Blue Ridge Southern Train T59 Goes "Over the Mountain"

Last winter I was able to chase the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad through the beautiful North Carolina mountains two days in a row. On the first day, they brought a train from Giles Chemical in Waynesville back to Canton, then continued all the way into Asheville to interchange with Norfolk Southern. They brought a train of mostly LPG tank cars back to Canton. The next day, they took that same train from Canton deeper into the mountains toward Sylva to deliver the LPG tank cars. To get to Sylva, the train would need to cross the Blue Ridge via Balsam Gap. This is referred to as "going over the mountain." Balsam, at 3,315 feet, was once the highest elevation on the entire Southern Railway system. The trio of GP39-2s were working hard to get their sizeable train over the mountain. This video really illustrates the exceptional scenery and impressive bridges that can be found along the Southern Railway's Murphy Branch.