as their destinations are likewise spread out.
That said, you will see a few daylight intermodals, but not many of them. Because of the nature of the intermodal movements, you'll see a lot of manifest traffic during daylight hours. There are probably 20-30 trains a day over this segment of the Crescent Route, but they can come in bunches, so you'll often see a lot of activity followed by dead still for an extended period of time.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. I definitely recommend you get a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, study it before your trip, and copy pertinent pages for your field work. You can find information here about Railfan Maps that are available.
Photography Ratings: This tour includes photo ratings for crossings. Please note that these ratings are Tony's opinion of the photographic field available for pictures, rather than a subjective rating of photogenic/artsy characteristics of the site. All four quadrants of a crossing are evaluated, clockwise, from NE to NW. Each is rated from 1 to 4, with 1 being excellent and 4 being non-existent, either because of a severe drop off, wall of trees, private property, etc. An example would be NE4, SE1, SW3, NW3. This would be a fairly poor location except for shots from the southeast quadrant, which should be pretty wide open. Note that the tour north of Fairforest is a few years older than Greenville - Fairforest, and when Tony did the former, he wasn't using photo ratings.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless mentioned otherwise, these are usually not worth the time and trouble to drive to them.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend, or even condone, walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing or exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or in any other part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic.
Greenville, SC, to Charlotte, NC -- Site Listing
The Tour
Greenville -- Yard and Amtrak Station. We ended our Atlanta - Greenville segment in the parking lot of the Greenville Yard and Amtrak Station, and we start our Greenville - Charlotte tour in the same place. If you're just joining the Frograil Crescent Route Tour, here's how to get to the station (and this is probably the most complicated part of the whole darned tour!): From the intersection of SC-183 and SC-253 in northwest Greenville, go east on SC-183/Drayton Avenue about 4-5 blocks, and then go south on West Washington Road. You'll pass Bramlett Road, and Walnut Street, and eventually go under the NS Piedmont Division Main Line. This is the Crescent Route, and the line we'll we following northeast. Once under the tracks, take an immediate left turn to go up the hill to the yard area.
The nice-looking office building is a combination NS office building and Amtrak Station. There is a large employee and Amtrak parking lot. Park fairly far down towards the southern end of the parking lot, remain in your car, and you'll probably not be bothered, but this is not at all a place to "hang out". Don't stay more than an hour, max. If you get out in the yard itself, you will be arrested. The yard itself is almost north-south, and the three tracks leaving the yard towards South Greenville begin the curve that carries the railroad southwesterly towards Atlanta.
This is an excellent AM photo location, at E1, but there is no photo access from the west, because you have to walk across the yard to get there. The station itself is only open between 9:45 PM and 6:15 or 6:45 AM, as both Crescents stop in the wee hours. Through trains use the area directly in front of the station as a crew change point. It is believed (but don't know for sure) that the Division's dispatchers are in the office/station building.
Greenville -- Hampton Bridge. From the yard parking lot, go down the hill and take a left onto Mulberry Street, and then take a left onto Hampton Avenue, and you should take a left and drive to the end of the street. Hampton used to go over the northern part of the yard, but the street has been cut here. The bridge itself may still exist as a pedestrian and bicyclist thoroughfare.
As an alternative, instead of turning onto Hampton, continue onto Montgomery Ave. and follow it to Pete Hollis Bldv. This is a six-lane road so it may or may not work out. Turn left and in a short distance a long bridge will cross the yard, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and the Belton Subdivision line of CSX. There are sidewalks but no convenient parking.
Greenville -- Pate Drive. From Hampton continue onto Montgomery Ave. and follow it to Pete Hollis Bldv. Turn right and continue to the Mulberry St./W. Stone Ave. intersection. Turn left onto W. Stone, then turn left onto Rutherford St. In about 1/2 mile, turn right on Rutherford Road, go 1.2 miles to Arcadia Street and turn left. Arcadia ascribes a big loop which we'll go around on our way northeast to Pate Drive and a road crossing. The street will cross a track just before O Jones St. that served several industries in the area. This is the former Southern main line before it was relocated to the northwest.
There is a parking lot in front of the active industrial building south of the tracks. The industrial building north of the tracks is an active business clearly labeled private property. It is not practical at all, or even legal, to try to access the tracks in either direction from this property. Remain parked on the south side and view only at the crossing. The photo ratings for this crossing are not great, at NE4, SE2, SW3, NW2. Viewing is N1, and S3, so southbounds are probably better shot from the crossing itself. From the Pate Drive crossing, the defect detector ("Paris" at MP 479.3) at Paris is less than 3 miles to the east, so you should have plenty of scanner warning for southbounds. Closer to the east, probably less than a mile, is the "Worley" area, and is the site of a set of crossovers. Worley Road goes over the area, but access is poor -- it's NARL.
Paris. Pine Knoll Dr MP 480 Map 20. Continue on Arcadia, and it will merge into Worley Road to complete the arc. Take a right on Worley, and then a left on Rutherford Road. We'll be on Rutherford for some distance, and will leave Greenville proper via it. On Rutherford, continue past a busy intersection at Pleasantburg Drive, and go over the NS on a NAG/NARL overpass. CSX will be just past NS, and will remain close by for several miles. Rutherford bends to parallel NS after the overpass, and we enter the area of Paris. Less than a half mile past the overpass, take a right on Pine Knoll Drive, go over the tracks, and take an immediate left and park off Roe Street.
Photo ratings are NE2, SE1, SW4, NW1. The area along Roe Street abuts a large concrete culvert mfg facility and seems private. It does not provide through access east.
Paris -- Waddell Road. Continue northeast on Rutherford Road, and take a right on Waddell Road. This crossing gives the following photo ratings: NE4, SE4, SW1, NW4. The southwest quadrant really is superior. The street just south of the tracks is West Warehouse Court and can take us east to the next location. On the other hand, Rutherford Road gives a little better viewing, and I recommend you take that route.
Paris -- Artillery Road. Continue east on Rutherford Road or East Warehouse Court to Artillery Drive. Photo locations are NE2, SE1, SW3, NW3. AM shots are particularly good of southbounds. Just to the west is a set of intermediate signals. Also to the west, the railroad shifts more to the west on a nice curve.
Taylors -- Brook Glenn. MP 477+/- Map 21 Continue northeast on Rutherford Road. There are a few other non-descript crossings between Paris and Taylors, but I've highlighted the best. As we get into Taylors, we come into a superb railfan area. When you get to U.S. 29 (an old friend of any southeast railfan), Wade Hampton Boulevard, take a left and go less than a mile before bearing right on West Main Street. As you come into Taylors, take a right on a small street, Brook Glenn Road. You'll cross the CSX/ex-P&N and then the NS's 2 tracks. Photo ratings are NE1, SE1, SW3, NW2. There is potential parking near an industrial facility that looks lightly used, if that.
This is a pretty good photo location, but we're very close to beautiful downtown Taylors, and there are truly excellent spots there, so let's move on. Note, however, that the name of the town is "Taylors", with an "s", while the railroad location is "Taylor", without it.
Taylors. MP 476+/- Map 21 Backtrack to West Main Street and take a right. Go over the CSX, and then take a right onto Edwards Street. There is a large parking lot close to the tracks, and there are some trees bordering the lot that provide some much-appreciated shade in hot weather. The crossing at Edwards is rated at NE2, SE2, SW1, NW1. Immediately to the west of the crossing is the "Taylor" interlocking, where double track begins and runs all the way to Crosswell west of Greenville. The interlocking is MP 475.9.
