Over the top...History made! For the first time ever, on October 25,1992, N&W 611 and her five car consist conquered the famous Saluda Grade in Western North Carolina to the delight of hundreds of spectators. Saluda Grade is the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway grade in the United States. The route from Spartanburg SC to Asheville NC was part of the Southern Railway W Line, Saluda Grade gains 606 feet in elevation in less than three miles between Melrose and Saluda. The average grade is 4.24 percent for 2.6 miles and the maximum is 4.9% for about 300 feet. The crest of the grade is to the right just beyond the highway bridge in the background. The line is currently inactive. Notice 611's drivers and trailing truck are almost white due to the large amount of sanding to keep the engine from slipping on the grade.
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
