A new train fan from Asheville NC

[River Arts Fan]

I'm brand new to the world of train fan. I've always loved trains. It runs in my family... My mother's father worked on the railroad all his life, my mother loves trains, as does my brother. The three of bus could talk forever about Amtrak. (My mother only enthused about passenger trains, unlike me and my brother.)

My new apartment, in the River Arts District in Asheville NC, is across the street from a switching yard. At least I think it's called a switching yard. Anyway, it has reignited my love for trains and I want to know more about what is happening just outside my living room window. Now I want to know, is it really called a switching yard, or is that incorrect? Who owns it? What kind of locomotives are being used? What kind of freight is being transported? Is this a large switching yard, or a small one, comparatively speaking? Is Asheville a busy or important place for freight trains? (Alas, we have no passenger trains.) I'm just spilling over with questions. I'm hoping you guys can point me in the direction of finding these answers.

[florida581]

The main railroad through Asheville is Norfolk Southern. The yard belongs to them. Calling it a "switching yard" is fine. It's also known as a classification yard, freight yard, rail yard, or just simply "yard". The yard in Asheville is relatively small compared to other Norfolk Southern yards throughout their network, however, it's the largest yard in the area. Freight trains drop off cars in the yard and pick others up. The cars in the yard are distributed to customers in the area by a local freight. Local freights' power are usually SD40-2's. Through freight trains usually have higher horsepower 6-axle locomotives such as SD70ACe, ES44AC, and D9-44CW's. Through freights can haul anything and everything from chemicals, lumber, scrap metal, and building materials. There are also entire trains of coal or grain that goes through Asheville. Overall, Asheville should average 10-12 trains a day.

The following are the regular Norfolk Southern trains through Asheville:

Through freights:
134 Chattanooga, TN - Linwood, NC
135 Linwood, NC - Knoxville, TN
162 Sheffield, AL - Linwood, NC
165 Linwood, NC - Knoxville, TN
Second sections of these trains run as M34, M35, M62, M65 respectively. Through freights will drop off and pick up cars in the yard for local customers.

Local freight:
P87 Bridgewater, NC - Asheville, NC and return
P87 switches customers along the line between these two cities.

Pushers:
P34 Asheville, NC
P34 are an extra set of locomotives that assist heavy trains up the grades around Ridgecrest.

Wood Chip trains:
66E Columbia, SC - Asheville, NC loads
67E Asheville, NC - Columbia, SC empties
These are entire trains of wood chips loaded in hoppers. These trains are heading to the paper mill in Canton, NC.

There are also a handful of coal trains to power stations in Catawba, Arden and Belmont, NC and Wateree, SC that use various 700-series symbols. Grain and ballast trains also run on occasion.

The new short line railroad, Blue Ridge Southern, operates the branch lines radiating out of Asheville towards East Flat Rock and Canton / Sylva. Norfolk Southern sold these lines in 2014.

[River Arts Fan]

Thank you florida581! Such a wealth of information. It will take me a little while to digest it all. I appreciate very much your thorough detailed answer.

For any others reading this, could you direct me to a general information source where I can research things for myself? Is there perhaps a newbis thread with helpful inks?

Thanks! You guys have been very hospitable.

[justin_gram]

Here is a list of railfanning websites. Lots of info here viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1387

[River Arts Fan]

Thanks Justin

I checked out several of the links and this will keep me busy for quite a while.

I also checked out your YouTube videos, which are pretty neat.

[justin_gram]

Thanks Justin

no problem

I checked out several of the links and this will keep me busy for quite a while.

it kept me busy for a long while

I also checked out your YouTube videos, which are pretty neat.

Thanks!