Hello,

Either the summer before or during the year I was in the first grade which I have deducted to be the summer of 1969 the year before I began school or 1970 the year I attended first grade, my grandparents and I made a day trip from Asheville, N.C. to Salsbury, N.C. on the "Asheville Speical". At that time the train consisted of a single F unit, streamlined combine, heavy coach, and a beautiful vista dome off of the CofG I understand, but lettered for Southern at that point. I need to nail down the year for an article I am writing. I would like to know when the "Asheville Special" or the "Asheville Local" as I understand it is also called began operating with the dome from Asheville to Salsbury N.C.? I can also remember a trip to the Asheville depot, which was the former Biltmore Depot as the Asheville Depot had been torn down. What year was the Asheville, N.C. depot demolished and Asheville Operations moved to Biltmore? One trip I made as a very small boy to the Biltmore Depot in the early morning I saw 4 trains meet in the corse of an hour. I know that one was the southbound Carolina Special bound for Charleston, S.C. via Saluda, One section of this train was going via the Salsbury line to Goldsboro. This accounts for two of the four trains I witnessed that morning. All were powered by F units in Southern's black and white. I was atleast four years old then. The trains were also very lengthy due to an airline strike as I recall. Can someone help me with schedules and dates of this trip and early train spotting adventures? Mr. Alex Stoops, Jr.

-- Alex Stoops, Jr. (Xander8623@aol.com), June 05, 2000

Answers

According to Southern Railway Varnish 1964-79 by Ralph Ward dome coach 1613 was transferred to the Asheville Special on June 25, 1971. THis cars was ex CofG 1613, ex N&W 1613, ex Wabash 203. The old depot in Asheville was closed in late 1968 and razed in 1969. The railroad strike you mention was in 1966. In addition to the Asheville Special train 15-16 there was a Greensboro-Asheville train 21-21. You mention the Carolina Special 27-28 also the Royal Palm 3-4 ran between Cinncinnatti and Jacksonville. I suggest you check at the local library for Ralph Ward's book since it has all this information and more. Otherwise it may stil be avaialble from railroads books dealers- -the orignal price was $16.95.

-- Larry Puckett (ljpuckett@msn.com), June 05, 2000.

There was a lengthy airline strike during the summer of 1966. Most of Southern's trains were running heavy during that period, especially the ones on the Washington-Atlanta line.

-- Ben Lee (Bengineer7@aol.com), June 05, 2000.

Thanks everyone for your response.

-- Alex Stoops (Xander8623@aol.com), May 02, 2001.