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Bring life back to our area’s old rail passages
Published 5:42pm Tuesday, August 7, 2012To the editor:
I think the old, rusty, unusable railroad tracks leading through Saluda, Tryon, Landrum, Campobello, Inman, Lyman and into Spartanburg should be turned into biking, hiking, horseback, bird watching and general use trails.
I don’t know the political or business/corporate implications or the hurdles to be cleared over local or state law. Nor do I care to. But it seems to me that these tracks will never transport a train again. Why don’t we consider taking these tracks and rebuilding them into safe and scenic biking and hiking tracks?
Think about the business that might bring to this special part of the country. Bike shops, cafes, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, convenience stores, art and local crafters, farmers, antiques, hotel/motel, real estate and developers. The list could go on and on.
I don’t have the solution to the obvious slowdown in local businesses. But I have an idea that might help. I am sure fighting the monopolistic railroad company’s and the federal or even local governments would not be easy. But we need people to support our local economy and that means we need people to come here and we must give them a good reason to do so.
I know for a fact that many of the older train rails used in Canada during the industrial boom have been successfully re-designed for bikers/hikers and general use. They spawned and support a vital tourist economy that continues to this day, even after being ravaged by wildfires. Railroad tracks are traditionally routed so they avoid most populated or dangerous terrain, but that also makes them inherently beautiful routes that access the most convenient stops along a beautiful route… like Saluda, Tryon, Landrum, Inman, etc. Think about the number of jobs this idea might support. I don’t think those rusty tracks are ever going to shine themselves again. Why not let us use them for a better cause? Riding a bike, riding a horse or taking a walk on a cool country trail is never a bad thing.
– William Squires, Landrum
This effort by me as someone who knows this issue is an effort to keep the true story of the local rails to trails effort in the open. Rails to trails has attempted to present incomplete information locally to build local support from people like you, who have no idea of all that is involved. The primary issue which led to local towns of Saluda and Tryon approving and then forcing through with their local political clout resolutions of support for rails to trails, was this lack of full information. I trust these repeated efforts by me as your LOCALNATIVE, have alleviated this lack of public information. I save the best for last. The slide at MP 39 was intentional matter as observed 8 years of hindsight later. It was done to create the atmosphere to gain a politcal favor allowing when a storm came in and caused a land slide and resulting flood on the Pacolet river with slight damage at Harmon field, a FEMA grant whose repairs went far beyond the damage and the improvements are still there and the damage is still there at MP 39 on the rail easement. This is public corruption locally at its worse and it only gets worse as the details come forward. OF COURSE IT FIT INTO THE LOCAL POLITICAL PLAN OF RAILS TO TRAILS AT THE TIME AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT. THE SAME POLITICAL FORCES STILL EXIST AND SIT APPOINTED OR ELECTED ON LOCAL BOARDS.
The polk county commission, understanding fully the depth of the corruption, rescinded its support of rails to trails under public pressure almost two years ago now.
The key issue is that the rail corridor is still posted no trespassing and still enforced by the rail police. Although a key Federal Rail Inspection official at one point lied and SAID IN WRITING and it was publicly published that our rail corridor was RAILBANKED……….this was not true. It has never been true. Our rail corridor remains an ACTIVE ASSET OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORPORATION.
Our rail corridor………..is in daily use by the SPrint cable on the easement and it remains the single greatest commercial asset in our area……….and has the greatest potential for growth in our area. I personally encourage all local business to confront Norfolk Southern daily with demands for return to full rail service and issue request for deliverys locally. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO SECURE THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY………WHICH RISING FUEL COSTS MAKE A NECESSITY. IT WILL HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER. MAKE IT SOONER. IF YOU SUPPORT A TRAIL INSTEAD OF RAIL SERVICE HISTORY WILL CONDEMN YOUR SIGHTED EFFORT…….
FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE MYTH OF RAILS TO TRAILS. Rails to trails throughout this country has been a failure in terms of practicality and econimic stimulus. In every case it has cost more than it ever brought a return. It seems that the simple logic has been ignored when it has been tried that if money was there to be made the railroad owning the easement would already be making the money. In the case of Polk county our line is not a spur line and is a through connection from Charleston to Asheville and beyond which has been a moneymaker for over 125 years continuous and will return to service in the near future as the new rail explosion of rail traffic caused by inflated fuel costs happens. That is all it is waiting for. The truth is one rail car load of sand, gravel, pulp wood, coal or you name it brings more commerce to Polk county and more income than all the bicycles and trails ever could bring. They myth that the rail corridor is not now in use is just that, a myth. The Sprint cable is a fiber optic cable now on the easement daily bringing enormous income to Norfolk Southern as an asset they will not give up. It seems very likely to me the real reason behind rails to trails effort locally, considering who was involved and driving forces of it, was to try to gain control of that income of the Sprint cable on the easement. Ignored at this point by the public is the simple fact removing the rails to allow a trail would be an erosion disaster on the steep slopes area of the Saluda Grade and the MP 39 slide where tracks hang in the sky is ample proof of that. Whoever has plans for a railbanking proposal by law must assume the liability for the drainage maintenance and liability for any erosion problems and the Surface Transporation Board (STB) exists to handle such matters and Norfolk Southern has stated their intent for an early return to full rail service. Further, the narrow and difficult locations such as Rock Cut, Slaughter Pen, and MP 39 preclude all schemes to install a trail and leave rails in place. It is hard to get around the fact of life that on the steep slopes above the Pacolet valley the only thing holding the mountain together is the ribbons of rails and the crossties and the gravel. Any changes there would mean a flood disaster in the valley so the ONLY OPTION IS A RETURN TO FULL SERVICE ON OUR RAIL LINE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME. THIS IS THE WHOLE TRUTH OF THE MATTER AS IT EXISTS AT THIS TIME.
