The S-Line
Salisbury to Asheville
Introduction
The secondary main line from Salisbury, North Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina (the S-Line), and on to New Line (Morristown), Tennessee (via the River Line), is through beautiful countryside, and varies from easy to railfan all the way to very difficult to railfan. The Salisbury to Asheville portion is part of Norfolk Southern's Piedmont Division, while the Asheville to New Line portion is within the Tennessee Division.The total timetable distance is 228.0 miles. This section of the tour covers the Salisbury - Asheville segment (141.0 miles -- 118 are complete), while the Asheville - New Line segment of 87.0 miles is here.
Contents And Navigation:
Contributors To This Tour
Brian Rackleypersonally treated your Webmaster to a terrific tour of the Loops above Old Fort. Without his help, several of the locations in the mountains would not have been observed and detailed.
Train Gifs. All train gifs used within this tour are from the Ed Bindler's train gifs site, which is here.
Tony Hill, retired webmaster and data provider, Salisbury - Old Fort. Text provider, Old Fort - Azalea. Data provider Azalea - Asheville Biltmore.
http://www.thelink2.com, defunct website. Don't know the Webmaster's name, but this site had excellent information on the Southern Loops that will nicely supplement this Frograil Tour. Mile points mentioned in this tour are from theLink2 or Tony's personal observation.
Help
If you'd like to contribute to this, or any other tour, please contact me at webmaster@frograil.com, and let me know what you'd like to do. We'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
Description of the railroad. [NOTE: This description covers only the segment from Salisbury to Asheville. The remainder of the line is in the Asheville - New Line segment, which is here.] From Salisbury, the line goes through the gentle hills and curves of the piedmont. While the hills seem to increase in both size and frequency as you head west, the ease of railfanning really doesn't lessen -- it's a joy to railfan from Salisbury west. As you glide through Statesville, Newton and Hickory, you're enjoying a leisurely railfan tour.
However, once you depart the small town of Hildebrand, to the west of Hickory, you're into a far more difficult environment. It isn't truly mountain railroading, but it's through some rugged piedmont areas that make fanning tough. You'll find yourself going several miles to get to one place to (hopefully) see some action. Pacing a train is logically easy, because they slow down as they battle the foothills of the Appalachians, but the difficulty in getting trackside increases even faster. Therefore, you're probably better off finding a "special" place, and setting up and enjoying yourself between trains.
As far as commodities, you'll see a lot of wood products-generated traffic, such as poles, wood chips, box cars for paper and cardboard, and some tanks. Grain and coal unit trains are common. Most other types of general freight will be seen, but there is no intermodal over the route. Also, you won't see long, long drags of anything. The trains on the S-Line are rather short, and have lots of power, as the line just west of Old Fort is no longer piedmont railroading -- it's mountain railroading, complete with the famous Southern Loops, pushers, busted knuckles, etc.
Yes, you'll find lots of lines with more traffic, but you'll find few with the mix of scenery, engineering interest, and railroad effort that characterize the S-Line.
Traffic density. For the Salisbury - Asheville segment, density averages 8 trains per 24 hours. However, the pusher movements, pick-ups from Clinchcross, extra movements, and other odd-ball movements will combine to make figuring out how many trains you'll see in 24 hours pretty complicated. You'll sit for 3 hours and not see a thing. You'll also sit for one hour and see 3 trains. Go figure. Including all locals and non-through movements, you'll probably see at least 1 movement every 2 1/2 hours, using an arithmetic average.With the demise of the Saluda Line from Asheville - Spartanburg, traffic has increased some 2-5 movements per day, and is included in the above figures.
Life Support: There are significant towns (Salisbury - Statesville - Hickory - Morganton - Marion - Asheville) all along the way of this tour, so you'll have no difficulty with food, gas, lodging, shopping, or even hospitalization. Between Statesville and Asheville, even though this tour almost exclusively follows US-70, you're never more than a few miles from I-40, so you can begin and end this tour very easily at many different locations.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. It is definitely recommended 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.
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 private property, lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
Photographic Considerations: As I've done in several Other Tours, beginning with Morganton westward, I've attempted to rate the photo fields for all 4 quadrants of many crossings detailed in the tour. The following format is used: NE2, SE1, SW 4, NW4, where you go clockwise around the quadrants from northeast to northwest, and numerical ratings, from 1 to 4, with a 1 being excellent, and a 4 being non-existent, are assigned. Note that I'm rating only photo field availability, not the photogenic qualities of the site. I'm a picture taker, not a photographer, and you guys who are good photographers will have to make your own determinations. Also, in trackside locations that are not crossings, I'll use an E3/W2 or N1/S3 convention, using just the compass directions and a photo rating.
Bear in mind that these ratings are specific to the area we're touring. A so-so crossing in the coastal plain would be considered an excellent photo site in the western piedmont, for example.
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.
Salisbury - Asheville -- Railfan Sites
The Tour
NOTE: The tour is almost complete now. It is complete from Salisbury to downtown Statesville (MP 26), and then resumes in Newton, and goes all the way into the Asheville yard.
Salisbury -- 11thStreet. We begin at the point where the S-line begins, as it separates from the Crescent Route in downtown Salisbury, North Carolina. From I-85 south of downtown, go north on US-52 (Innes Street) up a hill until you are about to cross over the tracks. Turn right on Long Street, and drive east to 11th Street. Turn left (north) on 11th to just before the tracks, and then take a left onto the rudimentary dirt lane.
Park south of the dirt road and enjoy yourself. This is not a great area of town, but it's not all that bad, and the site is very open. [As an aside, we recommend you always railfan with a male friend or better yet, several friends. Keeping up with the scanner, maps, text such as this, and driving is a lot to ask of one person, plus your relative security goes up dramatically when there are at least two fans.] Note that this lot has recently been significantly upgraded, with a surveying company now occupying the renovated building. If you're here during the week, you should ask for permission to park back near the tracks.
This is the best train-watching location in the Salisbury area, and is timetable "11th Street", MP 333.0. Trains are not blazingly fast here, and there is a small yard facility just east (timetable) of the intersection which will yield some action for you sometimes, especially during the early-mid morning hours. The sun is behind you most of the day, so pictures should be excellent. All Piedmont Division main line and S-Line traffic will be seen here. Altogether, you'll probably have 30-48 movements in a 24-hour period. Enjoy.
Salisbury -- Grimes Mill. Go over the tracks, and continue north on 11th Street to the light at Main Street, and take a left to go west on Main. Go 5 blocks and turn right (north) on Lafayette Street. Take the first street to the left, which is Church Street. Just before you cross the S-Line there is a vacant lot on the right, site of a big, impressive building. Park here. This is the location of the Grimes Mill, an historic building, which in the early morning hours of January 16, 2013, was destroyed by a devastating fire. The tracks are somewhat SE-NW here, and you can get a nice shot most times of day. Trains are sometimes held here awaiting entry to the Crescent Route.
Salisbury -- Ellis Street. From Church St, take Franklin St. (or fo back to Lafayette and turn left) to continue north. Go 2 blocks and take a left on Ellis Street. Park before crossing the narrow, old bridge over the tracks. There is a walkway on both sides of the bridge, which can give very nice, interesting photos, primarily of eastbounds. The views are just as good of westbounds, but the sun is usually fighting you. This is a busy street, and the walkway is narrow, so be very careful.
Salisbury -- Roy Street.
From the bridge over the tracks, continue west 4 blocks, and turn right on Innes
Street. You will soon see a fairly large railroad bridge carrying the
S-Line over the street. Shortly before the bridge, Innes splits, with the
main road going to the right. Go to the left, go under the tracks, and
take your first left onto Roy Street. [WARNING: This street is not
on the Salisbury/Rowan County map Tony used, but it's there.]
Drive to an old Exxon fuel oil company and park. Excellent viewing to the south,
but the sun will fight you most of the time.
There is a path through the trees near the old Exxon station, reports
Jeremy Hughes, but one must be aware of surroundings and safety in
this area, especially after dark.
