Anything interesting in the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC area?

[runningwithscalpels]

Friday night I'm leaving to go visit my parents who live in Campobello, SC - are there any decent railfanning opportunities in the Greenville/Spartanburg area?

[Gadfly]

If you can spare the time, there is a LOT happening about 100 miles up the road at Spencer, NC. Norfolk Southern is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk & Western. As part of the corporate celebration of each of the member roads, NS has painted one locomotive of each road in their original colors. Southern passenger colors, NW's colors, Pennsylvania, New York Central Lines, Reading and a whole fleet of roads are represented. It will be one of the few chances (I understand) to see ALL of them at one time. This will occur on July 4 week. On June 3, the NC Transportation Museum will be hosting its annual Rail Days with lots to see and do. This is the old Roundhouse (turntable still works) where big steam engines were repaired until about 1953. It has been renovated into a museum. On the 9th of June, Southern 630 will pull an employee excursion up to Statesville, NC (Barber Jct) and return. You won't be able to ride this one (unless you are an NS employee/retiree), but they can't stop you from chasing it! But then the following weekend, the 16-17th, the public will be able to take this train (GET tickets early) to the same destination. It is an easy drive on I-85 from Spartanburg to Salisbury/Spencer, NC with the exit for the museum clearly marked. Google "NC Transportation Museum" for the website and schedule of events.

So if you can stick around for awhile, there's going to be a plenty to see. It may be worthwhile for a dedicated 'fan to come BACK if he can't remain in the area.
I've already gotten my employee confirmation ticket.

GF

[runningwithscalpels]

If you can spare the time, there is a LOT happening about 100 miles up the road at Spencer, NC. Norfolk Southern is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk & Western. As part of the corporate celebration of each of the member roads, NS has painted one locomotive of each road in their original colors. Southern passenger colors, NW's colors, Pennsylvania, New York Central Lines, Reading and a whole fleet of roads are represented. It will be one of the few chances (I understand) to see ALL of them at one time. This will occur on July 4 week. On June 3, the NC Transportation Museum will be hosting its annual Rail Days with lots to see and do. This is the old Roundhouse (turntable still works) where big steam engines were repaired until about 1953. It has been renovated into a museum. On the 9th of June, Southern 630 will pull an employee excursion up to Statesville, NC (Barber Jct) and return. You won't be able to ride this one (unless you are an NS employee/retiree), but they can't stop you from chasing it! But then the following weekend, the 16-17th, the public will be able to take this train (GET tickets early) to the same destination. It is an easy drive on I-85 from Spartanburg to Salisbury/Spencer, NC with the exit for the museum clearly marked. Google "NC Transportation Museum" for the website and schedule of events.

So if you can stick around for awhile, there's going to be a plenty to see. It may be worthwhile for a dedicated 'fan to come BACK if he can't remain in the area.
I've already gotten my employee confirmation ticket.

GF

Thanks! Sadly I'm only there until the 3rd though =/ Sounds really cool though, I wish my travel dates coincided better!

[IronHorse]

Upstate South Carolina does not have much railroad activity. I do remember years ago the steam train excursions on the Norfolk Southern line from Spartanburg to Asheville, North Carolina by way of Saluda Mountain.

Here are a few entities:

South Carolina Railroad Museum[/URL}, Winnsboro, SC

[url=http://www.tweetsie.com/]Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, NC

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, Dillsboro, NC