Saluda Grade. These two words can conjur up images of GE or EMD engines trundling uphill with a long train in tow to the fan, or even steam locomotives thundering up the grade with a huge billow of smoke coming out the stack. These two words can also bring up the memories of runaway trains and deadly derailments. Whatever the words Saluda Grade can usher up, one thing is for certain: Saluda Grade was hardcore railroading in the entire United States. In fact, Saluda was the steepest railroad grade in North America, reaching grades of up to 5%. Saluda Grade in Train Simulator 2015 could return to the late 70's and early 80s, when the Southern Railway still operated trains on the line, which varied from the Belmont Unit Train to manifests, and even helper moves. Saluda Grade would be a great route for TS2015 because of it's fame, heritage, and grueling grades, and new and unique oppurtunities.
A trio of EMD SD35s head upgrade with a manifest near the top of Saluda. Photograph copyright John Dziobko and reproduced courtesy of Railpictures.net
History of Southern Railway's Saluda Grade:
The line that eventually became known as Saluda Grade was built in 1877 by the Spartanburg & Asheville Railroad. Because of financial issues involving the railroad, no alternative - and safer - route through the mountains was feasible to build, so the engineers chose the cheapest route, the one that exists today, through the mountains and began construction. The first train over the line was a westbound in 1878. By the late 1880s, the S&A had been acquired by the Southern Railway, and safety soon became an important factor on the treacherous line after numerous runaways had occured. The final straw happened in 1903, when three runaway trains prompted an injured locomotive engineer, Pitt Bellew, to appoint the railroad and propose the idea of two safety tracks: one situated near the top of the grade, and another placed at the bottom of the grade in Melrose. Soon after being given the go-ahead, construction on these two safety tracks occured, and they were completed in October 1903 (Safety track no. 1 would be removed in 1955 due to an improving safety record on Saluda). The safety tracks soon showed their potential in 1904, when a runaway passenger train smashed into the end of the Melrose safety track. Despite this, there were no injuries sustained, but the locomotive was damaged. After this incident, the safety tracks showed that they were useful and safe, despite the occasional roll-out (one serious roll-out occured in 1940 with 2-8-8-2 #4052. The locomotive rolled out of safety track no. 1 at an un-safe speed, eventually killing the fireman after he was pinned to the back of the engine's boiler from the coal that flew out of the tender into the cab. The engineer jumped and survived). Southern Railway would continue using steam (which varied from 2-10-2s in helper service to 4-8-2s in passenger service, and articulated 2-8-8-2s and 2-8-2s in freight service) over Saluda Grade until 1952, when the last steam helper on the line was removed from active service. (Earlier in 1949, four EMD F7s became the first diesels on Saluda and marked the beginning of dieselization on the Southern Railway, which was eventually completed in 1953. The last real run of a Southern Railway steam locomotive over Saluda Grade was in 1972 with an excursion train hauled by Southern 2-8-2 #4501, and the final run of a steam locomotive over the grade occured in 1994, when Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 #611 operated an excursion train over Saluda).
In June 1975, Southern Railway #3045, an EMD SD35, reaches the bottom of Saluda Grade at Melrose, North Carolina. The individual on the right most likely could be the Road Foreman of Engines, who usually operated trains down Saluda and dismounted at Melrose to report that the train made it down the mountain safely. Photograph copyright Martin K O'Toole and reproduced courtesy of Railpictures.net.
Ever since the Southern Railway dieselized in 1953, Saluda Grade gradually became safer and safer. Diesels had better train control over steam locomotives, with two major advantages being improved braking systems and dynamic braking. In fact, Saluda's safety record became so good, that the last fatality was recorded in 1940. Despite this, trains still lost air occasionally and became runaways, and serious derailments still occured. Perhaps the most serious occured in 1971, when three EMD SD units and their train lost air and gradually gained speed down the mountain. The train derailed just at the Melrose safety track, and amazingly the crew, or anyone else for that matter, were not injured or killed as a result of the accident. After the 1971 derailment, Saluda Grade never did face anymore serious train derailments. Earlier in 1968, the Southern Railway's Carolina Special crossed over Saluda Grade on it's final scheduled run, marking the end of passenger trains over the grade.