Salisbury -- Majolica. Continue on Roy, as it bends to the north and becomes Van Nuys Street. Take a left on Hedrick Street, go 3 blocks, and turn left on Brenner Avenue. After a few blocks, turn right (west) onto Old Wilkesboro Road. There will soon be a park on your left: Kelsey Scott Park. Park as far to the rear of the parking lot as you can. The railroad at the rear of the park is on a high fill, but you want to look to the east, and you'll notice an aluminum-colored electrical box/cabinet. Walk the 50 yards or so towards this cabinet, and you'll be at the tracks at grade level. Across the tracks is the back end of the Veterans Administration Hospital complex.
Directly to your east is the spring switch ending the double trackage through the terminal. This is "Majolica" [MP S2.1], and it's a nice place to watch trains. Depending on the light, you can watch from the grassy area north of the tracks, or back from them in the edge of the park on the south side. In the park proper, there are restrooms and playground stuff for the kids.
Barber -- KoSa. Get back on Old Wilkesboro Road and continue west. Cross the creek and then take your first left (south) on Industrial Avenue, which will take you out to US-70/US-601/Jake Alexander Boulevard. Turn right (north) on Jake Alexander, and continue to the major intersection with US-70/Statesville Boulevard. In this area are plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, gas stations, etc.
Go west on US-70. There is an unremarkable crossing reached via Majolica Road, an overpass (very deep and narrow -- worthless) via Hurley School Road, and another poor crossing via Barringer Road. Therefore, ignore these and continue west about 8 miles or so, and you'll see a sign for the intersection of NC-801 north. Before the actual intersection, you'll see a beautifully landscaped and maintained facility on your left. It's not a park, but rather a synthetic textile manufacturing facility of KoSa, Inc. It's huge, the grounds are beautiful, and it's an important railroad customer.
Pass KoSa, and before going over the railroad, park off to the side of the road. Walk across the nicely mown area towards the intermediate signals at the tracks. When you're near the tracks, you have virtually a perfect place for pix. At least 3 locals (one of them a round tripper) Monday through Saturday can/will work the plant. This is private property, but is absolutely huge -- probably 1/2 mile or more from "civilization," so you probably won't be bothered. That said, get your pix and leave, or request permission within the complex.
Barber. Continue west on US-70 and follow the sign up to Barber in about 1 1/2 miles. Barber is a crossroads only, not really a town. The road from US-70 to the tracks splits a large sawmill [NOTE WELL: This is a very interesting place, but dangerous. Log trucks are hustling, forklifts are whizzing around, etc, and since it's on both sides of the street, you've got things coming from all sides!]. Just before the road crosses the main track, turn left into the large parking area at the agent's station. There's more here than immediately meets the eye.
The L-Line(Charlotte/Winston-Salem, aka "The Peavine") crosses the S-line (this crossing is known as "Barber Junction") at the station [MP 11.6], and there is a 3(?) track yard about 150 yards west of the junction. Walk cross-country (not along the rails) to the yard area, and in the southeast corner of the yard, parallel to the west-to-south connector track, you can often find the power for the L-Line's local.
Back at the agent's station, photography is excellent to the north, but trains coming from the east are difficult in the early to mid morning. Just south of the junction is a large Southern States feed mill. There will often be several covered hoppers in the area, and the local switches the mill. There is no public access to the feed mill area.
Cleveland -- Kesler Road. From the agent's parking lot, take a left and go over the tracks. After one block, you'll come to Old Highway 70. Take a left, and head west under the tracks. Go west about two miles, and you'll come to a crossroads with Mountain Road on the north, and Kesler Road on the south. Take a left (south) and park before the tracks. This is the end of the passing siding/yard west of Barber. There's good access for photos on both sides of the tracks.
Cleveland -- Railroad Street. Continue west on Old Highway 70 into Cleveland, and go left (south) on Mimosa Street. Go one block and turn right onto Railroad Street. Railroad is one block long, and the tracks are on your left. The area between the street and tracks is open and occasionally mown. It's a good place to watch trains, but gives photographers a southbound view. However, if you cross the tracks on Mimosa, there is a smallish grassy area between the road and the tracks, which will give you ok access for photos most of the day.
As an aside, there is an AEI detector about mid-way along the length of Railroad Street. This is a device that records the reporting marks and number of the cars in each passing train. One wonders why it's out in such a place, rather than at a yard throat or departure/arrival tracks.
Elmwood. Elmwood is pretty much a dot on the map just west of the Rowan County/Iredell County line. About 4 miles after leaving Cleveland on US-70 (Old Highway 70 is called Main Street in the west side of town, and ends at US-70), a lumber mill will come up on your right, across the tracks to the north. There is a very large mown area on both sides of the tracks east of the lumber mill, and excellent photos are easily taken here. Further west, as you come into the crossroads community of Elmwood, there is a large, white PCS Nitrogen storage tank.
Turn right (north), just past the fence around the tank, onto Roundabout Lane (do not cross the tracks). Cross as far west in the gravel lot as practical. If there is a lot of in- and-out traffic into the fertilizer facility, you may not want to park here at all. This is a seasonal facility, with up to 12 nitrogen tankers in the spur at once. The facility is capable of unloading 5 cars at a time. Most times of the year, nothing much is happening here, but when it's busy, it's real busy.
Statesville -- Bartlett Milling. As you come into the Statesville area, there are many places with wide open access to the tracks, as the tracks are quite close to US-70. When you come into town, U.S. 70 is the Salisbury Highway until Salisbury Road veers off to the right. U.S. 70 continues straight ahead on Garner Bagnal Blvd. Stay on it straight westbound and go under I-77. The railroad parallels you closely here, but the area is an old industrial neighborhood, and is somewhat rough. Railfanning is not recommended along here.
Once under I-77, go 1,500 feet to reach Wall Street, then turn right to reach Monroe Street. Turn left on Monroe, pass Opal Street, and then take a right on Jackson Street. After about 2 blocks, Jackson swings 90° to the west, and becomes Jefferson Street. Take your first right (north) onto South Elm Street, go over the tracks via an overpass, and continue north to the stop at Garfield Street. Take a left and go west to the big intersection with US-21/NC-115. Take a HARD left and drive past the Bartlett Milling complex to the tracks -- do not turn onto US-21/NC-115 from Garfield.
As you go over the overpass on South Elm, look west, and you'll see the east edge of Bartlett's property, including the place where 100-ton covered grain hoppers are shoved into unloading tracks. You may also note what appears to be a GE 44T, which Bartlett uses as its switcher. It's very noisy here, as the mill is quite large, and it tends to work pretty hard. As you can imagine, there are lots of trucks in and out of the loading docks, which are right behind you. There are 4-5 stub end yard tracks, a main track, and an additional storage track south of the main.
Photography is poor, because you are facing south, but also because there are often cars between you and the main track. However, the chance to see that GE at work is worth the trip.
Statesville -- Station. Retrace your route to US-21/NC-115 and take a hard left onto US-21/NC-115, and go down and under the tracks. As soon as you begin uphill, you'll see the station to your left. Take the first left and enter the parking lot for the depot.
The 1911 Statesville Train Depot was saved through a community effort. Funds were raised through the sale of "Save the Depot" prints. With the intent to bring passenger service back through Statesville, the building has been purchased by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Behind the station is a nice lawn which would be ideal for photos, as you're south of the tracks (actually, you're directly opposite the Bartlett Milling operation). However, because of the mill and US-21/NC-115, the location is noisy, so it's really easy to miss a train.
Statesville -- Mulberry Street. From the depot, continue south on US-21/NC-115 for two blocks, and turn right onto Allison Street. From Allison, take your first right (north) on Meeting Street, and then a left on Wise Street. After only 2 blocks, turn right (north) on Mulberry Street. As you cross the tracks, you can probably reach out and touch the MP 26 sign. Actually, three things happen here. First, in the northwest quadrant of the crossing, the Alexander Railroad comes down into Statesville. Second, the area to your right (east) is the beginning of the NS "yard", and third, heading west, the congestion of Statesville has largely been left behind!
Your most interesting photos here will probably be of the Alexander Railroad, but you'll have to know their schedule to get those pix -- call ahead. Other than waiting for an Alexander Railroad train coming down the hill to this point, this is not a railfan site.
Back to the top Back to the Site Listing
NOTE: This is the end of this completed section of the tour. We'll pick it up in Newton at MP48.2.