Further comment is needed at this point under separate heading of INFORMATION. The Rail Corridor is an easement and that easement is currently owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation. In almost all cases in our area the land that easement is on is privately owned by taxpayers who pay taxes on the land the rails are located on, quite often having property owning either both sides of the tracks including the track area OR IN OTHER CASES PROPERTYS OF NEIGHBORS ADJOIN EACH OTHER QUITE OFTEN AT THE CENTER OF THE TRACKS. Repeatedly, since full service on our rail line stopped over ten years ago, folks like you look at this rail corridor and seem to think it is in some way public property YOU CAN RULE OVER AND DO AS YOU PLEASE LIKE IT IS IN FACT PUBLIC PROPERTY. Nothing could be further from the case. In some areas of the country rails to trails has been more successful than in N. C. areas because the property the rails were on happened to be public property like in national forest and lake areas. That is NOT the case here and our rail corridor in almost all cases is privately owned land with the Norfolk Southern corporation owning only the EASEMENT where the tracks are. SO WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ALL YOUR GRAND IDEAS FOR TRAILS…………..REMEMBER YOU ARE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE EASEMENT OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN OWNED BY THEM……..AND THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF TAXPAYERS WHO LIVE HERE AND PAY EVERY YEAR ON THEIR PROPERTY. I hope this gives you a better perspective. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER WENT ON AND ON WITH PLANS TO CHANGE THE USE OF YOUR PROPERTY YOU PAY TAXES ON???
ISSUE CLARIFIED.
The rail corridor is a one hundred foot wide easement across Polk County which is owned at this time by Norfolk Southern corporation and is classified as an ACTIVE LINE of Norfolk Southern. At this time the line is CUT across the few miles of POLK and is not being used as a spur line in Polk because Norfolk Southern has no business actively receiving freight here in Polk to use it as a spur. The line is active in both directions toward Asheville and active as close as Landrum with deliverys there to Capps Wood yard. Last year the line was update from Landrum into Spartanburg. The S. C. budget in the last year updated and deepened facilities in the Port of Charleston which is the direct link to our rail past and future. Norfolk Southern repeatedly has flatly refused to consider any plans for the rail corridor in Polk county OTHER THAN A FULL RETURN TO ACTIVE FULL SERVICE AT AN EARLY TIMETABLE. THE RAILS WHICH ARE INSTALLED ARE STRATEGIC MATERIAL NATIONAL EMERGENCY ASSETS AND THE OWNERSHIP OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN OF THE SPRINT CABLE WHICH IS ALSO BURIED ON THE RAIL CORRIDOR EASEMENT PRECLUDES REMOVAL OF THE TRACKS FOR ANY RAILS TO TRAILS FUTURE. THE EROSION AND POTENTIAL LANDSLIDE PROBLEMS ON THE SALUDA GRADE ALSO PRECLUDES ANY FUTURE RAILS TO TRAILS PLANS. ANYONE WHO SAYS THE RAIL CORRIDOR IS NOT IN USE CURRENTLY IS UNINFORMED AS THE SPRINT CABLE IS ON THE RAIL CORRIDOR AND MAKES MONEY FOR NORFOLK SOUTHERN DAILY, YOU JUST CAN’T SEE IT BURIED THERE. NORFOLK SOUTHERN IS IN THE COAL SHIPPING BUSINESS AND IT TAKES UP TO 3000 RAIL CAR LOADS TO LOAD A SHIP. CURRENT COAL HANDLING FREIGHT IS MOSTLY GOING TO NORFOLK BY OTHER RAIL ROUTES AND IT IS ANTICIPATED COAL WILL BE SHIPPED IN VOLUME TO PORT OF CHARLESTON ALONG WITH INCREASED EAST WEST CONTAINER FREIGHT AT THE IMPROVED PORT OF CHARLESTON AND OUR RAILS THROUGH POLK WILL SOON RETURN TO FULL SERVICE. A NEW CONTAINER TERMINAL IS BEING BUILT IN GREER AS THIS IS WRITTEN. LOCAL INTERESTS NEED TO GET BUSY AND PLAN A SIMILAR RAIL TERMINAL PROJECT FOR POLK COUNTY. AS FUEL PRICES INEVITABLY RISE RAIL WILL BE THE SURVIVAL IMPETUS FOR SMALL COMMUNITYS LIKE OURS AND THE COMMUNITY WHICH HOLDS ON TO ITS RAIL SERVICE WILL SURVIVE WHILE THE ONES WHO LOST RAILS WILL WITHER. IT IS ALREADY 4 TIMES LESS EXPENSIVE TO SHIP BY RAIL AND THIS GAP WILL BROADEN AS TRUCKS COME OFF THE ROADS.
Your comments, while well intended, fail to note that the rail corridor is not up for grabs. In fact it is owned and can be traded between railroads like an old junk car. It has happened before and Southern railroad previously owned the corridor. It is an asset of Norfolk Southern and the single greatest physical asset Polk county has for commerce. These continued gripes by folks who think local government or local opinion has anything to do with that rail corridor are absurd. The Surface Transportation Board rules over our rail corridor along with Norfolk Southern. I suggest you direct all inquiry to them. All other efforts are wasted wind by you and me.