This is obviously a very good railfan location, but there's icing on this cake. Drive east one block via Freeman Drive to Taylors Road, and the crossing on Taylors Road is rated as NE1, SE4, SW1, NW1. The combination of good parking, shade, 2 excellent crossings, an interlocking plant with very visible signals, and lots of grassy, mown area next to the tracks creates the best railfan location between Easley and well to the northeast of Spartanburg.
Frograil would like the thank Carter Buchanan for supplemental information he provided concerning the Taylors area.
Greer. School St MP 471 Map 23 Continue east of Freeman Drive to Stephenson Street, take a left and go north across the tracks to get back to East Main St. The crossing at Stephenson is unremarkable. Main St. will swing considerably to the north and cross the CSX tracks. Take a right onto Chick Springs Road. When you get into the Chick Springs area, take a right on Alexander Road. There is an unremarkable crossing of the NS, and you'll eventually reach Brushy Creek Road. Take a left, and at Suber Road, cross Suber and continue on to the northeast. There is a NAG/NARL overpass north of the Brushy Creek on Suber.
After several more miles on Brushy Creek Road, you'll go through an intersection with South Buncombe Road. There is another NAG/NARL overpass to the north on South Buncombe Road, but we're finally getting close to another good location, so we continue northeast on Brushy Creek. The road ends at a T at South Main Street. Just before the T, take a left on Able Street, and go one block to Moore Street, and then go right. The reason to go through all of this is because Main goes up and over Moore and the railroad, so there's no access to Moore. Moore runs along on the south side of the tracks. About 400 yards east from the intersection of Able and Moore, Moore runs into School Street.
The School Street crossing is pretty darned good, at NE1, SE2, SW1, NW1. The northeast quadrant is exceptional, and makes a fine lawn chair and cooler location. One large block to the east is Trade Street, whose crossing is not nearly as good as School's, but to the east of Trade is the "Greer" station sign and a marker at MP 471.
SC Inland Port and BMW Spur MP 469 Maps 25 and 26 From School Street, use local roads to get to East Poinsett Street and go east to the intersection with J Verne Smith Parkway. Turn left on Blackwell Rd. to access the entrance ramp to go south on the Parkway. Just past the bridge turn left onto Gilliam Road. At that turn there is a crossing of the spur into the BMW plant itself, which is out of view south of the crossing. Just north of the crossing is one signal and a switch that creates the left (west) and right (east) legs of the wye to and from the main line, which itself is invisible and inaccessible from any point neat the Inland Port. There is a sign saying “Works” at the spur signal.
This area was formerly tagged as "Tyger -- Motor" on the tour. Construction of the South Carolina Inland Port, J Verne Smith Parkway, and the BMW plant has consideraly changed the area and the roads. The whole area has been turned into a huge intermodal yard along the tracks plus numerous huge warehouses, mostly belonging to BMW. Access to the entire “SC Inland Port” is totally prohibited and Security will demand that you leave if you venture there without a permit. Besides, there is nothing of the yard or railroad to be seen once inside. Michael Moore did shed some light on what "Motor" was. The "Motor" signal is actually one of three switches that constitute a wye at MP 469. The southwest leg of the wye is actually the lead for the BMW car manufacturing plant, which is about a mile away. There is a small yard usually full of autoracks at the facility. As far as getting to it, it is possible, but would involve a major detour from the Frograil Crescent Route Tour, and Michael doesn't think it would be worth it, since most of the activity there is after dark. Incidentally, the three wye switches are named "Bavarian" (north leg of the wye), "Motor" (south leg), and -- you guessed it! -- "Works". The wye and lead were built by the South Carolina Public Railroad when BMW came to the area in the early 1990's. Frograil kudos to Michael.
Tyger -- Lyman. Continue east on Poinsett, pass Lister Road (south of which is railroad point "Tyger", which doesn't seem to amount to anything today) take a right on Robinson Road. The crossing is rated at NE2, SE1, SW1, NW3, and there is a defect detector just to the west. The detector is "Lyman", at MP 464.8 but the sign on the equipment shed at the detector says RPM. This is a good open site with adequate room on the side to park.
Duncan. Further east Poinsett Road becomes West Main St. as you enter Duncan. Main Street crosses the tracks on a somewhat confusing crossing because Main and Spencer streets come together here right over the crossing. The entire area is noisy, extremely busy, and not particularly enjoyable. The photo ratings are also fair-poor, at NE4, SE2, SW4, NW3. You can catch a train here, for sure, but it's certainly not going to be the high point of this tour.
Wellford. Carver Street MP 463 Map 29 From W. Main at Duncan's crossing, take a left onto Spartanburg Road/SC-292. Continue northeast, and the road will become decidedly more northerly. In 1/2 mile the road crosses the NS track and in a 1/4 mile it will cross the Middle Tyger River. At a point out of sight to the west, the NS Crescent Route has also swung northerly to go over the river and the CSX/ex-P&N. Shortly after crossing the river, you'll take your turn at crossing the CSX. Turn left on Meadow Street to the goes northwest and cross Lawrence Street to Locust Street to reach the tracks. The crossing is NARL, so continue north to U.S. 29/Greenville Road, where there is abundant life support. You can take a right and go back over the NS on a NAG/NARL, but to continue the tour, go straight across U.S. 29, and continue on Charlotte Highway. Turn right on Wellford Road, which will become Main Street, and parallel the tracks to the north.
There's a NARL crossing on Maplewood Street, so continue east on Main Street to Carver Street, in the north of the area known as Wellford. Take a right on Carver, and enjoy the following crossing ratings: NE1, SE1, SW4, NW3. Obviously, this is a morning location, and it's in a nice area. Indeed, the area south of Main Street from here on south for a few miles is just great for railfanning on the north side of the tracks. It's mown and well maintained. From Carver Street, you can go along the south side of the tracks via Goshall Road, but that road is below grade level for much of the way. However, if you want to get good pix, you'll need to explore Goshall Road. Even thought both Main and Goshall both parallel the tracks for miles, you'll probably not be able to pace trains, as the trains are usually just too fast.
Jackson Mill. MP 464 +/- Map 30 Alas, all good parallel roads must come to an end, and Main and Goshall both end in Jackson Mill. Somewhere along the way, Goshall has become Syphrit Road, and Main has become Railroad Street. Both offer excellent access to the tracks. Enjoy the quiet nature of Jackson Mill, because we're about to enter the Spartanburg metropolitan area.
Spartanburg -- Cedar Crest Road. If on Main or Railroad St., cross the tracks at Church St. to reach Syphrit Road. Follow this road and it will take a 90° turn to the right and T at U.S. 29/Greenville Highway. Take a left on U.S. 29, and head under I-85 (life support!), and continue several miles to Fairforest - Clevedale Road. Incidentally, just east of I-85, New Hope Road goes north and loosely parallels the Interstate. It makes a crossing of the NS immediately east of the Interstate. This crossing has not been reviewed..
When you get to Fairforest - Clevedale Road, take a left, but you'll almost immediately take another left onto Cedar Crest Road. Drive up to the crossing, and park north of the tracks. Here's what you'll find: NE4, SE1, SW1, NW4. The two southern quadrants are excellent. If I were a real photographer, I'd go bonkers over the beautiful, kudzu-covered embankment to the east of the crossing -- it's a fantastic photo prop. To the west are signals that are part of the Frey Creek double crossover but they are not visible at all from the crossing itself.