Newton -- Downtown Junction. From US-321Business west of town, take 15th Street to the tracks. If you wish, you can turn left (north) on NC-16, North Main Avenue in town, and go up a block to 16th, but either way, you'll end up at the tracks. At this point, the S-Line from Salisbury has completed it's big looping curve south from its east-west bias to join what was the line from Newton down to Gaston (the right of way is now owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation). South of the junction, there is still traffic being generated, and the 1-2 track yard south of the junction is quite busy. There are good views in all directions here. The junction itself is MP 48S.
Conover. From Newton, continue north on N. Main Ave. To follow trackside, at East 20th Street, take a right and go under the tracks to College Street. College will eventually cross back over the tracks, then cross again to end at U.S. 70. To enter the town of Conover, turn left on 3rd Ave. before crossing the tracks again, then turn right on N. Main. You will shortly come to a point which you must take a right over the the downtown tracks. Cross, then take a sharp right. This former factory location is now a public park with lots of free parking. The "Conover Station" is an accessible public building with handicapped ramps and an elevator. Public bathrooms are available. This is a newly constructed building. To the East, there is a long unobstructed view of the track. There is a small cafe and the Conover Branch Library also occupy this building.
Thanks to Len Allman for updating this entry. (1/10/15)
Hickory -- Oyama East. Oyama is a relatively small, but very active yard between Conover and the east edge of Hickory. From the Conover site, go back over the tracks, take a left, and then your first right. This will take you out to NC-16, which is South 1st Avenue. Go north on NC-16 until you get to the rather busy intersection with West 1st Street in downtown Conover. This is a 5-point intersection. Take a hard left (due west) on West 1st Street. Stay on 1st Street all the way into the Hickory area, as it becomes Highland Avenue. At 33rd Street Drive NE, you could cross the tracks and park on Highland Avenue. Now (March 2002), the 33rd Street crossing has been eliminated, and you'll have to use some ingenuity to get trackside. Be advised that the muffler shop on Highland has a very high opinion of its territorial rights to any parking anywhere near the shop. John Mercer has been kind enough to provide this update for us.
This is the east end of Oyama yard, and views are pretty good to the north east from the berm on the south side of the tracks. Other views are somewhat compromised, and are not recommended.
Hickory -- East. Continue east on Highland Avenue, and there will be a big Thomasville furniture plant on your left. There is a private drive over the tracks and into the plant complex. Park somewhere off Highland (not on Thomasville property), and walk up the road and over the tracks. Just past the tracks, walk to the left (east), and you're in a great, off-RR, off-Thomasville property place to get super photos almost any time of day. [NOTE: If you're on Highland and come to 22nd Street Drive NE, you've gone too far. Do a U-turn, and the first right is the lead to the Thomasville plant.] This is the west end of Oyama yard.
Hickory -- Station Area. Continue west on Highland. As you get towards downtown, you'll begin to encounter one-way streets. At this point, the Railfan Guide cannot help you much. As you drive, turn, drive, turn, drive, and turn some more, one cannot take notes fast enough to write down all the turns. So, here's the concept of operations: You want to continue to head west next to the tracks, and this will largely consist of driving along Main Street. North of the tracks, it's North Main Street; south of the tracks, it's South Main Street. Follow your nose, and you'll stay quite close to the tracks, as you head west. When you get to the major intersection of 2nd Street NW and Main Avenue, you'll see the classic Southern station. It's now a restaurant, and most worthy of a visit. There is plenty of off-railroad property for pix.
Hickory -- 4th Street NW. Continue west on South Main Street to 4th Street NW. In this area is plenty of large, off-railroad property on both sides of the tracks. Good railroad pix can be had any time of the day.
Hickory -- 33rd Street Drive SW. As you continue out of town to the west on US-70/Main Street, you'll come to 33rd Street Drive Southwest close to the Catawba/Burke county line. There is good viewing here from the south, off railroad property.
Hildebrand Continue west on US-70, as it parallels the tracks all the way into Hildebrand. In this town, there is a nice train-watching location at US-70 and Center street in the middle of the small town. There is plenty of parking, and an excellent photo location from the south, on off-railroad property. Enjoy this location, because starting immediately, the railfanning is going to get much more difficult -- you are entering a much hillier and rugged area now.
Indeed, as you drive all the way to Asheville, you'll frequently see the tracks, but you will not be able to follow them. In fact, you'll be out of radio contact in many places. Relax, you're now getting into mountain railroading, and such difficulties simply come with the territory.
Valdese. As you travel west into Burke County, you'll go through Connelly Springs, Rutherford College, and on into Valdese. Unfortunately, the railfan ops aren't much better in Valdese than they were in the previous towns. However, if you hear a Thoroughbred on the scanner, and need to get trackside in a hurry, here is a decent, although not very photogenic, spot: From US-70, turn left (south) on Rodoret (?) to Mossel Avenue. This rather bland location will give you great pix to the south, but since the tracks are mostly east-west, you really will never, ever want southerly pix. It's OK if you know you've got a train bearing down on you -- otherwise, continue west.
Drexel. Continue west on US-70 until you reach the junction with NC-114. Go north on NC-114, which will enter the town of Drexel. Drexel is small, pretty, and the home of Drexel Heritage Furniture. In Drexel, NC-114 is Main Street, and just before it crosses the tracks, at Mimosa, turn left and park in the commercial lot. This is the end of the passing/storage track, at milepost 73.7.
Morganton -- Station Area. As you've seen ever since Hildebrand, the railroad has become virtually impossible to trace. As the hills and curves continue, your ability to stop the car, hop out, and take pix has evaporated. From Drexel to Morganton, you'll be hard-pressed to find a decent train-watching site. Therefore, drive on into Morganton, and at the junction of US-70By-Pass and US-70Business, take a left onto US-70By-Pass. Continue on the latter to its junction with NC-18 at Shelby/Sterling Street. Go north on NC-18 until just before the railroad underpass, and then go up the adjacent road (Alpine Street) to the tracks. Park at the tracks.
Here, there are a few side/yard tracks which function as a yard, and good photo sites from both the south and north side of the tracks. The station is boarded up, but still intact, and the lines are as clean as ever. This is MP 78.6. Morganton is a good-sized town, and quite busy, but up here at the tracks, you may as well be in Frog Pond--it's a good place for photos on the S-Line.
Morganton -- Rand Street. From here on, you'll see a lot of NAG/NARL abbreviations, as many crossings are not at grade, and many are not railfan locations. As you continue the tour to the west of the station, you will encounter several NAG/NARL's, and I'll point them out so you can avoid them. To avoid them on NC-18 and College Street, drive north from the station (NC-18 becomes one-way immediately north of the station area) to McDowell or Concord Street and take a left. Go three blocks to College Street and take another left on to Herron Street. Take the first left, which is Rand Street.
Rand Street is NAG, but the view to the west is quite good, and there is adequate shoulder room on the bridge. E3/W1.
Morganton -- Jamestown Road. Go further south on Rand Street, and take a right onto US-70. There is a NAG/NARL just north of the intersection where US-64 and US-64Business join US-70, as well as another a little further west at the point where US-70/US-64 crosses over the tracks. There is a location south of the highway, off Golf Course Road, with a wicked ~45° reverse turn into a lane called Country Club Drive. However, viewing is quite obscured, and you have to trespass on golf course property to take photos. This is NARL.
Just past Golf Course Road, US-70 goes left to leave the Morganton area and head west towards Marion. Take this left, and at the major intersection with Independence Boulevard (to the north) and Jamestown Road (to the south), take a left to go south on Jamestown. This is a NAG, but the viewing is decent in both directions, at E2/W2. The tracks are almost dead east-west here. Be careful, because Jamestown is a very heavily traveled thoroughfare.
Morganton -- Borden. Further west on US-70, you'll once again cross over the tracks on a NAG/NARL, and should take the next left, which is Industrial Boulevard. The tracks are treed in here until the road curves 90° to the south. At that turn, the Borden Chemical plant is directly in front of you. The rear of its property borders the railroad, and is beautifully maintained. If you can get permission to be there, you can get some good pix , but do not not enter the property without proper permission. S1/N4
Glen Alpine. Go back out Industrial Boulevard, and take a left on US-70 to head further west. After only a mile or so, veer to the right on Mill Street to enter Glen Alpine. For the most part, the tracks just to your right are obscured, so continue on to "downtown". This is a very nice town, and there are several photo locations. London Street/Catawba Street crosses the tracks, and London Street/Mill Street parallels them on the south side. On the north, Linville Street/Pitt Street does the honors. At the intersection of all these roads just north of the tracks is the Glen Alpine Depot Restaurant, which Tony highly recommends. It offers simple fare, inexpensive pricing, and is obviously very popular with the locals.
