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Saluda Grade

Saluda, NC set in the 1970-80s. Tackle the 5% grade on this 8 mile route with historic Southern long hood forwards and newer Norfolk Southern equipment.

Although it only covers several miles, you will traverse this route slowly since downgrade you are limited to 8MPH for the electronic timing section to keep you aligned with mainline and not switched to the runaway track. Upgrade you will be lucky to get your MPH into the 'teens when hauling freight up nearly 5% grades. As well, a lot of trains need to be "doubled" or even "tripled" when going up the hill since the locomotives can't manage to tackle the grade in one go. Leaving some of the consist down in Melrose, you will haul up the first section onto the Saluda Siding, leaving it there then running around the cars using the crossover and back down the hill "light" with engines only, then pick up the rest. Either way you can end up playing around with this route for quite some time - I ensured to model enough length on either end to fit the "Belmont" Unit Coal Train that Southern would run up and down this grade, which would have been the longest freight passing through the mountain at nearly 100 cars long and 7 locomotives.

A good source of info for operations in this area can be found on Robin Michael's website: http://www.polkcounty.org/saludagrade/the_saluda_grade.html There is plenty of links about running up and down the mountain, stop locations, setting of brake retainers (which isn't really modelled in Railworks, however you can kind of cheat and set a few handbrakes on the first freight cars as a workaround), etc.

For full detail such as roadsigns, relay boxes, etc. ensure scenery density is turned all the way up. Don't worry, it's not too crazy - your PC should be able to handle it, I built and run this routue on a modest laptop.

*REQUIRED ASSETS*
This route utilizes the payware DLC routes of: Feather River Canyon, Penn Coal District, Sherman Hill, and the US Assets.

*CREDITS*
Many thanks to the railworksamerica.com website and forum for guidance. Also Robin Michael's website listed above helped really pin down some details. A very big thank you to handle "lj0109" on the railworksamerica forum too for the guidance and information with speed limits, signal locations, and grades on the route.