Spartanburg -- Fairforest. MP 457.2 +- Map 32 Go back to Fairforest - Clevedale Road, and take a sharp left to go on in to Spartanburg. You'll pass Old Blackstock Road as the rails come in from your left. The major intersection in Fairforest is with Fairforest - Clevedale Road and North Blackstock/Fairforest roads. At Fairforest Road, go north over the tracks and take an immediate right into a dead-end road (more like a driveway) named Charity Dr. Park. The intersection is very busy and noisy, and your goal is to figure out what's here, move a little ways from the noisiest area, and possibly see some trains in the meantime. Here are the photo ratings: NE2, SE2, SW2, NW1, which isn't bad at all, considering that you're in a fairly urban area.
Just to the east of the crossing is the "Fair Forest" detector at MP 457.2. We now head east into Spartanburg and some city driving.
Spartanburg -- Arcadia.MP 456 Map 32, 33 Fairforest - Clevedale Road becomes Hayne Road at the grade crossing. Continue east (north) on Hayne Road paralleling the tracks. Go under I-26 to W. Cleveland St. This is not the site of some super-duper timetable site, with double crossovers, junctions, etc. However, it is most assuredly worth a visit, because here, there is a nice open area south of the tracks, a sharp double track curve, a signal bridge, and a most picturesque old mill. The old mill on the N side has been made into apartments. Along the track is their wide open parking lot and it even has signs “for visitors”! This is a good place to take pictures, but it's also a GREAT place to take quality photographs. If you don't know the difference between pictures and photographs, well that's OK. Either way, this is a good site.
Spartanburg -- Sibley Street. MP 454.7 +- Map 34 As you continue to drive east on Hayne, you'll probably find other sites which appeal to you, but when you get to Sibley Street, you're want to take a left (north). Pass the so-called Reeve Court, and turn right and park just before the tracks. Park well back, and you'll not be trespassing. There are several things that happen north of Sibley Street, and because the security is so tight from here through the terminal, let Tony Hill fill you in on the what's happening:
If you were a honey bee flying northwest here, you'd see Hayne Street arc from a northeast to a southeast bias. That's because Hayne Yard is in the way, and the street must turn. Additionally, the famous Saluda line, more properly referred to as the W-Line, joins the Piedmont Division here, for a short ways north (but timetable south!). So, looking to your right here, you're looking at a big wye, with the W-Line coming in from the northwest, the mainline from Greenville coming up from the southwest, and the mainline continuing to the southeast. All this baloney aside, this is a good place to see the Crescent Route action.
The W-Line was closed during December, 2001, and the only traffic you'll see on its tracks are movements to and from the shops area north of Hayne Yard, as well as some local work.
Spartanburg -- Arch Street. MP 453.4 +- Map 35 From Sibley Street, spend several thousand dollars and rent a helicopter to see Hayne Yard, which is the only way you'll really see much of the yard. If that doesn't appeal to you, simply drive by the yard along Hayne Street, and Hayne will curve to the south and become Hugh Street. From Hugh, take your third left at Farley, and go on until you reach Arch Street. Turn left onto Arch, and park anywhere south of the tracks.
Walk to the tracks and look to the left: Hayne Junction and the north yard throat are visible to the south (compass northwest!). You'll see everything in and out of Hayne yard here. It's not clear in 2022 if the W Line north of Spartanburg is active at all. The W Line south to Columbia and beyond branches off the NS line a mile or so east of the Station.
Go back to your car and drive north on Arch, cross the tracks and continue north as Arch becomes Pearl Street. At the busy intersection with Church Street, U.S. 221/SC-56, turn right (south) and you'll soon reach the NS mainline. Cross the tracks, and the station is immediately on your right.
Spartanburg -- Southern Station. The station has been restored and is now the Hub City Railroad Museum. The station is "Spartanburg" on the timetable [MP 452.6]. The history of the area from summertime peaches, to textile mills, to the railroad car shops is woven together with the history of Spartanburg. See how the Southern Railway, Clinchfield, C&WC, Piedmont & Northern, Glenn Springs, Pacolet Mill railroad and streetcars served the Hub City. The museum affords great views of both Norfolk Southern's Crescent Line as well as CSX's former Clinchfield line and Belton Sub Division. Southern Railway caboose #X3115 has a train-watching platform for railfans to watch NS mainline trains. Also, CSX goes through a tunnel under the caboose and can be seen from the museum/station property.
There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Walk to the far west boundary of the parking area. Note what looks like the remains of a road fenced off on your left. This was the Piedmont and Northern interurban line to the station. More importantly, look directly west. You'll note tracks on a lower level than those of the NS, and they're obviously in excellent condition. Visually follow those tracks towards you, and you'll discover they come right at you.
What happens is that this is the CSX coming up from Columbia, Greenwood, and Monroe. This busy mainline actually enters a tunnel about 60 yards behind the Southern station, continues under the NS mainline, and emerges just before the CSX yard near Memorial Drive and College Street. (updated August 2013)
Spartanburg -- Beaumont Interlocking. From the station, get back on Church Street, and head south. Take your first left onto Daniel Morgan Avenue. In a short while, you'll reach Pine Street, US176, and take a left to go north. This is, essentially, a tee intersection. Your first major right will be Isom Street, take it, and your next first real right will be Beaumont Avenue. From this point, just about everything seems to have the name "Beaumont" in it, including the very large mill which is located south of you on Beaumont Avenue. Where Beaumont crosses the NS mainline, you are in the middle of Beaumont Interlocking
Here, double track begins, and extends south all the way through the city. Also, the "new" W-Line joins the Piedmont Division from Columbia. This is considered new, as it and the connecting trackage southward were built to replace the original end of the branch which was at Magnolia, immediately north of the station. This caused operational problems for the Southern, and considerable traffic problems for the city. The connection was completed, sometime in the 1970s.
This location is a good one for fans, and is well worth the investment of some time. Here, the 5 or so trains per 24-hour period on the W-Line leave the Crescent Route, so you'll see slightly fewer trains from here north.
Converse -- River Street. We now leave the friendly confines of Spartanburg and strike out into the countryside, and we'll do so via every southeastern railfan's friend, U.S. 29. From Beaumont, go over the tracks (the name of the street becomes Fairfield Avenue), and you'll shortly come to East Main Street, U.S. 29. Take a left and head north out of town. You'll eventually begin a descent to the Pacolet River, and the village of Converse is mostly on a bluff, south of the highway, and overlooking the river valley. There are no photo locations from the village, and it is NOT a place to park and trespass to get a photo. You have an excellent chance of meeting an independent fellow with a very strong urge to defend his property rights. In fact, I have driven through the village once, and have permanently removed it from my list of places to visit again.
From Tim Huemmer, however, comes word of an alternative site in the Converse area: Main Street will go east from Brickyard Street, and then curve around to become Church Street. This will go under the Southern main and become Petit Street, and eventually it will become South River Street. Eventually, you'll come up beside the river. The river does a dogleg and you can see the trestle and not have to bother with heavy traffic. There is also a small gravel lot that you can park in, and then walk up the road about 50 yards or so to get a great view of the river.
Converse -- U.S. 29. As we leave Converse to go further northeast, the railroad crosses the river just south of the highway on a BIG trestle, and the highway bridge has a decent-sized sidewalk. Park and walk out on the bridge and get a good afternoon shot of the bridge, and then get off the bridge. [NOTE WELL: U.S. 29 is very busy and the traffic moves fast. You must never lose your concentration on the fact that you are in a potentially life-threatening location if you get careless or absent minded.] If you want to try to get a shot of a southbound, listen for the Thicketty defect detector, which is some 8 miles or so to the northeast, and attempt to venture out on the bridge about the time a train should arrive.
