Video Library

Saluda Grade: North America’s Steepest Grade by Delay In Block, Drayton Blackgrove, producer.

Spanning 2.7 miles from the bottom of the grade at Melrose to the crest at Pace’s Crossing in downtown Saluda, the “Mountain of Challenge” averages an estimated gradient of 4.7%, peaking at 5.1% while gaining an elevation of 606 feet. With the grade railbanked since 2001, the City of Saluda hasn’t seen rail traffic in nearly twenty years — but the residents of this great community still remember the trains. What was once a bustling mainline railroad between Asheville, North Carolina and Spartanburg, South Carolina, is now a lonely, idle stretch of mountainous railroad. Covered in kudzu with multiple track washouts, Saluda Grade is slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature. Subscribers: help support us by crowdfunding through Patreon or PayPal. With your support, we can continue to produce high-quality railroad media for you to enjoy. Even just $1 per month is a huge help. Contribute via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DelayInBlock Contribute via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/delayinblock Check out our web store: http://www.delayinblock.com Thanks for watching! Please comment, rate, and Subscribe! Copyright 2019. Any illegal reproduction of this video and its content is strictly prohibited. Full legal action will take place if necessary if reproduced or licensed without expressed written permission from Delay In Block Productions. Note: Please excuse the advertisements. Through the Google Adsense program, the advertisements help me pay for the trips I take to capture the trains. Thanks, -DIB

On September 18, 2015, a native of Asheville, Dr. Fred McConnel gave a presentation on the railroad history of the Saluda Grade at the Saluda Historic Depot. Dr. Fred McConnel has had a passion for the trains traveling through Western North Carolina since he was six years old.
At Train Tales (5/18/18), R. Clark Thompson recounted several stories about growing up in Saluda, NC. Some were taken from, "Whangdoodles on Diaper Hill: My Childhood in Saluda" (2018). Buying your copy at the Depot helps keep the trains runn...that is, helps keep the Saluda Historic Depot and Museum alive.
At Train Tales (5/18/18), R. Clark Thompson recounted several stories about growing up in Saluda, NC. Some were taken from, "Whangdoodles on Diaper Hill: My Childhood in Saluda" (2018). Buying your copy at the Depot helps keep the trains runn...that is, helps keep the Saluda Historic Depot and Museum alive.
Saluda Historic Depot presents Train Tales on the third Friday of each month. In this episode, Lee Atkins presents the story of the real life engineer for Southern Railroad who came up with the idea of safety tracks to prevent wrecks. Don't miss future Train Tales.
Presented by author, Mike Lassister and film maker, Scott Galloway, both a coffee-table book and PBS special came of this exploration of North Carolina's small towns. Join the audience at Saluda, NC's Historic Depot for a look at what's important and what we may be losing in America.