As you get to downtown, Mill Street ends, and swings to the south around a parking lot, and the street is now called London Street. The parking lot just mentioned is probably the best place in the village to get your shots, and Tony rates the viewing south of the tracks a solid S1 and to the north it's likewise N1. This is a very nice area and location. While Tony didn't see it, there is also a B&B in Glen Alpine, which might make a nice place to stay while you explore the area.
Bridgewater. London Street will continue on and head south to US-70. Take a right and continue west for several miles, as the railroad has headed off into the wilderness, and you'll need a helicopter to follow it. When you get to the crossroads of Bridgewater, take a right to go north on Bridgewater Road. When you approach the tracks, there is a large woodchip mill to the east, in full operation, and very noisy - not a good location for a video shoot. Park on the left, just south of the tracks. NE1, SE2, SW2, NW3. There are 2 tracks here. (Thanks to Bob Scuorzo for a March, 2013, update on the mill.)
Nebo -- East. Leaving Bridgeport, continue west on US-70 for several more miles to NC-126, and take a right to go north to the crossroads of Nebo. There is an intersection on a bias here, and you want to go straight on NC-126. Just before crossing the tracks, take a right onto Railroad Drive. After about 1/4 mile, the road will turn left and cross the tracks. Park somewhere off the road, and you'll be rewarded with the following photo fields: NE2/SE4/SW1/NW3. The 94 mile point marker is immediately east of the crossing.
Where NC-126 crosses the tracks at grade, you can get so-so photos, but it's much busier than Railroad Drive, and the latter's photo field from the southwest is quite good, compared to the NC-126 crossing. As you drive back towards US-70, you can take a right on Old Number 10, but its crossing of the tracks is NAG/NARL, and Finley Drive (turn left just before crossing the tracks), which follows the tracks closely, is densely treed in. Therefore, just continue down to US-70.
Marion -- Clinchcross. Keep in mind, as you enter and proceed through Marion, that the tracks are on a decidedly northeast - southwest bias, so you'll need to carefully consider the lighting, depending on the time of day and time of year. Continuing west on US-70, you'll pass Rolands Chapel Road, but its crossing is NAG/NARL, so keep going until you go up and over the tracks on a NAG/NARL, and after about 1/2 mile, you'll go under the CSX (ex-Clinchfield) tracks. Take the next left (probably labeled as Carolina Avenue). This is not a railroad-owned road, as far as Tony could determine. Drive up to the CSX buildings next to the tracks, and follow the road along the tracks to the parking area behind the cinder block plant. This is a little north of the overpass of US-70. The only view of the NS S-Line available here is a very brief glimpse of a train as it goes over the narrow overpass of the CSX tracks. Obviously, this is not an S-Line railfan location, but it's an important railroad point and deserves to be mentioned.
The actual interchange between NS and CSX takes place south and east of this location. Tony didn't know how one could get trackside in that area, so he suggests moving on further west.
For you guys using MapQuest, remember that the NS line is faithfully shown as "CSX" all the way from Salisbury to Asheville, and CSX going north through Clinchcross is still shown as "Clinchfield Railroad". Be careful and use a good map such as deLorme or Steam Powered Video.
Marion -- Yancey Street. From the cinder block plant, head back towards the CSX offices. However, just before going over US-70, take the sharp right that will lead you straight down to the street. Go r..e..a..l slow, as the road is very rough, but is a good shortcut. After about 2/3 mile west on US-70, take a left onto Yancey Street. This crosses the tracks at a so-so location, NE2, SE4, SW3, NW2. This is so-so, but this will get you trackside quickly if you know something is coming shortly.
Marion -- Clay Street. A few blocks south of Yancey, there is a crossing of Baldwin Avenue which is at grade, but it's very busy, and photo ops don't exist, so it's NARL. About another 1/4 mile further west on US-70, there is another crossing available via McDowell Street, but it's a NAG/NARL, so continue further west on US-70 to a left on Clay Street. Clay Street is the best railfan site since we left Glen Alpine.
Clay Street is no longer a through street. It is barricaded on both sides of the right of way. Get to that site by making a left turn onto McDowell Street. Turn right at State Street; then turn right onto Clay Street and that grassy area. To continue west, make a right turn from Clay Street onto State Street, and go SW to its end at US 221. After making a right turn, you rejoin US 70. (Thanks to Bob Scuorzo for the March, 2013, update on this site.)
The photo ratings and layout require some explanation: NE4, SE3, SW1, NW4&1. From the north, both quadrants are zero for photo ops. However, on the northwest side of the crossing, there is an ABC store a little west of the crossing, with a parking lot and large grassy area behind it, which is excellent for fanning. The jewel, however, is the southwest quadrant. On the southeast quadrant is a vacant industrial building, and the southwest quadrant served as its parking lot. It's a very large, wide open area, and viewing is perfect. This is a lawn chair and cooler spot, and would be a fine place to meet some friends and enjoy a day trackside.
Marion -- Station Area. As you continue west on US-70, continue past Garden Street (an at grade crossing, but not recommended), and US-221Business (NAG/NARL). Cross US-221Business, go one block, and turn left to go south on Logan Street. Logan will end at Henderson Street, and you should take a right, and then almost immediately, a left on Depot Street. This will dump you at the station, which supposedly may be renovated some day. There is good viewing in several areas in the vicinity. There is nothing wrong with the area, but Tony personally prefers the Clay Street area -- it's simply a matter of personal opinion.
Greenlee -- East. Go back up to Henderson, turn right, and go out to US-211By-Pass, and take a left. You can take a left at Nix Creek Road and get to an at-grade crossing, but it's NARL. Therefore, continue north on US-221By-Pass. If you want to save time and gas, you can go cross country via Greenlee Road, but Tony decided to take the easy way, and went north to the point at which US-70 crosses the By-Pass. Take a left to go further west on US-70, and after about 2 miles, take a left onto Restoflex Road. Restoflex will take you straight south to join Old Greenlee Road. According to MapQuest, you can take a left and go southeast over to the railroad, but DeLorme does not show a crossing. Tony elected to take a right to continue west. We are going to encounter a short series of so-so crossings, but we're getting close to real mountains, and we're also within the confines of the Cane Creek and Catawba River valleys, so one has to take what one is given.
As you drive southwest, you'll see another road that goes off to the left that may or may not cross the tracks -- again, the maps do not agree, and we chose to continue straight on to the crossing of Old Greenlee with the tracks. This is a so-so crossing, but isn't bad at all: NE2, SE2, SW2, NW2. Considering where you are, this is a pretty decent location.
Greenlee -- West. So, keep going west on Old Greenlee Road, and so what, eh? Well, you'll soon come to a place that will make you a star. If you get out here with a weed whacker or maybe even a small chain saw, you can get a photo that will get you into the next Norfolk Southern calendar.
After passing the Greenlee -- East location, you'll follow the tracks to the south, but they are hopelessly treed in. However, as you approach the second crossing of Old Greenlee with the tracks, you bulge out away from the tracks, and will see a broad, sweeping panorama of a shot, which collapses to a crossing at grade. The neat thing about the scene is that it's across an agricultural field, not a wood lot, so you can get a very nice composition. The actual crossing isn't one to give you religion, but it's pretty OK at NE3,SE2, SW3, NW2. However, it's the scene leading in to the crossing that is hot, not the crossing itself.
Greenlee -- Vernon Bradley. Following the Greenlee -- West location, it's only natural that you'd get your hopes up for other excellent scenes, but the next couple of crossings are not worth a hoot. Continuing on Old Greenlee Road, you'll come to the intersection of Jake Creek Road, and that is at grade, but is definitely NARL. You can continue north and then south via NC-1228, but that crossing is also poor, and NARL. I'd suggest the following:
From the Greenlee -- West location, continue west to the crossing of Jake Creek Road, cross the tracks, and head north to the first real intersection. Take a left onto NC-1228, go south to Greenlee Road, take a right, and go all the way out to US-70. Travel west about 1/4 mile, and turn left onto Vernon Bradley Road. Continue to bear to the left as you reach a crossing. The photo ops are not good: NE3, SE4, SW2, NW3, but there is a defect detector here, at mile point 107.0. If nothing else, this is an excellent place to get your bearings.