Cowpens. Continue north on U.S. 29 for a short while, and you'll enter the small town of Cowpens. Once downtown, take either Palmetto Street or Church Street over the tracks to the station. It has been moved back slightly from the tracks, and is now a museum. To the north of the station there is a large, open area set back from the tracks which is excellent for photos. Directly in front of the station, there is a low embankment which would give a somewhat different angle.
This is a excellent railfan location.
There is another attraction in this area, and it's far-removed from railfanning. Going north from Cowpens 7-8 miles or so via SC-110, is the Cowpens National Battlefield. Follow the signs from the area of the intersection of U.S. 221Alternate and SC-11 with SC-110. In our Revolutionary War, General Nathaniel Greene dispatched General Morgan to stop the British Army in the south. Morgan, his regulars and militia, and a group of mountain men from the hills in the area and to the west, virtually destroyed a first-line British unit, in what was certainly one of the pivotal battles of the war.
Thicketty Interlocking. Continuing north on U.S. 29, you'll cross Little Thicketty Creek. Shortly after that, you'll cross Thicketty Creek and see a large concrete bridge carrying the mainline over the creek. Unfortunately, there is no place to park, and photography would be difficult anyway. Instead, continue further on U.S. 29 about 1-2 tenths of a mile, and you'll see a small, red commercial building on the right. Immediately opposite this building is a small, semi-paved lane. Turn left into this lane, but don't leave the paved area if the ground is wet. Walk to the tracks, and you're at Thicketty Interlocking.
This is the end of southbound double track. There is also a defect detector here, and all is set off by a nice curve.
Between Thicketty and Gaffney, the tracks come into view in several locations, and there are several crossings on roads south of U.S. 29.
Gaffney. Depending on your druthers, you can either continue right into downtown Gaffney, or, southwest of town, you can cross the tracks and continue northwest on Hamrick Street, and other streets south of the railroad until you get downtown. Either way, you'll see an odd bridge between U.S. 29 and the tracks. This is a clever way to get U.S. 29 traffic over the tracks, and is the only non-at-grade crossing downtown. The actual street is East Montgomery Street. Under this bridge is Cherokee Interlocking, the site of a double crossover [MP 432.8].
North of the bridge, and extending for quite a distance, there is ample parking on both sides of the tracks, oodles of off-railroad property, a broad sweeping curve through the area, and it all adds up to an excellent place for fans. Bring the lawn chair, cooler, and some buddies, and enjoy yourselves.
Cherokee Creek. Continuing north on U.S. 29 north of Gaffney, perhaps one mile past the city limits, River Road goes off at an angle on the left (north). Take River and continue east until you cross Cherokee Creek. Park at the intersection of River and Gaffney Ferry Road, and walk to the impressive concrete arch railroad bridge over Cherokee Creek.
Blacksburg, South Carolina. (Updated, December 2012) Continue east on River Road until you reach Victory Trail Road (SC-300), then turn south (right). Continue south on Victory Trail until the intersection with U.S. 29, and then turn left and continue north into Blacksburg. As you get well into town, the railroad will come in on your left. Turn left on North John Street, and then right on West Church Street. There is plenty of open space for photos in the area. Further to the east, there is a small yard along U.S. 29, which serves a branch to Kings Creek, the location of Industrial Minerals (NS closed the SB line to Shelby in 2010). No NS engines are kept here any more and the yard is empty except for occasional loads/empties to/from Industrial Minerals. A Carolina Coastal (CLNA GP30) uses the SB line between Blacksburg and Kings Creek, SC, as needed (this is where the track ends). This CLNA GP30 is used to transfer cars for Industrial Minerals There are usually a few engines around. There are numerous sites around the yard area for good, off-railroad property photographs.
As an aside, you can easily be fooled by the small size of Blacksburg. This is not a sleepy little village, it's a railroad town, and is worth investigating at some length. Such an investigation is beyond the scope of a tour of the Crescent Route, however, so we'll have to move on.
Here's another aside, on a totally different subject. Tony strongly recommends, if at all possible, that you take a side visit from Blacksburg or Grover to the King's Mountain National Military Park. This is a Revolutionary War site, and is quite compact compared to most of the huge Civil War battlefields, and can be covered fairly well in just a few hours. It is truly a powerful place. The best time to visit is during the winter, when there are no leaves on the trees, and your imagination can really take over.
Grover, North Carolina. Between Blacksburg and Grover, the railroad and highway/streets are separated, with only a few crossings along the way. Therefore, on U.S. 29, just drive on in to Grover and North Carolina; however, don't be in too much of a hurry, because there is a most curious attraction just south of the border. When you are almost at the border, you'll notice several fairly new looking, glitzy enterprises. These were video poker parlors and the like. Obviously, there must have been a lot of money leaving North Carolina flowing south, before South Carolina outlawed the parlors.
Enter Grover on U.S. 29, and behold the epitome of superior small town railfan excellence. This place is so good, it's hard to describe it adequately. Easy parking on both sides of the tracks -- unrestricted views in each direction on both sides of the tracks -- virtually all viewing is from off railroad property -- security is not at all a problem -- visible signals. In my humble opinion, if you're in a position where you can only watch trains in one place in this entire general area, this is the place.
There is a point to be made here: This fairly well marks the beginning of the Charlotte Metropolitan area, so things will be getting steadily more congested from here on in. Depart Grover on U.S. 29, which is named Battleground Avenue. The tracks will parallel you most of the way to the point at which U.S. 29 is absorbed into I-85. Just before you must enter the interstate, follow the signs to NC-216 and Kings Mountain. The road name will remain Battleground Avenue.
Kings Mountain. From the beginning of NC-216 all the way into Kings Mountain, the tracks will hug the road to the north. However, the road is busy, so pix will be difficult. In the town itself, the tracks and NC-216 weave through the city, and there are plenty of photo locations to keep you busy. Just to the north of downtown, you'll see the nice, restored station, which is now a senior center. NC-216 leaves the tracks here, heading straight north as Piedmont Avenue. Continue northeast on Battleground until Baker Street, and turn right onto Baker. Baker will shortly turn to the south, and you want to go east (kind of left) instead, onto Phenix. Phenix will end at Chestnut Street. Turn right (south) for less than a block, and then turn left onto Bennett Drive, which will take you to NC-161, Cleveland Avenue.
On Cleveland, we'll leave Kings Mountain, and parallel the tracks all the way into Bessemer.
Bessemer City -- Mickley Avenue. As soon as you pass the giant lithium plant southwest of the city, NC-161 will veer to the southeast, as it goes around the shoulder of Whetstone Mountain. As for the tracks, they go straight through, because the builders blasted a gorge through the mountain. Known locally as "the cut", the train has a straight shot east - west. Shortly after the road goes to the southeast, look for Alabama Avenue on the left. Take it, and then take another left three blocks later onto Mickley Avenue. There is an overpass of the tracks straight ahead (north), and a spot to pull over and park.
Frograil offers a tip-o-the-hat to Wes Young for the information about this location. (Novermber 2007)
Bessemer City. As the name implies, Bessemer City is not a spa, a place for the rich and famous to gather. No, it's an industrial place, and always has been. The town is fairly gritty, and is festooned with very old, very dead, textile mills. However, there is some significant industry in the town today, and one can enjoy the industrial archeology aspects of the town, while admiring the immense, modern lithium plant. One can also groove on the trains on the Crescent Route.
