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 Railway. The railroad is based out of Canton, North Carolina, and utilizes 11 locomotives. Operations began on 26 July 2014.[1]

Blue Ridge Southern Railroad
Overview
HeadquartersCanton, North Carolina
Reporting markBLU
LocaleNorth Carolina
Dates of operation2014–Present
PredecessorSouthern Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length91.8 miles (147.7 kilometres)
Other
Websitewatco.com/railroads/BLU

History
See also: Murphy Branch

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
Blue Ridge Southern 3943 at Arden.
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

References
  1. "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.
  2. Kracher, Frank (18 June 2014). "Railroad Jobs in Jeopardy". WLOS. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  3. "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.
  4. "Carolina Shortlines". Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  5. "Duke Energy Asheville Plant". Duke Energy. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  6. "ULS Application, Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional - 0006363354 - Blue Ridge Southern Railroad". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 12 August 2014.

Further reading
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