With half of the Blue Ridge Special excursion in the books, fireman Cheri George and engineer Scott Lindsay appear all smiles as the train backs towards the loading area.
NS 958 "611" says goodbye to the City of Asheville on the afternoon of April 10, 2016 for the first time in 22 years.
T31 climbs upgrade past the Non Automatic Block Approach Signal at the #1 milepost on the old Southern Murphy Branch.
With all thier work at Norfolk Southern's yard in Asheville taken care of, Blue Ridge Southern T31 crosses the French Broad River as they head for the T-Line, returning to Canton, NC.
Blue Ridge Southern T31 works down the high lead and under the now defunct Asheville Tower before picking up their outbound train and proceeding back to the T Line at Murphy Junction.
Working west back to Canton, a quartet of Blue Ridge Southern SD40-2s rumble past the Crown Plaza golf course and the classic non-automatic approach signal.
Under the cover of darkness the "First Responders" unit leads NS 135 out of Asheville for it's run across the river line to Morristown, TN and eventually Knoxville.
135 completes it's 139 mile run across the Asheville District with the First Responders unit leading the way. The moon was a nice touch.
134 departs Asheville under light snow showers with the Reading heritage unit doing the honors on this cold February night in western North Carolina.
BLU T31 climbs the grade from Murphy Junction s it passes the former Southern Railway "Non-Automatic Approach Block" signal on its trip back toward Canton.
Winter storm Jonas is in full swing as 745 approaches Asheville and splits the Southern signals at Azalea on this snowing January morning.
Three GE's run around their train at the North end of the yard in Asheville, NC.
135 departs Asheville under the cover of darkness with Citirail #1347 leading the way.
The former Southern Railway roundhouse lies in ruin in Asheville, midway through it's demolition on this cold winter afternoon.
744 accelerates eastbound from Asheville as it passes the classic Southern Railway cantilever signal bridge at B.I. Tower under a blanket of snow from winter storm Jonas.