Coming into town from the southwest, the Crescent Route begins a primarily east - west bias all the way into Charlotte from this point. From the Mickley Avenue overpass, continue north to a 90° right turn during which the street becomes Maryland Avenue. At 13th Street, take another right and cross the tracks. Look for an open area south of the tracks, complete with picnic tables. Folks, this isn't a fancy place to see trains, and the backdrops aren't super cool, but towns like Bessemer City made the Southern what the NS is today, and I think it'd be nice for all of us to stop, make our presence known, and let the good folks of Bessemer City know that we appreciate what they've done over the last century-plus on behalf of our hobby.
Gastonia -- Jenkins Road Crossing. From downtown Bessemer City, go north of the tracks, and depart the town on NC-274, which is Virginia Avenue, and will shortly become Gastonia Highway. Enjoy the drive all the way to Gastonia, as the Crescent Route hugs NC-274 all the way into far western Gastonia. As you cross I-85, there is a convenience store which has home-made sandwiches. Fred Burton says they're worth a visit.At this point, we are close to our next photographic location.
[NOTE: Both Fred Burton and I feel Gastonia to be a very dangerous, rough city. Crime statistics are high, and there is legitimate cause to be concerned for your personal safety. However, Anthony Sissons, a long-time resident of the city, correctly cautions us not to paint with too broad a brush, as there is much good in the city. He also has been kind enough to provide us with the following detailed description of how to railfan the Crescent Route right through Gastonia.
That said, all of us recommend that you ALWAYS try to railfan with at least one male friend. Even in the safest rural areas, for example, if you break your ankle, who's going to help you? Railroads are always dangerous, no matter where you are, so never be casual about your safety around them.]
Continue on not much more than a 1/4 mile after I-85 and you will see a large plant on the left hand side of the road. This is American & Efird. A Coastal gas station is on the right hand side opposite. Here, take the left fork in the road, which is actually Brown Street. Then take the first left onto Jenkins Road which is a matter of a few yards and proceed 150 yards to the grade crossing. Turn left just prior to the crossing, park your vehicle and get set with your camera. The field of view is fairly good here and it is a great location for both a.m. and p.m. photography. This is a very quiet location on American & Efird property, but "No Trespassing" signs are not posted on this side of the grade crossing, so there should be no reason why you will be bothered.
Gastonia -- Airline Avenue. Now cross the grade to the north side of the tracks and turn right immediately onto Poplar Street, this turns into Ivy Street at a right hand bend in the road. You have traveled 1/2 mile by this time, and just around this bend is a left hander where the road name changes yet again to Airline Avenue. You will be confronted by a view of approximately 1/3rd of a mile of the track looking toward the southeast. Again, this is a very quiet spot with some local traffic. There is a small gravel area where one can park the vehicle on the right hand side of the road opposite Temple Baptist Church.
This is an early a.m. photographic location. From this point, you will also see on the opposite side of the tracks (south side) a small parking area and a large grassy field which will provide a large field of view after the sun has crossed its zenith, i.e. good for afternoon and late evening photography. This location is simply accessed by driving 200 yards, making a right over the May Street grade crossing in front of you and taking the first right by the tracks.
Gastonia -- Arlington School. Instead of taking a left back over May Street grade crossing, stay on the southern side of the tracks. After turning right onto May by the grade crossing, take the first left onto Webb Street. Find a convenient parking space, and you can set up for afternoon photos from here. This location is not one of the better ones because you will be standing at a lower elevation than the line. If you use the grassy frontage area in front of Webb Street school, there are really too many trees to capture a good side-on shot. On the other hand, this is an extremely quiet location.
With regard to trespassing, there are no posted "No Trespassing" signs, however, there are several "for students drop off only" and "school bus only" signs posted. So use your discretion. Don't use this location when school students are starting or ending their school day.
Gastonia -- Gaston Avenue Bridge. If you stopped off at Webb Street school, then re-trace your route and take a right immediately after crossing the May Street grade crossing, which will put you back onto Airline Avenue on the north side of the tracks heading east toward Gastonia. Follow Airline Avenue for 4/10ths of a mile until you arrive at a stop sign, and make a left here onto Gaston Avenue.
Look to the right when you arrive at the stop sign: The Crescent Route goes over Gaston Avenue, and the sides of the bridge still have the original words "Southern Railway" and the SR round logo painted on them, and it's still in pretty good condition. If you wish to take a picture of this, find a parking spot and get your picture. I would urge you that this location is best during the working hours of the mid-morning or mid- afternoon when it is fairly quiet. NOTE WELL: Do not get out of your vehicle if it is later than 5 or 6 in the evening or on a weekend. If the sun is not to your liking, drive under the bridge and take your picture from the opposite side, the "Southern Railway" signage is just as good.
Gastonia -- Trenton Street. Continue along Airline Avenue for another 7/10ths of a mile, past 2 sets of traffic signals and take the first right 20 yards past the 2nd traffic light onto Trenton street. Go over the grade crossing and take an immediate left up onto the grassy bank area. You will be right by the back of "Carpet & Rug Superstore". This is a reasonably quiet area with little pedestrian traffic. I'd remain in the vehicle until the crossing bell starts ringing and the gates go down. Then it'"s time to take a good picture of either a train rounding the curve heading toward Charlotte or coming out of the concrete cut from the center of town, heading South in the direction of Spartanburg's Hayne yard and points beyond. If you go to the end of the grassy bank up to the fence, you are then approximately 12 feet above the track elevation. Makes for a decent photo.
Gastonia -- Marietta Street Bridge. From here north (compass east), the tracks go through downtown via a deep, mostly concrete-lined cut. Re-trace your route back to Airline Avenue (NC-7 eastbound), take a right, and continue east as before. Go 3 traffic lights and turn right at the 3rd onto Marietta Street. Go over the bridge and make an immediate left turn into the public parking lot. You should have traveled 7/10ths of a mile. Park your vehicle and walk to the bridge, and check out the cut for your overhead photographs. Either side of the bridge in both directions is good, depending on the position of the sun. This is a good area downtown, right adjacent to the new County Court House, Human Services Center and the new Police Station. This is the business area of town and is very safe. Police traffic is high and you will not be bothered.
Gastonia -- Broad Street Bridge. Re-trace your route back over the bridge and turn right onto what you thought was Airline Avenue, but has now become Long Avenue at the junction of Marietta Street and travel in the same direction again (east). Make a right turn at the next traffic signal onto Broad Street. Go over the bridge and take the first left onto Main Avenue and immediately take a right into the Shrimpboats Restaurant parking lot, park your vehicle and walk back across the grassy bank. It is quite usual to see police cars parked in Shrimpboats' parking lot. The photographic view is superb all along this portion of this spot and Main Avenue.
The main line sweeps from right to left when looking east. This area is also the junction of the spurs, to both the north and south, of the old Carolina and Northwestern line (now) to Bowling Green, S.C. and north to a point just north of Dallas, NC, respectively. Approximately 3 or more times each week, these spurs, specially the southern one, see traffic. Your chances of seeing such action, generally, will mostly be between 11 AM to 1 PM in the earlier part of the week, and 3 and 5 in the afternoon in the latter part of the week.
[Quick side trip: If this happens while you're in the area, jump back in the car and go south on Broad Street to get some unusual shots of an NS SD40-2 or a GP38-2 rocking and rolling on some bad track with a consist of 3 or 4 gondolas and several tank cars at around 3 to 5 miles per hour down the middle of Broad street. The Shrimpboats restaurant is good here, and so too, is a BBQ place (Ray's Country Smokehouse) just across US 74 on the right hand side of Broad Street going south. This is a safe area, again, because it sees much police traffic: approximately every 5 minutes going to and from the new police station.]