By the late 1970's, Southern had begun operating the Belmont Unit Train, a unit coal train that ran on a 48-hour cycle between Andover, Virginia to the Duke Power facility in Belmont, North Carolina. The Belmont, as it was called, utilized Saluda Grade for it's route, and used, what was at the time, state-of-the-art aluminum coal hoppers that were more reliable in service and lasted longer rather than the typical coal hopper. Typical trains in the 70's included the Belmont and manifest freight trains. During this time, Saluda Grade was upgraded with electronic switches at Melrose, NC that automatically detected if a train was under control heading downgrade or not (if the latter occured, the switch would line the track up for the Melrose safety track) using a detector that was located a few miles uphill.
A trio of EMD SD60s appear at Melrose, NC at the bottom of Saluda Grade with a coal train in 1989. Photograph copyright Tom Sink and reproduced courtesy of Railpictures.net.
In 1982, the Southern Railway and Norfolk & Western Railway merged, creating the present-day Norfolk Southern. NS soon handled operations on Saluda Grade, and began upgrading their motive power fleet with more modern power, such as C40-9Ws, SD50s, and SD60s, among others. By 2000, the nearly parralel line through Old Fort, NC and Asheville, NC became more efficient to run trains over rather than Saluda Grade, so in 2003, NS abandoned Saluda Grade and re-routed all of it's trains that used Saluda over the Asheville line.
Southern Railway's Saluda Grade for TS2015:
Saluda Grade in Train Simulator 2015 could bring many new, unique, and challenging experiences to players. The default equipment that could come in the route could include a high hood SD40-2 in the Southern Railway's famous "Tuxedo" scheme, a coal hopper, a boxcar, tank car, grain hopper, and an accurate bay window caboose. Three other unique pieces of rolling stock could also be included as default content in the Saluda Grade Route Add-On: a Southern Railway "Big John" hopper, an aluminum coal hopper for Belmont Unit Train operations, and a Locotrol unit (Southern Railway operated radio-controlled engines utilizing the Locotrol cars over Saluda Grade on certain trains). Included scenarios could include taking a manifest over the mountain, operating the Belmont Unit Train (if appropriate cars are included), or running as helper units taking a train over the mountain. Future Workshop scenarios could use the already existing Southern SD45 by DTM, included in the Norfolk Southern SD45 High Hoods Loco Add-On.
A Locotrol radio-reciever car and radio-contrlled units in the middle of the Belmont Unit Train. These engines acted as radio-controlled helpers, and were controlled by the engineer in the lead unit.
A Southern Railway SD40-2 leads a coal train through downtown Saluda, North Carolina in January 1984. In the middle of the lashup is an SD40, and trailing that unit is another SD40-2. Photograph copyright JR Owens and reproduced courtesy of Railpictures.net.
Future DLC for Saluda Grade:
The list of future locomotives that Dovetail Games could make for the Saluda Grade Route Add-On seems a bit endless. Players could expand their Southern roster with a Southern Railway SD35 add-on, a GP40X add-on, a GE U33C add-on, a U23B, and possibly an EMD SD24 add-on. Future Marketplace engines that could be made to go along with Saluda could include a Southern Railway high hood GP38-2 (from the Norfolk Southern GP38-2 High Hood Loco Add-On) a high hood GP30, and a high hood GP50.
An SD45 leads a Saluda Grade-bound train through Asheville, North Carolina in 1983. Photograph copyright Tom Sink and reproduced courtesy of Railpictures.net.
Final Thoughts:
I think Dovetail Games should consider creating Saluda Grade in the 1970s Southern Railway era for it's diversity in equipment and trains, unique and challenging oppurtunities, and the fact that the line is a famous "landmark" route. If created by DTG, the Saluda Grade Route Add-On would cover a missing section in the TS2015 US map; the North Carolina/South Carolina region of the South. Another perk of having this route made is the big diversity in locomotives that could be created for the route. As mentioned, SD35s, U33Cs, and SD24s (among others) could fill in missing gaps in DTG's US diesel fleet, and bring seemlessly endless oppurtunities for players and Workshop scenario creators. The fact that a Southern Railway SD45 is already avaliable for Train Simulator already means that there could be some diversity in road power for the route in Workshop and user-created scenarios, both public and personal. Also, due to the fact that it is the steepest rail line in North America, Saluda Grade would be perfect for TS2016 and it's extreme gameplay.Saluda Grade could also fill in the 1970's era for US routes from DTG, and could even possibly pave the way for even older routes from different eras. I hope DTG considers creating Saluda Grade for Train Simulator 2015, since it could bring a whole new different deal of oppurtunities, covers an area that has not been previously made, it's a famed "landmark" route, and the fact that it is the steepest railroad grade in North America.
Thank you for reading, and I welcome your comments below!