Blue Ridge Southern Railroad
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Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Canton, North Carolina |
Reporting mark | BLU |
Locale | North Carolina |
Dates of operation | 2014–Present |
Predecessor | Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Length | 91.8 miles (147.7 kilometres) |
Other | |
Website | watco.com/railroads/BLU |
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 Railway. The railroad is based out of Canton, North Carolina, and utilizes 11 locomotives. Operations began on 26 July 2014.[1]
History[]
The Blue Ridge Southern Railroad was formed on 25 June 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 SD40-2s, four SD40M-2 rebuilds, and four GP39-2s.[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[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/BLU_3943_Arden.jpg/220px-BLU_3943_Arden.jpg)
Model | Road numbers |
---|---|
GP39-2 | 3932, 3939, 3940, 3943, 3945 |
SD40-2 | 4205, has BLU logo on nose |
SD40M-2 | 4201 - 4204 |
Operations[]
Blue Ridge Southern Train Symbols[4]
Symbol | Station | Route | Schedule |
T31 | Canton | Canton - Asheville Turn (day) | Daily |
T33 (Abolished 2019) | Canton | Canton - Asheville Turn (night) | Daily |
T35 | Asheville | Asheville - Enka (Vulcan Quarry) Turn - ballast for various customers | As needed |
T59 | Canton | Canton - Sylva Turn (day) | Daily to Waynesville, MWF to Sylva |
T73 | Canton | Canton - Waynesville Turn (night) | Daily |
W44 | Arden (W-Line Office) | Arden - Asheville - Hendersonville Turn | M-F |
W84 (Abolished Late 2019/Early 2020 following conversion to natural gas) | Asheville | Asheville - Arden Turn - coal for Duke Power Asheville Plant[5] (Norfolk Southern power), empty hoppers (BLU power) | As needed |
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[]
- Watco Companies
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Watco's Blue Ridge Southern Railroad To Buy Lines in N.C." Rail Source. 30 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Kracher, Frank (18 June 2014). "Railroad Jobs in Jeopardy". WLOS. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Watco Acquires Cluster of NS North Carolina Branchines". Eastern Railroad News. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. 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.
- WATCO. "Blue Ridge Southern Railroad agrees to purchase Asheville, N.C., lines" (PDF) (Press release). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2014. 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[]
- North Carolina railroads
- Railway companies established in 2014
- 2014 establishments in North Carolina
- Spin-offs of the Norfolk Southern Railway
- Companies operating former Southern Railway (U.S.) lines
- Transportation in Jackson County, North Carolina
- Transportation in Haywood County, North Carolina
- Transportation in Buncombe County, North Carolina
- Transportation in Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Transportation in Henderson County, North Carolina