Old Fort -- Curtis Creek Road. Retrace the drive out to US-70, and take a left to continue westward. As you enter the Old Fort area, you'll see Ebenezer Church Road on your left. You can take this road, and a subsequent turn to the left just before Cane Creek, but Tony missed it. There is a very primitive dirt road leading back into the woods, which Tony suspected is what he missed, and you 4-wheelers will want to check it out.
Ebenezer Church will T at Curtis Creek Road, and you should take a left to get to the crossing. Surprise, surprise, but this is a darned good photo location, with the following ratings: NW2, SE2, SW1, NW1. Just to the west of the crossing is an intermediate signal, which will help keep you informed as to the expected train movements.
Old Fort -- East End Yard. Go back north on Curtis Creek Road to US-70, and turn left to continue west towards the Blue Ridge. As you come into Old Fort, you'll see Redtown Road on your left. You can take this road and follow the tracks to the south, east, and then north, but they are heavily treed in, and this is no railfan location. Therefore, continue west one more block to Lackeytown Road, take a left and go one block south, cross the tracks, and take a right to follow the south side of the tracks on Railroad Street.
In the vicinity of the corner of Lackeytown and Railroad Streets is an excellent, wide open railfan location. This is a lawn chair and cooler spot, and is highly recommended. Photo ops are: S1/N4.
Old Fort -- Mauney Street. Continue southwest along the bottom of the tracks from the Old Fort -- East location, and you'll glide past the tracks to a crossing at Mauney Street. Note that this is called Spring Street on some maps. On the ground, Spring Street is north of the tracks, while Mauney is south of them. You will probably see more railroad action here than at any other point in the Old Fort area, and the photo ops are excellent at NE1,SE4,SW1,NW1. If you were to pick one railfan location in the town, this is probably the place to be, but understand that your view can be obstructed by standing strings of cars at times. The Old Fort depot is just northwest of this location.
The location of the small building that serves as the yard office is at approximately MP S109.7.
Old Fort -- Station Area. Go north over the tracks and take a left onto US-70. The station is less than a block away. Park and enjoy the very nice ex-Southern station, which has been a museum, visitor center, and Chamber of Commerce. As of March 2004, it was undergoing extensive repairs and renovation. There is a B&B right across the street from the station, which looks quite nice, but not sure of the name (write to the Chamber). There are good pix locations from both sides of the tracks in the station area. This is part of a helper district, so don't walk away until the entire train has passed.
Old Fort -- West End Siding. From the station and US-70, go south over the tracks and take your first right onto Commerce Street. After a short distance, there is a medium-sized industrial building that used to be an Ethan Allen facility. Just past the building is a parking area to the right. Park there and walk towards the tracks. The building itself is not currently in use. There is a nice, fairly wide and deep grassy area south of the tracks: S1/N2. The north side can be reached from US-70, but there is a rather steep hillside above the tracks.
Just to the west, the Old Fort siding ends and single track continues westbound. There are signals present. They lead to the following railroad nightmare, as depicted by Brian Rackley and Tony Hill:
As we now proceed to mount the Southern Loops, you might want to continuously take note of the amount of track curvature you're seeing, and also watch the grade, as it is obviously going relentlessly uphill from here on out.
Back to the top Back to the Site Listing
Old Fort -- US-70 Overpass. It doesn't take long for a mountain railroad to begin twisting and turning. Continue west on Commerce Street and go under the US-70 overpass. There is limited parking under the bridge, but coming out of it is blind to on-coming westbound traffic, so its suggested you continue on to the T with Orchard Road. Go across Orchard, park in the church parking lot, and walk back to the overpass.
The railroad now begins to follow the beautiful Mill Creek up a fairly long valley, and to do so, it takes a pretty hard right to go north. Working with the creek, track curve and the overpass can be difficult, but it can also yield some interesting pictures.
Old Fort -- Lighthouse. You should probably also walk to the next location, because there's no place to park, and it's just a short distance. There are two houses along Commerce Street that have broad, open back yards. These are obviously off limits to railfans, but those back lawns follow all the way along Orchard up to Mill Creek, just shy of the crossing. Sitting in the middle of the nearest yard is a rather large model of a red, white and blue lighthouse. It's just begging to be used as a photo prop! Shoot from either the east or west side of Orchard, but keep your wits about you, as the road is fairly busy.
Before walking back to the church and your car, look to the northwest over the crossing. You'll see the roof and some turrets of a stunning Victorian home. Trees obscure it from almost any angle, but you can get a pretty good look from US-70 heading east into Old Fort. Just after you pass the Orchard Street on your left, look over the houses, and you'll see the distinctive green roof and turrets I'm talking about. It's quite a structure. We'll now go to another distinctive structure.
Old Fort -- Old Post Office. From the church parking lot, take a left to go north on Orchard Street. Immediately before the crossing, take a left. If you continue on this road you just turned on, you'll end up at the Victorian house, so don't go there. Instead, note the gap in the trees that is close to the tracks. This is a vestigial road leading to the former Old Fort Post Office. While not as fancy as the Victorian house, this building is still quite distinctive. It's made of stone and has a tile roof. The window and door locations lend an air of permanence and importance, even though the building is small. The building is on private property, so view it from a distance. (Thanks to Eli C. for the update to the info about this location, after a conversation with the property owner -- added 1/10/15).
Enough about buildings -- is this place a railfan location? You bet. It's wide open from the west, and the tracks are virtually due north. If the light favors you on the east side, drive back out to Orchard Street, go over the crossing, and park in the vicinity of the Pisgah Yarn and Dyeing plant. This, too, is wide open, but you'll probably want to shoot from the east side of the road.
Old Fort -- Simmons Road. A relatively short distance north of the crossing on Orchard Street you'll T at Mill Creek Road. Take a left to go northwest, and you'll see the railroad begin a significant curve which will take it 90° from northwest to southwest. At about the apex of the curve, take a left onto Simmons Road, cross the creek and railroad, and park to the left. Simmons continues along the creek and the tracks are right on the other side, but it's quite treed in, even in winter. The road is narrow, rough and uneven, and if you drive all the way to the end, it's somewhat difficult to turn around.
The railroad view that makes this spot worthwhile is made possible by the fact that there's a small farmer's field between the crossing and the point where the railroad sweeps into view. Farm fields are rare up here, so to find an unobstructed view of a sweeping curve is quite a break. If you're there when his corn is high, stand on top of your vehicle.
Old Fort -- Wilson Monument. Take a left to get back onto Mill Creek Road and you'll shortly see a stone slab about 6' tall and 2' wide on the left. There is a wide grassy area on which to park. Between Simmons Road and this location the river has crossed Mill Creek 4 times in about 600 yards. The plaque on the monument contains the following wording:
To the memory of James W. Wilson 1832-1910
Who, as chief engineer and president of the
Western North Carolina Railroad planned,
surveyed and built this line across the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Erected by the Southern Railway
as a tribute to a master builder.
You'll notice a flange greaser to the left -- they will be omnipresent from here on out.
Old Fort -- The House in the Hole. Don't really know what to call this place, but you'll recognize it when you see it. Continue west on Mill Creek (variously referred to on maps as Mills Creek, Old Mill, Old US-70, and probably other things -- its DOT number is 1400) and you'll see what looks like a paved driveway going down a fairly long, steep incline, and then it curves sharply to continue further down to a very nice, large house that is set in the middle of a huge lawn. Apparently, the portion of the drive down to that curve is a private road rather than a driveway, because at the point where it curves back towards the house, there is another road going down the hill, and it eventually crosses the creek and goes under the tracks to some other houses. There is parking off the drive in the area of the major curve, but do not park on the private drive area going down to the house, and don't block the road going down to the creek. It's a little tight, but there's plenty of room.
That big curve going down to the house is quite close to the tracks, and the photo ratings are NE1, S3, NW2. This is an interesting location.
