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  • Greenville SC shortline question

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Discussion related to railroad activities past and present in West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennesee, Alabama, Arkansas and Loiusiana. For discussion specific to Washington, D.C/DelMarVa, please click here.
 #1291003  by gearken
 
Hi Group,
A friend and I are making a railfan trip to Greenville SC next month to photograph the Greenville & Western, the Pickens RR, and the Carolina Piedmont.
We can't find much information on the net concerning current operations, I've searched the archives of this group but didn't find much.
Can someone offer some railfanning tips for these railroads. Basic stuff like points of origin and end points, approximate on duty times, and days of operation would be very helpful.
Any and all info on railfanning the Greenville area will be helpful and very much appreciated!

THANKS!

Ken Gear
 #1291438  by lvrr325
 
http://scrailroads.org/members/greenvil ... y-llc.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Probably runs as-needed most of the time; sites note 7 days a week operations but I would imagine interchange and road trains only run a couple days a week, the line is only 13 miles long.


http://www.pickensrailway.com/RailOperations.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anderson line operates Mon-Fri -

http://www.gwrr.com/operations/railroad ... t_railroad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a G&W line now. Per site operates weekdays with weekend specials possible.

I suspect with all of these the best way to get more info is to ask someone there. Pickens and Greenville & Western you may be able to call, G&W's operation who knows.


Spartanburg is a disproportionately high crime area and railroads don't always go through the best neighborhoods, watch yourselves and be careful.
 #1296021  by SouthernRailway
 
Greenville is Norfolk Southern territory, with a station and mini-yard near downtown, on West Washington Street. If you take the Swamp Rabbit Trail from downtown (starting from Riverplace/Broad Street), you will pass under the Norfolk Southern main line (leading from the main station) quickly and there is a small CSX loading zone a few blocks later, next to Republic Locomotive Works.

There is almost no passenger rail in Greenville other than the Crescent but the SC Railroad Muse is not far down I-385 and Spartanburg has a small railroad museum near its train station.
 #1310813  by jtbell
 
This is way too late to help the original poster, but I can contribute a small bit of information about the Carolina Piedmont (CPDR) because I live in the next town over from its home base, Laurens SC, where it interchanges with CSX. Based on occasional observations while driving through town or getting my car serviced not far from the station, I think they normally leave Laurens on weekday mornings around 8:30-9 AM (don't know if it's every weekday), work their way up towards Greenville at least as far as Simpsonville, and return in the afternoon.

Most of the route is alongside or very close to SC route 14, making it easy to follow. I often drive that way when going to or from Greenville. Customers include ISO Poly Films at the north edge of Gray Court; something new next to the ZF Transmissions plant on Old Laurens Road (near I-385 exit 19), but not the ZF plant itself; a plastics plant also on Old Laurens Road near I-385 exit 22; and some industries around Simpsonville and maybe Mauldin.

The line goes as far as the GE gas turbine plant near the junction of I-85 and I-385, but I don't think they actually run there very often, just for special shipments.
 #1324849  by Desertdweller
 
I used to work for the Carolina Piedmont, and this information is correct. It at the time operated M-F. The daily operations started at Laurens at 0700. Cars from CSX would be line up or delivery to stations between there and Greenville.

The single-track line runs along the backbone of the ridge, with sidings on both sides going downhill from the main line. The railroad is ex-Charleston and Western; ex-Atlantic Coast Line.

The line west begins with a steep climb out of Laurens. There is a siding at the top of the grade named "Dublin". Because that is where you leave your cars when "dublin".

Trains will run as close to Greenville as there is work to perform. We served a Duke's salad dressing plant; various plastic plants including a plastic wrap plant and a water hose plant; warehouses, including a large grocery warehouse near the west end.

The 0700 job worked until about 1600. Then a second job came on at 1900, completed the work, and returned the train to Laurens and delivered cars to the CSX. Generator moves from Greenville required a dedicated train. They moved on Schnable cars.

At the time I worked there (2005), power was RailAmerica GP-38's.

A non-connected segment of Carolina Piedmont operated out of Darlington.

This is incredibly lush, green country.

Les