The town atop the steepest standard gauge railroad grade in the US

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

This recent private commission by cut paper collage artist Alice Feagan depicts the small town of Saluda in the mountains of western North Carolina. Founded originally as a rest stop for weary train travelers and made famous by its annual Coon Dog Day, Saluda, as you can see from the illustration, is small town charm.

“Saluda sits at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway’s Saluda Grade, the steepest standard gauge railroad line in the United States,” says Wikipedia. “The main street has been improved since 1995 with new restaurants and art galleries. Tourists and cyclists are common on summer and fall weekends.

“Their fire department is the first department in Polk County to receive heavy rescue achievement. They have around 10 trucks, and a good staff along with a supposedly excellent dive team. There are 8 certified members.”

More articles on Norfolk Southern:

Book Excerpt: ‘African American Railroad Workers of Roanoke’(Opens in a new browser tab)

Book Excerpt: ‘Lost at Thaxton’(Opens in a new browser tab)

Norfolk Southern supports restoration of historic ‘611’(Opens in a new browser tab)