Old Fort -- Boffo Overpass. As a general rule, I'm not partial to shooting down on shots from overpasses, but this one borders on being spectacular. A short distance from the previous location, the road you've been traveling crosses Mill Creek and then the tracks. The overpass itself is modern, but there's not a lot of room off the road itself, so be careful. Especially in the summer, there is a lot of traffic through here. The views are terrific, and the trains are going very slowly in both directions, so you've got plenty of time to wait for street traffic to go by.
The views really are impressive in both directions, with wide-open, smooth S-curves both southwest and northeast of the bridge. This is an excellent photo location at the right time and sun conditions.
Dendron. Before going any further, we're coming up to an intersection that requires some comment. Andrews Geyser Road, the one we'll be taking is to the right. Going forward is what, on every map I've seen, is a through road all the way over to Ridgecrest. The road's DOT number remains 1400. MapQuest shows it continuing to be called Mills Creek Road, but it is signed Old US-70. As you can imagine, the upkeep of any road up the Blue Ridge is significant, so when I-40 was built, the state decided to close the road. There is only a short stub beyond the Andrews Geyser Road intersection, before a serious barrier is encountered, and the road is closed to any vehicular traffic. However, many mountain and regular bikers use this as a great bicycle trail. It's paved all the way, and there's no traffic.
Also at the intersection is a small parking area and picnic grove. The picnic area is about a 3 minute walk beyond the Department of the Interior sign.
Take a right onto Andrews Geyser Road/1407 and you'll now be gaining elevation rapidly; indeed, you'll be driving along and be surprised to see the railroad far overhead. If you're up here in the summer, the roadsides are just smothered with brilliant yellow flowers, the creek is brawling alongside, and up on the hillside to the east is the railroad coming downhill from northwest to southeast. It's a great place to get out of your car and take a walk along the road. You'll cross Mill Creek, and should take your first right turn. This is a very hard right, and is invisible to you, so go slow and be on the lookout. If you were standing on the east edge of the road and looking perpendicular to it, you'd see two dirt lanes at this turn. The one on the left is private, the one on the right will lead right up to the tracks. Before you get to the tracks, take a left and park well back from them. There is plenty of room, so you don't have to trespass.
You'll see the "Dendron" station sign, the MP S115 marker, and of course, the ever-present flange greaser. There are intermediate signals to the northwest. While the other side of the tracks is obviously private property, the southwest side is wide open.
Andrews Geyser. If you have only time to spend in one place during your visit to the Loops, Andrews Geyser should be that place. It's really something -- actually, it's several things. Go back down the hill from Dendron and continue north on Andrews Geyser Road. You'll shortly come to what is obviously a public park on your left. You'll see a few picnic tables and a medium-sized fountain. The fountain is oddly out of place up here in the mountains. In fact, this is "Andrews Geyser". But where does it come from? You'll have to wait for the answer to that question.
Stand with your shoulders parallel to the road, facing to the southwest. Here is what you will see from southwest to the northeast behind you. Tony doesn't mean to be trite with the word "spectacular" in this tour, but what you will see here truly is spectacular, especially in the winter. The track across Mill Creek is going downhill from your right to left; then there's Mill Creek itself and the park and geyser, then turn around to face the northeast. The near track is going downhill right to left, and the track way up high is downhill left to right. When you see your first train come down or go up this series of loops, you'll suddenly understand what James Wilson achieved.
The geyser was built in 1912, and was restored by the city of Old Fort in 1976.
Graphite. If you thought the road names have been a little confusing so far, don't worry, as they become more so ahead. You need to be flexible and careful. Continue north on Andrews Geyser Road to a minor intersection, at which point the road now becomes Graphite Road/1408. This road climbs a respectable amount, meanders through some houses, and then ends at a lawn between two houses. There is a 90° turn to the left, leading through the lot of the house on the left of where you're sitting, but don't take the left.
Before you get out of your car, look straight ahead between the two houses. At lawn level, you will probably be as surprised as Tony was to see the tracks! Yes, the tracks are right at ground level visually, and look for all the world like a garden railroad -- just bigger. Those tracks are darned close to the houses, too. It can only be imagined what it must be like inside the houses when 10,000 horsepower running wide open in Run 8 grind past those houses. This is the inside of the most northerly loop. We will now begin to go compass south, but the railroad is far from finished with it's climb.
Find a place to park and walk down to the gate across the road. If you see the folks who live there, please go out of the way to be cheerful and polite, because they are sweet folks, and this is an excellent place to see trains. Be sure to pet the lady's dog, which must be the hottest dog in North Carolina during the summer. Walk down the road to the gate, and you can see that there is another on the other side of the tracks. This is a fire road and railroad access point, and is closed to other vehicle traffic. There is plenty of off-railroad property on both sides of the tracks for photos, with the ratings being NE1, SE1, SW3, NW1.
There is a shallow cut on the northeast quad that's not dramatic or particularly overwhelming, but is just the right size to add visual interest to a picture.
By this point in the tour, you'll have already seen several flange greasers. Even though you can't see it, there is on right at the crossing. The gap between the inside of the rails and the crossing's timbers is packed with grease, and as the train goes around the curve and over the crossing, it is "passively" greased. I've never seen this done anywhere else.
Jarratts Tunnel. Drive back down Graphite Road, and at the intersection where the name changed from Andrews Geyser to Graphite, take a right on what is now called Old US-70, but retains the Andrews Geyser Road's DOT 1407 designation. This is the road that is going to take us seriously up and over the Blue Ridge. It is a dirt road, and there are majorly sharp curves everywhere. You're going to be well away from the railroad for a while, so just concentrate on driving, although it's so pretty up here that it's hard to do. You'll mostly be following Long Branch, which runs down to Mill Creek, and the railroad is way up over your head and to the west. Finally, you'll come to a rather broad curve that does get close to the tracks, so be on the lookout for them far overhead. If you get to the point where the railroad goes over the road, you've missed it by about a quarter mile.
For you combat railfans, there are 3 ways to get up to the tracks. In winter, you can scrabble straight up the hillside, although it's steep, and it's a long ways up. It isn't somethin to try in the summer, because it's knee deep in kudzu. Another way is to watch for a 2-wheeler track going up a little to the right of the direct approach. This goes almost straight up, too, but is certainly easier going down than the direct route. Once at the top via the dirt bike trail, walk to the left to the tracks. The third way is to continue on the to overpass, and climb up the bridge's shoulders. To Tony, that looked more difficult than the direct method, but would be much shorter; however, he thinks it's probably trespassing and does not recommend this route.
The scene trackside makes it worth the climb. You can stay well back from the tracks and see the MP S120 sign to the left. A flange greaser is a little north of that, and the short Jarretts Tunnel is a still a little further north. It's somewhat hard to see, but the west end of the Coleman siding is just north of the tunnel.
Inn on Mill Creek. Shortly past the overpass, you'll see the area of the Inn on Mill Creek. The Southern Railway built a dam on the creek and stocked the lake with trout. Today, there is what appears to be an excellent B&B on the site, and it would be a great place for hikers, railfans, bikers, nature lovers, and other kinds of lovers. Visit them online for more information at http://www.inn-on-mill-creek.com , or call them at 1-877-735-2964.
Remember Andrews Geyser? Well, it turns out that it really isn't a geyser at all -- it's a fountain, and the water and water pressure come from this lake. Visit http://www.thelink2.com for more information about this engineering curiousity.
Ridgecrest -- No Road. Continuing on past the Inn, the road will climb steeply until it reaches its summit with the Blue Ridge, and then will descend steeply towards Ridgecrest. Be careful on the way down. You'll be far away from the tracks which are well to your east, and still climbing towards their own Blue Ridge summit. As you slowly descend, keep looking down the hill to the left, and eventually you'll see what appears to be an old road, and a paved one, at that. You'll suddenly come to a very peculiar intersection, whereby that odd road which has been below you will now meet the road you're on. Remember, you've been on a dirt road all the way from just south of Graphite, and straight ahead is what appears to be a major secondary road. Also, there is a substantial barrier gate over what likewise appears to be a good paved road heading east. What is this all about?
Do you remember, way back at the turn to take Andrews Geyser Road north, that the maps all showed a road between that point and some point just east of Ridgecrest? Well, this is that latter point. Bicycle riders love it, but it's closed to vehicles. That's a shame, because there are 3 tunnels very close to this old US-70 ex-road. In fact, the road goes right over one tunnel. Perhaps you could take bikes with you and check it out. Please let me know what you find. At the south side of the now Yates Road, you can look straight down the hill and see the tracks, but it looks like the county dump and is NARL. Keep in mind as you see the railroad well below you that it is still climbing hard.
