Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Stanley and Terrie Howard
Taken: September 7, 2008
Caption: Up the tracks and around the bend the grade gets very steep
Additional Description: Because of numerous accidents involving downgrade runaway trains in the late 1880s, the then Southern Railway (the line's original owner) built special safety tracks along the route. This is a manned spur junction, which, for safety reasons, is always switched to a 60-foot (18 m) pile of solid earth, which is capable of stopping downgrade runaway trains. Only upon the application of a special whistle signal from the downgrade train will the signalman manning the spur junction throw the switch to lead the train safely to the main line. Special elaborate rules were made by Southern, and later Norfolk Southern, in dealing with operations on this route.
Submitted: September 7, 2008, by Stanley and Terrie Howard of Greer, South Carolina.
Database Locator Identification Number: p34749
File Size: 1.092 Megabytes

To see the metadata that may be embedded in this photo, sign in and then return to this page.