Gastonia -- Station Area West. Re-trace your route back over Broad Street bridge and make a right back onto Long Avenue. Go 1/2 mile and make a right by the Recycling Center. Then take an immediate right just before the grade crossing, and take no notice of the "Road Closed" sign, turn your vehicle and set up for a decent picture. This is a late afternoon photographic location, and the trains are fairly fast here, but the slight approaching grade looking East requires the locomotives to do some work getting to this point.
Just across the grade crossing, keep right and head 50 yards to the left hand bend. Don't take the bend but simply drive up onto a concrete pad and grassy area, where there once was a house. Here you have virtually the same location, but on the south side of the tracks from your previous spot. It is a great location for getting that frontal shot of an approaching Dash9. The viewpoint is on the outside of the curve. Both of these places are very safe.
Gastonia -- Station Area Center. Go back over the grade crossing, if you crossed it, and turn immediately right so that the track is on your right. If you didn't cross the grade to the south side of the tracks and you are still on the north side in the previous location, just cross the road so that you are now traveling parallel with the tracks on your right. There is no sign here to identify the road, but just head toward the large green water tower in front of you. Within less than 1/4 mile you will see another grade crossing to your right and if you went over this (Hancock street) and turned immediately left after crossing it, you would arrive at Gastonia Amtrak Station. However, there is nothing much there and it is not a good photographical location.
Continue heading straight with the railroad to your immediate right toward the big green water tower. Just as you approach the tower, there is a fire house on the left and a grassy area where it is safe to park. Get out of the car and walk past the left turn (Piedmont Street), past some parked cars and a trailer, which the employees of AJ's Landscaping Company use, and is the rear entrance to AJ's. This is not much more than a 20 yard walk. Continue walking to the right of the fence that is part of AJ's yard with AJ's on your left and the track on your right and continue 10 to 20 yards or so. Here is a good grassy spot to take pictures on spring and summer evenings. Nice and safe, and no "No Trespass" signs.
Gastonia -- Station Area East. Return to your vehicle and make the left turn onto Piedmont, and then a right turn onto NC-7 East, which is Ozark Avenue here. You can either get onto I-85 right here and end your tour or continue on for a bit. If you continue on, head further east on NC-7 until you arrive at the first traffic signal. This is NC-279 (New Hope Road). Turn right onto it and then turn right onto Hunt (this is but 50 yards, if not less), then take the next right onto Separk Circle, and then first right again onto One Avenue. You will see the tracks in front of you from the south side. There are several parking places that can be used along this road, and it is a great location to photograph trains with locomotives and a full train in a single frame. Again, this is the south side of the tracks and it's good both in the AM and PM and very safe, as street traffic is light here.
Gastonia -- East. Re-trace your steps and get back onto NC-279 west (New Hope Road) and make a right at the light after crossing the tracks. This is NC-7 east again, and will now be called Lowell Road. On your left side you will follow a single line which was the track of the SAL (which was originally the old Piedmont & Northern line). Go to the next set of traffic signals and make a right onto Cox Road (note that the name of the street is Spencer Mountain Road on the north side of NC-7), and cross the tracks. Turn right into the first driveway you come to, which is just before the Bestfoods Baking Company parking lot. Park your vehicle and walk to the tracks. There is a decent grassy area accessed from either behind the bakery or from the grade crossing to the west of the grade crossing and south of the tracks. This is another really quiet (although the crossing itself is noisy) and safe place, and is OK for both AM and PM photography, especially when the sun is somewhat low.
Directly to the west, the signals for the Ranlo interlocking (MP 396.7) are very visible. You can get access to the interlocking from the back of commercial buildings along NC-7, but the tracks are high up, and there is no place to watch trains or take pix that is not blatant trespassing.
Re-trace your steps and return back to NC-279 (New Hope Road) and follow this until you reach I-85. Follow the rest of the tour.
Lowell -- Railroad Street. Continue down NC-7/Lowell Road to a right onto Lineberger Street. Be alert, because Lineberger isn't much more than an alley, it's very close to a building, and the street sign is almost invisible underneath a very large, low-hanging willow oak. Also, be aware that some maps show Lineberger as Griggs Street, but the sign on NC-7 says Lineberger. Cross the tracks and take the immediate left onto Railroad Street. Just east of the crossing is the MP 395 sign.
The viewing both to the east and west off Railroad Street is superb. This is an excellent railfan location. Limited viewing, only, from the north, but most lighting conditions will definitely favor the south side, anyway. Trains are fast and quiet all along this route, so be alert and ready for action.
Lowell -- Downtown. Continue southeast (the bias of the railroad has shifted from mostly east - west to southeast - northwest) and go on in towards the town of Lowell. Take a left on Phillips Street, cross the tracks, and take a right onto West 1st Street, which is what NC-7 is called in town. At Main Street, take a right onto South Main, go under the tracks (slowly), and take an immediate right onto Railroad Street. This latter street is the same one you were on earlier, but the two segments are not connected.
A set of intermediate signals is just to the east of the underpass, and viewing from all quadrants of the crossing is excellent, except from the southeast, which is non-existent. On the southwest quadrant, you're going to pretty much be forced to shoot from very close to the street, but it's doable, and the results can be very nice.
Cramerton -- Mayflower Street. Go back under the railroad, and take a right on NC-7/East 1st Street, and then an almost immediate right onto Groves Street. This is not a 90° turn -- it's more of a "bend". Groves will take you south paralleling the railroad, over I-85 (no access here), and then end at U.S. 74/Wilkinson Boulevard. Take a right on U.S. 74, go west over the railroad, and then take your first left onto Gaston Road. Follow along on Gaston past Cramerton Road, and then about 2 long blocks to a traffic circle. This is your first clue that driving in Cramerton requires one to pay strict attention to the driving. The streets south of the tracks are narrow and somewhat vertical in places, and the whole area is interesting to see. Parking can be a bear. At the circle, go north towards the tracks on 16th Street. If you see a good place to park, do so.
16th Street will end at Mayflower, a long, somewhat curvy street that parallels the Crescent Route on its way through Cramerton. The tracks are well below the surface of Mayflower for most of the latter's distance, and they also curve very nicely on their way through town. The slopes of the cut are well maintained, and quite steep. In the area of 15th Street there is a manhole cover and a small area that is your best place to wait for trains. Elsewhere, there is very little room between the street curbing and a very pronounced drop, so be careful.
This is probably the most photogenic location on the Crescent Route -- at least it's certainly one of the most photogenic places that's easy to get to. With patience and thought, NS Calendar-quality photos can be taken here.
Belmont -- South Fork. From Mayflower Street and 15th Street in Cramerton, continue southeast on Cramerton. Take a left on 8th Avenue and go under the tracks. Take the next right onto North Main Street and follow it as it swings to the northeast. As you cross the South Fork of the Catawba River, you'll note the large, graceful concrete arch bridge that the railroad uses to get over the river. This is no railfan location, however, because the street bridge is very narrow, and there is a walkway that looks to be about 18" wide. You can't even slow down, because there is a ton of traffic on the road. You'll veer even more northerly and leave the tracks behind. Take your first right onto Eagle Road, and you'll shortly cross the tracks at grade, and should park in a small area immediately past the tracks on the left.
If that is impossible because of on-coming traffic, take a right just past the tracks, and go into the large gravel road leading downhill to the utility works. It would be best, however, to try to park on the north side of Eagle Road, and not on the municipal property.
