Saluda

[Ponce de Leon]

I was roaming around the Clambake (Kalmbach) web site yesterday and found this shot on the Classic Trains site. This photo by the late Linn Westcott was only captioned as and "early '50s" view of the westbound Carolina Special topping Saluda.

At the time, the westbound Carolina Special (number 27---although it would become number 28 at Oakdale after it headed "north") carried through coaches from Charleston to Cincinnati, a diner, and a sleeper. Two more sleepers (one for Cincy, one for Chicago) would be added at Asheville.

This is a pretty cool shot. In addition to the glimpse of the vintage Esso gasoline station (and cars being serviced there), the green FP7 (with silvered pilot edge---a feature on some passenger units then) and F3 are clearly climbing the tough part of the grade with what appears to be eight heavyweights. Saluda averaged 4.7 percent, but there was a short stretch of 5.1. That is STEEP!

Anyway....here's a nice slice of Southern history.

[Backyard]

  That's a real poser with the old cars & F-units.

I think the train is pulling out of the steepest part of the grade, just behind, as NW-J #611 stalled just before here.

[mbgphoto79]

I'm diggin the vintage streetlight. 

[srman]

Fantastic shot of the 6141 at Saluda. Although not in the right paint scheme its nice to know that she's
still running today for R.J. Corman as their 1941.

[GP30Rider]

Looks like that train is made up of mostly rebuilt heavyweights including one of the four smoothsided combines.  Some of those rebuilds were probably fresh from Hayne at the time this photo was taken.  Oh for more passenger car shots...............

[Kentucky & Indiana Terminal RR]

That ended up being the first unit I ever rode on my first day cubbing. (i started at corman but left after my first year) I always thought it was neat that a guy my age,33, could say the first engine I ever rode on at work was an F unit.