Blue Ridge Southern Railroad
The Blue Ridge Southern Railroad (reporting mark BLU) is a Class III shortline railroad operating over 91.8 miles (147.7 kilometres) of track in Western North Carolina. The railroad is owned by Watco of Pittsburg, Kansas and operates three lines that connect in the Asheville area that were previously owned by Norfolk Southern. The railroad is based out of Canton, NC and utilizes 10 locomotives. Operations began on 26 July 2014.[1]
History
The Blue Ridge Southern Railroad was formed on June 25, 2014 when WATCO reached a definitive agreement with Norfolk Southern for the purchase of 91.8 miles of branchlines in Western North Carolina. The railroad began operations with a fleet of 11 diesel electric locomotives, which consist of three SD40-2's, four SD40M-2 rebuilds, and four GP39-2's.[1]
The announcement to sell the lines that would become the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad was made in a Norfolk Southern corporate meeting in April 2014.[2][3]
Lines operated
| NS Line |
North/East Terminus |
South/West Terminus |
Industries |
| W Line (Saluda Line) |
Asheville - MP 1.0 |
East Flat Rock - MP 26.0 |
Southern Concrete Materials (numerous locations), Cane Creek Industrial Park, Kimberly Clark (Naples) |
| TR Line |
Hendersonville - MP 0.0 |
Pisgah Forest - MP 19.8 |
Out of Service |
| T Line (Murphy Branch) |
Murphy Junction - MP 0.0 |
Sylva - MP 47.0 (Interchange w/ GSMR) |
Evergreen Packaging (Canton, Waynesville),Vulcan Materials Quarry (Enka), Southern Concrete Materials (Waynesville), Giles (maker of Epsom Salts, Waynesville), T&S Hardwoods (Addie), Enterprise Solutions (Addie), Jackson Paper Manufacturing Co. (Sylva) |
Roster
| Model |
Road Numbers |
Notes |
| GP39-2 |
3939, 3940, 3943, 3945 |
3945 delivered in patched UP paint. (Painted 8/19/14) |
| SD40-2 |
4116, 4205 |
4205 has BLU logo on nose |
| SD40M-2 |
4201 - 4204 |
|
Operations
Blue Ridge Southern Train Symbols [4]
| Symbol |
Station |
Route |
| T31 |
Canton |
Canton - Asheville Turn(Day) |
| T33 |
Canton |
Canton - Asheville Turn(Night) |
| T59 |
Canton |
Canton - Sylva Turn(Day) |
| YT61 |
Canton |
Canton Yard Job |
| T73 |
Canton |
Canton - Sylva Turn(Night) |
| W44 |
Arden (W-Line Office) |
Arden - Asheville - Hendersonville Turn |
| W84 |
Asheville |
Asheville - Arden Turn - Coal for Duke Power Asheville Plant[5] (Norfolk Southern power), Empty hoppers (BLU power) |
Radio operations
The Blue Ridge Southern Railroad conducts radio operations for train crews and maintenance on frequencies 160.2150, 160.3350, 160.7700, 160.8000 and 161.0250. [6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Watco’s Blue Ridge Southern Railroad To Buy Lines in N.C., Rail Source (retrieved 2 July 2014)
- ↑ Railroad Jobs in Jeopardy, WLOS (retrieved 20 May 2014)
- ↑ Watco Acquires Cluster of NS North Carolina Branchines, Eastern Railroad News (retrieved 20 May 2014)
- ↑ Carolina Shortlines, (retrieved 18, September, 2014)
- ↑ Duke Energy Asheville Plant, Duke Energy, (retrieved 22 December, 2014)
- ↑ ULS Application, Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional - 0006363354 - Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, Federal Communications Commission (retrieved 12 August, 2014)
Further reading
- Company negotiating with Norfolk Southern for rail line, BlueRidgeNow.com(retrieved 12 June 2014)
- Rail segment needed for Ecusta Trail is sold, Hendersonville Lightning (retrieved 20 June 2014)
- Blue Ridge Southern Railroad agrees to purchase Asheville, N.C., lines, WATCO (retrieved 25 June 2014)
- Watco Holdings, Inc.-Continuance in Control Exemption-Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C., Surface Transportation Board (retrieved 16 July 2014)
- Kansas company buys railroad lines in Jackson County, WNC, The Sylva Herald (retrieved 12 August, 2014)
External links
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| See also: List of United States railroads by political division |
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