The best viewing at the crossing is from the northeast (a weed whacker would help in the summer) and southwest -- both are good, but not excellent. Viewing from the southeast is fair, but the northwest quadrant is poor, at best. About 200 yards west of the crossing is the point where double track through the Gastonia area ends, and single track northward begins. The interlocking is called "South Fork", and is at MP 390.6. Incidentally, there is a defect detector "South Fork", at MP 390.3, so it is probably just north of Eagle Road, but I did not think to look for it.
Belmont -- South Belmont. Belmont is a logical place to begin and end your tour, so I'm going to give directions both from I-85 in Belmont, and from the previous location at South Fork.
From exit I-85 at exit 26, and go straight south through the lovely small town of Belmont. Try to give yourself enough time to visit the Catholic organizations in the area, including the Belmont Abbey, Belmont Abbey College, Sacred Heart College, and other such organizations. Down here in the Protestant South, these places are worth the visit. Drive around the town, also, and admire the beautiful old houses and commercial areas. Belmont is pretty neat.
Continue south to the tracks, and take your immediate left past the tracks and park.
If you're continuing the tour from South Fork, continue east on Eagle Road, which will end at Main Street. Take a left and drive right on up to the area of the tracks.
If you're with your family, just south of the tracks to the west of Main Street is a nice little community park. It's a nice place for the kids to burn off 6,000,000,000 calories while you shoot pictures of NS goodies. There are picnic benches.
North of the tracks, you'll notice some railroad cars parked by an attractive station on the NE quadrant of the intersection. This is not the Southern station. When you come down from I-85, the tracks which parallel the road for much of the way are those of the old Piedmont and Northern interurban coming down from Mt. Holly and Belmont Junction. The Piedmont Carolinas Railroad Museum is housed in the station and its cars. Looking to the west (south), you can clearly see the signals for the South Belmont Interlocking [MP 389.3].
The tracks (looking from the south of the tracks, which is where you want to be for photos), are actually a small ladder-track affair here, with only the northern-most track being a true main track. The others, today, primarily exist to provide access to Duke Power's Allen Plant, and some local customers in the area.
From this point, you have 3 options: 1. Take a real long diversion (time-wise) to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. 2. Take a short diversion down to the Duke Power spur. 3. Continue on the self-guided tour. We'll discuss all three.
1. If you have your family with you, and if such places appeal to you, we'd strongly suggest you take at least 4-6 hours out of your train-watching schedule and visit the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. These are relatively new, have been quite well funded, and have produced a masterpiece of gardening in the Piedmont. With 450 acres of gardens in existence and under development, they are worth a journey, let alone a side trip.
To get there, go east on the road south of the tracks, and follow it to the T-intersection. This will be Myrtle. Take a left, and go out to the main road, which is NC-273. While this is Keener Road here, it takes several turns and name changes, but remains NC-273. Follow it south until it dead-ends in far south Gaston County at NC-279. Go right on NC-279 (New Hope Road) to the gardens. Bring lots and lots of film.
To return to the tracks, retrace your steps, and continue the tour here.
2. The Allen Plant of Duke Power Company is off the same NC-273 which you'd use to get to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. There is a spur from South Belmont used by unit coal trains to get to the power plant. Maybe 3 miles or so south of the main line, take Henry Chapel Road to the east. Let us just tell you, this is an interesting road. Anyway, bear with it and get to the tracks. Here there is the possibility of a really nice NW-oriented shot of a unit coal train coming through the small cut at the crossing. Obviously, you'd want to see the train depart Belmont South before rushing off to this location -- who wants to wait three days for a train, anyway? Allen Plant Road further to the south leads directly to the plant, but you will not get anywhere near any railroad activity, so forget it.
To return to the tracks, retrace your steps, and continue the tour here.
3. To continue the tour, depart Belmont eastward via NC-7, Catawba Street, which is one block north of the main line.
Belmont -- North Belmont. On Catawba Street, NC-7, which is one block north of the main line, head east until turning south on 10th Street. Here, we'll be going towards the tracks, but pay close attention to the houses. You'll notice an amazing similarity between most of them. These are mill houses, and were built by the owners of the textile mills for their workers. Many of them are a whole lot older than they might look.
You'll soon go past the remnants of a spur into a textile mill, go a little further, and then go over the main line. Park and walk back to the bridge. To the west, you'll see that the erstwhile long siding (south or east track) has been cut, and the lead from the interlocking at South Belmont goes off to the south towards the Duke Power plant. This is an OK spot for photos of the main line, but expect shadows most of the time.
From here, the Crescent Route will be in fairly rugged territory for a short while. Get back to Catawba, NC-7 and head east.
Belmont -- Catawba River Bridge. You will shortly see a sign for the Belmont Dyers Company's industrial plant. This is Linestowe Road. Take this road south, until it forks just in front of a lovely old small stone and brick building. Take the right fork until it dead-ends in some apartments and a fenced industrial area. In front of you and crossing the river is the bridge carrying the Crescent Route across the Catawba River. Unfortunately, it's a good ways south of you, and the light will be completely horrible 100% of the time. It may be interesting to see this location once, but unless you have a boat, once is enough.
However, one thing here should be of keen interest to you: All through this entire neighborhood are excellent examples of the old mill houses which the textile mills built for their workers. Drive slowly, look around carefully, and you'll see these little houses in a different light. This is a most interesting area.
Charlotte -- Paw Creek. In Belmont, go back to Catawba, NC-7, and head further east. You'll join U.S. 29 and head east over the Catawba River. A short distance past the river, take Old Dowd Road to the southeast. If you get to Sam Wilson Blvd, you've gone too far, and need to take a right, south, on Sam Wilson, and you'll run into Old Dowd. This road twists and turns and eventually you'll come to a railroad crossing sign. Just before the tracks, turn left onto Marshall Acres Drive and find a place to park off the road.
[Webmaster's note: If you're planning on beginning the tour at some point other than the end-points, this is a good spot, because it's quite easy to get to: From I-85, take exit 29 and go south on Sam Wilson Boulevard, which will end at Dowd Road. Turn left, east, and just before the tracks, turn left onto Marshall Acres Drive and find a place to park off the road.]
Walk back to the crossing, being very careful, as Old Dowd Road carries quite a bit of traffic. Also, the curves at the crossing and the lack of much of a shoulder make for a fairly dangerous place to walk. Looking west down the tracks you'll see an impressive array of signals and the end of double track about 35-50 yards in front of you. This is timetable "Paw Creek" [MP 385.7]. To the east, double track extends into the Charlotte terminal. The yard leads for the intermodal yard break from the main line here. There are photo opportunities here, especially if you give yourself time to walk around a bit. Avoid trespassing on the property to the southeast of the crossing, and do not venture onto the industrial property south of the tracks and the road.
Charlotte -- Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yard.
NS recently opened a new intermodal inland port yard to replace the one that was alongside the Amtrak (Southern) passenger station. The new yard, in two sections, is "sandwiched" between two runways of the expanded Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. It's quite a sight during landing and approach to the terminal to see planes and trains.
The north end of the site is somewhat accessible by Old Dowd Road. Continue from Paw Creek site, then turn left to continue on Old Dowd Rd. where it intersects with Wallace Neel Rd. Continue on around the end of the runway and the road will cross the tail track into the yard on a bridge; there is a pull off on the left just before the bridge.
Now, lets head to perhaps the best railfan site in the Charlotte area, but first, we'll take a brief moment for those of you who like "down on" shots. Get back on Old Dowd Road, head further east, and snake around the northern boundaries of the Charlotte Airport. Eventually, Old Dowd will become Little Rock Road, and you'll take it until it gets to U.S. 29, Wilkinson Boulevard. Head east on Wilkinson, past Billy Graham Parkway, until you get to Morris Field Road.