Ridgecrest -- Swannanoa Summit. Yates Road will take you into the Ridgecrest area. Just as you get into civilization, look straight up to your right, and you'll see substantial buildings that are part of a Christian conference and retreat center. Look further up and you should be able to see the famous, huge white cross that everyone eastbound on I-40 through Ridgecrest will also see. This area is the Swannanoa Gap, and the interstate, Yates Road, Swannanoa Creek, and the railroad are all crammed together. The railroad does the smart thing and goes under the gap via 1,818 foot Swannanoa Tunnel, the longest on the route.
Park where Yates Road is just about at I-40. Look to the east, and you'll be rewarded with an excellent afternoon photo opportunity. The trains (still) coming up the Blue Ridge will enter the tunnel seemingly at your feet, but you'll need to move to see the actual summit and the trains leaving the west portal of the tunnel.
From here on, we are out of the mountains, and the S-Line tour once again takes on a very different demeanor. We are back to routine railfanning.
Ridgecrest -- Summit. We have been following a railroad that has gone uphill relentlessly since the Old Fort yard. At last, those hard working thoroughbreds will crest the top of the Blue Ridge. Like most mountain railroad pass summits, this one looks rather anticlimactic. It may look so, but it is not. Continue south beyond the interstate on Yates Road. Look constantly to your right, and you'll see a steeply descending road down to a single building. Take this right and park beyond the building. This structure used to be the Ridgecrest post office.
Walk to the east and you'll see the green station sign for Ridgecrest. This is the summit: The top of the Blue Ridge grade on the Norfolk Southern Railway. If you stand at least 100' either east or west of the sign, you will be impressed with the obvious grade in both directions. Don't forget that trains coming east from Asheville have had their own grade to contend with. The MP S123 marker is visible, and readily visible a little farther to the east is the Swannanoa Tunnel.
Viewing is excellent between the railroad and Yates Road (which is variously referred to as Yates Road, Old US-70, and Main Street), and there is no need to trespass on railroad property. The only negative to the location is the fact that it is rather noisy, as I-40 is just to your north. This is a cool location.
Ridgecrest -- Old US-70. Continue west past the old post office on Yates/Old US-70, cross Main Street (a NAG/NARL), and you'll come to an S-curve that crosses the tracks. Park where you can, and the photo ops are NE2/SE1/SW3/NW4. This isn't a perfect spot, but will do nicely if you suddenly need to get trackside. You're still pretty close to I-40 at this point, so be alert.
Ridgecrest -- Shumate Road. This is a pretty nice spot, and one which you can get into as a photographer. Continue across the tracks and the road will continue until it goes left over the creek, and then to the right, crosses the tracks, and takes another right to continue on as Shumate Road. There is no outlet for Shumate, and Tony did not continue beyond this point. There are intermediate signals just east of the crossing.
Photo ratings are NE4/SE3/SW1/NW1, with both westward views very nice. Note that in warm weather, this area will close in because of the trees, but even then it will be good. Shumate Road is a little elevated above the tracks, which is an added bonus.
Stay alert for traffic, as the interstate is very close, and there is more street traffic on Shumate than you'd first suspect.
Black Mountain -- Station Area. Retrace your route all the way to Main Street in Ridgecrest, take a left, and go over the NAG/NARL to US-70, and take a left to go west. You'll very shortly enter the town of Black Mountain, and info on how to get to the station is coming in due course, but first some info about this lovely town. Black Mountain is similar to a small Bavarian town, and is full of antique shops, gift shops, etc, etc. It also has very nice German restaurant, the Berliner Kindl (828 669-5255, 121 Broadway) which Tony and his wife both enjoyed.
From US-70, the main north/south road is NC-9/Broadway, and taking a left onto it will shortly take you across the tracks, then south of the interstate to a large shopping, motel and restaurant strip. This is the best life support since Morganton, almost 50 miles to the east.
The crossing of the tracks on Broadway is just south of Sutton Street. To visit the station area, take a right on Sutton before you cross the tracks, and the station is right in front of you. Unfortunately, the building has been turned into some sort of arts and crafts place, and a fence was put up between the tracks and the building. Vines or weeds have grown up the fence, and a lovely little building has pretty much been photogenically ruined. Photo ratings for the area of the crossing west of the station on Black Mountain Avenue are NE4/SE2/SW1/NW3. As far as the crossing with Broadway is concerned, there is a lot of street traffic and noise, and sight lines really aren't all that good. I'd stick with the crossing west of the station.
Black Mountain -- Blue Ridge Road. Continue west on US-70 to a left onto Blue Ridge Road. This is a major road. Take your first left into what appears to be a large vacant lot with large, old stumps and logs piled in long rows. If there is no industrial activity taking place in this area, park next to the road and walk about 50-70 yards to the east. Walk up one of the rows of logs (most are partly covered by dirt) and you have a drop dead field of fire to the northwest. Other than this spot, Tony doesn't personally recommend the location. I-40 is fairly far south of you, so this is a quieter spot than most of them along here.
Grovestone -- Lytle Cove Road. Heading further west on US-70, you'll see a large, white warehouse facility to the south of the tracks. This is the Ingles Supermarket warehouse, and it currently receives/sends nothing by rail. You'll shortly cross a spur leading up to the Grovestone Quarry. You'll then cross the Swannanoa River and should then take a left onto Lytle Cove Road and park in the vicinity of the tracks. Photo ratings are NE3/SE1/SW1/NW1. As you can tell, this is an excellent photo area. The only drawback is the fact that the noise level is high, as I-40 is overhead to the south, US-70 is quite busy, and Lytle Cove carries a lot of traffic in and out of the hills to the south of I-40.
Grovestone-- Old Lytle Cove Road. From a railfan's perspective, we now enter the most interesting and entertaining road in the Asheville area. If you can't get a decent picture during the next several stops, you might consider turning your camera in for a toaster. This is probably the true progenitor of all the other roads in the area, as US-70 and I-40 have built uphill somewhat from this one, although US-70 does closely follow the Swannanoa River in the area. Be that as it may, take a left from US-70 to cross the tracks on Old Lytle Cove Road. Find a place to park to the right.
Photo ratings are NE3/SE1/SW1/NW3. This is a fine spot for photos almost all day, but the charm of the road is that we will now drive west and encounter two more photo spots which are excellent, and all theoretically should be similar because of the east-west orientation, but in fact, all are quite different. As the railroaders say: Here we go!
Swannanoa -- Macedonian Zion Church. Somewhere along the way via Old Lytle Cove Road, we slip into Swannanoa, and you'll see a red brick church to your right. Take a right, go over the tracks and park in the large church parking lot. Note that there is a sand quarry on the west side of the parking area, so park to the east. The parking lot and the entrance to the quarry have a look of newness about them, while the church does not, so Tony suspects that entry to the church used to be via what is shown as "Church Street" on some older maps, but Tony didn't see it on the ground.
Photo ops aren't all that hot here: NE1/SE4/SW4/NE2, but the area feels completely different than the preceding or following site, so you might want to be a little creative.
Swannanoa -- Dennis Street. Continuing west on Old Lytle Cove Road, you come into the actual town of Swannanoa, and T with Dennis Street coming from the south. Dennis will cross the tracks and take a 90° turn to the left to become Railroad Avenue. The interesting thing about the area is that a several blocks' space south of Railroad Street was a very large factory that used to make blankets, and is being torn down. Indeed, the entire heart of the town was this series of buildings. Apparently, there was a fire in the complex (which was no longer in operation at the time), and the decision was made to tear the entire complex down. Tony was in Swannanoa in September 2003 and the job was obviously underway, but the immensity of the project was still very evident. Six months later, as he was doing the research for this tour in March of 2004, a tremendous amount of material had been removed. It will probably take at least another full year to complete the project, but Swannanoa will be a brand new town when the work is done. This project will cost several hundred thousand dollars, but Swannanoa will be better off for the effort.
Back to railfanning: Photo ratings at the Dennis Street crossing are: NE2/SE1/SW2/NW1. The remaining industrial building on the northwest quadrant will be a good photo prop at the next location, and really doesn't get in the way here. This is a 1930's photo shot, but it is changing fast.
