Relaxing and walking around the town before performing at the Purple Onion, songwriter Dan Foster discovered the historical marker describing the remarkable, legendary Saluda Grade. This small mountain town and its history inspired him to write a ballad, “Saluda Grade.” Dan arranged and performed the first version with the band, High Cotton.

Now with a new team of musicians, the ballad has been arranged with the Radio Rangers and will be released at the Saluda Historic Depot during a Saluda Station Depot Day to kick off the Saluda Holiday Gallery at the depot. This concert will be performed at the depot on Saturday, Nov. 5 with shows at 2 and 3:15 p.m. Some seating available and organizers suggest bringing a chair.

The three-member band comes from Atlanta, Ga. and is performing this concert pro bono, to help the Saluda Historic Depot with its fundraising efforts to pay the mortgage on the purchase of the building. The concert is free to the public.

“Railroads have always had a special place in American history. Those bigger than life machines and the tracks they rode on have moved our country and driven our imaginations. I remember standing beside the grade, reading the historical marker and realizing the significance of the Saluda Grade story. I thought about the determination and resource it must have taken to build the grade and move tons of coal down the mountain. I thought about the danger and I thought about the will to succeed, proof that the folks in Saluda were pretty amazing. The Radio Rangers are very happy to support the museum,” says Dan Foster.

The fun starts at 12 p.m. in the parking lot of the Saluda Historic Depot with craft-making for kids sponsored by the Saluda Community Land Trust, a kid’s train ride, wood carving at Botes & Stuff, a wooden toy train exhibit, and an interactive train model exhibited by the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club. Duck Alley will have a special chocolate dip ice cream to celebrate the day.

For more information, please contact Judy Ward at 828-674-5958 or by email to judyward@charter.net, or Cathy Jackson at 828-817-2876 or by email to  cathy@saludalifestyles.com.

The depot sits on historic Main Street at the crest of the steepest mainline standard gauge railroad in the United States. 

– article submitted by Cathy Jackson