An alternative route will take you to the other end of the yard. Backtrack on Old Dowd to Wallace Neel Rd. and follow that road until it reaches West Blvd. Turn right and cross the tail track on a bridge. From there, continue on West Blvd. to Billy Graham Parkway, turn left on this road, then turn right at the next intersection on to Morris Field Road.
Charlotte -- Morris Field Road. At the intersection of Wilkinson (U.S. 29) and Morris Field Road, go south on the latter, until you cross the tracks. Find a place to park, and walk back to the overpass. The bridge itself has rather narrow sidewalk areas, but is in the middle of reverse curves, so there are some photo ops. However, unless this site really grabs you for some arcane reason, we'd suggest you move on.
Retrace your steps to Wilkinson (U.S. 29), and head further east. As promised, we'll get you to the best train-watching site in the Charlotte area.
Charlotte -- Charlotte Junction. As you head further east on Wilkinson (U.S. 29), you'll see a strip shopping mall on the north side of the street. There is a Family Dollar store in the mall, with a nice big bright red sign. Opposite that store, on the south side of Wilkinson, is Donald Ross Road. Take it south and cross the tracks. Turn left on the dirt road immediately past the tracks, and drive, very, very, slowly over the out-of-service spur into an apparently moribund junk/scrap operator, and park as far back as you can from the tracks. Down by the scrap processor's chain link fence is the best place. From here you can see all the action, and will be back far enough from the railroad as to not cause them concern. In fact, the lack of any ballast or gravel down by the fence would appear to indicate that it is not railroad property.
This is the beginning of the Charlotte Terminal area, and all trains from the terminal coming south go through here. To the immediate west, you'll see the junction itself, with the southern tracks diverging to Columbia, South Carolina, via the R-Line. The Crescent Route tracks go straight west here towards Belmont. The Columbia line sees 8-11 total trains per 24-hour period, which is a nice addition to the volume coming up the Crescent Route. You'll need to be alert here, as you will hear the airplanes roaring at the airport, and there are lots of typical city noises, also. Do not, under any circumstances approach any tracks. The Norfolk Southern is understandably serious about safety and liability. Watching trains is enjoyable, but getting arrested isn't. Be an adult, and don't ruin this excellent site for the rest of us.
Another warning: The track immediately in front of you does not have a CTC signal here because it is not part of North Advance Interlocking. While you do not have a signal to forewarn of trains, do not assume this to be some bucolic spur or some such track: Those trains moving on that track are the through trains and can move very fast.
On clear days in the afternoon, you can get particularly nice shots of southbound trains with the Charlotte skyline behind and over them. It's really a very nice scene.
There is one other location, a little to the east, that we'll visit before we get into serious downtown Charlotte traffic and congestion.
Charlotte -- Berryhill Road. Continue east on Wilkinson Boulevard a short ways until you get to Berryhill Road. There is a light here. Turn right and cross the tracks. Immediately after the tracks, turn left. There is a fairly long (maybe 100 yards or so) gravel road down to a very strange business site. It looks like a big, inflatable building, and it has a big security fence around it. It also has two nasty looking dogs, one of which, we believe, plays linebacker for the Charlotte Panthers -- it's absolutely huge. We got well away from there. The gravel road is apparently not on railroad property, and you can get good pix here.
This is North Advance Interlocking [MP 379.6] in the timetable, and is the site of a double crossover. It is also the end of a long, apparently non-signaled siding which comes up from Charlotte Junction. As was the case with Charlotte Junction, you can get good afternoon shots looking back towards the skyline of Charlotte.
From here, several things change the self-guiding tour. We've been through some rough areas before, but we are now going to enter a big city, and it has its share of dangerous areas. Our advice is for you to avoid areas not on this railfan guide. We further suggest that you always, if at all possible, travel with at least one male companion. Finally, we believe you should do your homework before getting here: know the streets and areas through a study of a good Charlotte map.
One other change is in the railroad itself. Shortly after Berryhill Road, the railroad swings to a much more northerly direction for its trip through the city, and it also becomes elevated in many areas. Because of its elevation, it's difficult to photograph trains.
Finally, as we move deeper into the terminal area, the security efforts of the railroad increase dramatically. Passive efforts include major-league fencing, and probably alarms and video cameras. There are literally billions of dollars of freight passing through the terminal annually, and the corporation is serious about protecting that cargo, as well as all its other physical plant. Active efforts include a tough, professional corps of railroad special agents.
We will make one more stop before entering a point beyond which photographs are impossible, and its a fairly good one.
Charlotte -- Summit Avenue. From Berryhill, turn east (right) onto Wilkinson, but you need to get to the far left lane ASAP, as U.S. 29 will diverge here, and go northeast as West Morehead Street. On Morehead, go under I-77 and then approximately 3 blocks further east, and go south (right) on South Clarkson Street. Go under I-277, and Summit will shortly be on your left. Turn onto Summit, cross the tracks and park to the left of Summit.
There is a defect detector here ("Charlotte" [MP 378.8]), as well as an intermediate signal for the west (north) track. To the northeast, there are nice photo backdrops featuring the skyline of the city.
Charlotte -- Graham Crossing. We will now get up to the busiest place in the terminal -- the Graham Interlocking where the CSX (ex-SAL line to Bostic) and the Crescent Route cross. Here, also, is the NS ("AT&O Line") line down from Winston-Salem. The AT&O line at one time crossed NC Music Factory Drive & CSX, but it has been severed with a pile of dirt on tracks just "north" of the Statesville Avenue "dead" crossing. (E. Michael Jones, added 1/4/15).
Before we depart for the crossing, however, there are some important things you should know about it. The actual diamonds are directly under a massive I-277 overpass. Sunlight is non-existent in most of this area, therefore. Further, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a large elevator and milling plant here, and the truck traffic is very heavy. There is, perhaps, even more aggressive exclusion of railfans on the part of ADM than that of the railroad itself. Finally, this is a pretty rough area. By way of summary, we do not fan this location. However, virtually all visitors to the area will want to see the place, so....
Get back on Summit and head further southeast. At Mint Street, turn left (north) and continue past Morehead and the underpass of I-277. Note that after passing Morehead, you are once again on U.S. 29. You will bend around Ericcson Stadium, and want to stay on U.S. 29, which will bear to the left on West Stonewall Street, then will go back to the right to continue as Graham Street northward. Just before going under I-277 (which is confusing, because it goes in a big semi-circle), take a left on 10th Street. Just before the first tracks, take a right onto Smith Street and drive to the crossing. Parking is difficult here, and be darned sure you're not on ADM or railroad property.
When you've had your fill at the crossing area, retrace your steps to Graham Street, take a left (north) and go under I-277. Shortly, you'll go over the NS yard leads to the north. There are sidewalks over the bridge, but it's extremely busy, so be very careful if you're going to attempt to get photos. Continue north, following the U.S. 29 signs as you shift from Graham to Dalton Avenue to Tryon Street, and you'll shortly see the signs to the Amtrak station.
Charlotte -- Amtrak Station. The station is in the middle of the NS yard area, on the west side of the yard. However, absolutely nothing in the yard is visible anywhere along here, so forget railfanning the yard area. As far as the station itself, only passengers are allowed on the platforms. This is not a railfan location.
Also, this is the end of the self-guided tour of the Crescent Route from Greenville, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. To continue the tour north towards Washington, DC, go to the Charlotte -- Greensboro portion of the tour, which is here. For the homepage of the entire Crescent Route self-guided tour, go here.