Swannanoa -- Railroad Avenue West. Continue west on Railroad Avenue, and it will turn 90° right to go north as Park Street. The first building on the left on Park Street is a large church complex. Take a left into the parking lot and drive back up towards the tracks and park. There is a vestigial portion of Park that crosses the tracks, but it is not particularly hospitable. That said, photo ratings are NE1/SE1/SW1/NW1. Yes, it was a surprise that this spot was as good as it is. Some things have to be seen to be believed. The view to the southeast, taking in the old warehouse mentioned above can be quite artistic, especially if you're standing on top of a van or SUV, and can thereby get plenty of the building in the picture. The natives, however, will look at you most strangely. This is a very interesting photo area, and is worthy of some thought and exploration.
Swannanoa -- Asheville Road. Here's another one of those locations that is only a stone's throw from others in the area, and yet the total look and feel of the place is completely different. Go down Park Street towards US-70, but take a left onto Beacon Street, and then another left onto Asheville Road. There will probably not be a street sign here, but just take your first left. Go straight up to the tracks and cross them. Find a place to park. Note the large, classic southern home on the northwest quadrant. It's vacant but the lot is maintained. Photo ratings are NE2/SE2/SW1/NW1. MP S130 is immediately west of the crossing.
Wilson -- Rawadero Drive. Wilson is a map point that exists, apparently, only on maps, because you'll certainly not see any "Welcome to Wilson" signs. So, go back towards US-70 on Asheville Road, and take a left to continue westbound. You'll pass Patton Cove Road and Buckeye Cove Road, both of which are busy roads and are NAG/NARL. After Buckeye Cove, keep a lookout for what looks like little more than a driveway on the left, and that's Rawadero Drive. Take this left and park to the left before going over the tracks. This is probably the nicest, easiest place to get excellent photos west of the summit at Ridgecrest.
There are a couple of very nice private homes south of the tracks. There is a driveway/road between what appears to be a large lot north of the houses and the houses themselves. So, here is what I'd suggest. Park northeast of the tracks and wait until a train is due. Then just walk across the tracks down Rawadero and turn around and take your shots. When the train is past, walk back to your vehicle. This is drop dead easy railfan photography, as the lots are manicured and nothing is between you and the tracks. Did Tony mention that the trains can barely maintain 15mph uphill? He would just about kill to own one of those lovely homes.
Asheville -- Azalea. We will now enter Asheville proper, and for those joining the tour here, we provide directions from I-40 in the far eastern edge of Asheville. Take exit 55 and go left on the connector road -- Porter Cove Road -- north to US-70, Tunnel Road. Take a left onto US-70.
For those of you continuing on from the east, drive back out to US-70, take a left and drive down to Porter Cove Road, which comes up from I-40.
All of you: Cross this intersection and you'll note that this is an area of motels and restaurants, so it's a good place to rest and fill up your tummy and your car's tank. A suggestion would be the Motel 8, which is less than a quarter mile east of exit 55 on Tunnel Road. Behind the motel is the Swannanoa River, and just over the river is the S-Line. Photos are not good, because of the trees and the fact that you're facing due south, but there are other reasons to stay here.
The motel is fairly new, and pleasant. Also, the prices, especially before May 1, are very reasonable. Between the parking lot and the river is a nice little area with a BBQ grill affair, picnic tables, nice grassy area for the kids and pets, and fishing access. There are not enough trains to really bother the non-train fan at night, and we were quite happy with our stay.
Directly across the river you will see a switch stand, which is for the switch at Azalea siding [MP 134.1]. If you don't see the stand, you'll probably see the mile post marker at 134 just to the east. The short siding at Azalea is too short (1,920') to be a real passing siding, but you might see and hear some helpers idling in it.
Asheville -- Azalea Road. For other train watching in the area, here's a suggestion for a leisurely, pretty drive, but you'll not find any places for good photos. From the intersection with the connector road and Tunnel Road, go west on Tunnel Road to Azalea Road, and turn left (south). Azalea is a community/area just to the east of Oteen, by the way. If you come to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you've gone too far east. Azalea Road is a rural, winding, delightful drive, but be careful, because visibility is severely limited in some areas, and you have to pay attention. At the underpass of the Blue Ridge Parkway, there is a small parking pull over (for barely one full sized pick-up or van). Park here. You are almost exactly under the BRP. To the south is a road across the river. The road has been blocked off to vehicles. Walk over the river and you will have limited photo opportunities from the south. It's pretty tight here, but there is enough space -- especially if you know there's a train due. You'll probably be able to hear the defect detector at 133.2, about 1.5-2 miles east.
Asheville -- Fairview Road. Continue east on Azalea to the second stop sign, and it's dead end at NC-81. Turn left (south) on NC-81, and then take a left onto US-74Alternate. Cross I-240, and then turn left (east) on Fairfield Road. If you're following a map, be careful here, because the streets have been affected by the construction of I-240 and the Home Depot and other large shopping areas. Continue on Fairfield until it dead-ends at the tracks. Limited photo ops exist on both sides of the tracks. Also, the end of a beautiful curving bridge across US-74A and some access roads is to the immediate east, but photos are impossible, unless you're stupid enough to stop on the interstate to take pix. Like Azalea, this is an OK place, but not really very good. If your scanner tells you to get trackside, or if you're pacing a train, this location will do the job.
Asheville -- Station Area. From here into downtown Asheville, this already somewhat difficult road to railfan is even more so, and the trackside opportunities are few, unrewarding, and not very easy to get to. Therefore, go back to I-240, and go EAST, not west, for just a mile or so, and then take I-40 into Asheville. Take exit 50A, US-25 north, to the intersection of US-25, US-25A and NC-81 North. Take a right onto US-25A, Brooke Street. You will pass the Southern Railroad station, now the Depot Restaurant, and you'll want to park in any local, legal spot. At the 47 Brook building, walk through the parking lot back to the tracks. This set of tracks was the T-Line to Spartanburg, via Saluda Hill.
Take a left and walk along the tracks towards the station. In a few dozen yards, you'll reach the place where the T-Line and S-Line have split and are beginning to separate. There is a "Yard Limits" sign here. Tony thinks you can stand between the tracks, with your back to the creek, and be OK. However, only do so when a train is imminent, and then get to a place well off the tracks. In fact, if it looks to be trespassing, avoid this location. This is an interesting place, but Tony thinks the next location is better.
However, before moving on, a few words about the depot. It has been restored and turned into The Depot Restaurant. The table in the station master's alcove is maybe 5 feet from the side of the engines and cars passing by to and from Hendersonville. There are only a few of them as of late summer 2003: Only a mid-morning M-F local (Asheville - Hendersonville and return) and a nocturnal run out to Arden, which serves Volvo and CP&L with coal. The closing of the Saluda grade was a blow for railfans, but the economics of keeping the line open were overwhelmingly negative.
Thanks to Brandon Hampton for updating the information concerning the line to Hendersonville.
Asheville -- Biltmore Avenue. From the intersection of US-25, US-25A and NC-81, go north on NC-81, Biltmore Avenue, cross the tracks and park in the parking lot of Moe's Southwest Grill (if space is available; this is the former Pizza Hut). Depending on the time of day, you might consider not crossing the tracks, and parking in the McDonald's, instead. The back of the McDonald's lot backs up to the south edge of the tracks, while Moe's edges the north side. There is more, and better, room to the north, but the light will probably favor the McDonald's most of the time. [Harold Hodnett has helped update this location.]
Immediately west of the crossing is MP 139, and immediately east of the two restaurants is MP 138.9, the east throat of the yard, and the beginning of CTC. This small, but very noisy, location is probably the best overall place in Asheville to watch trains, because: You get both AM and PM light in your favor, good food is at hand, and you get all southbound and eastbound traffic. You are also just a block from the entrance to the Biltmore Estate -- one of the premier vacation destinations in America. If you come to Asheville for the first time and don't visit the Biltmore, you should see a good psychiatrist. Visiting the Biltmore Estate is expensive, but when you see the house and it's wonderful grounds, eat in a good restaurant there, and visit the excellent winery, you'll be amazed that it's so inexpensive. It will knock your socks off.
To continue this tour on the River Line to New Line, Tennessee, go here.