In the Woods
The annual trek of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway's power to Tate can be seen here in the woods south of Blue Ridge. This move is made every year in late January so the engines can have their annual inspections conducted at the GNRR maintenance shop in Tate before returning in time for the start of season in March.
While these moves are typically only done with just the engines, what makes the move south & the return trip north special is that they are only times of the year where the "Ellijay Block," the portion of the Hook & Eye between Blue Ridge & Whitestone, see any traffic. With the demise of the lumber business that traveled by rail that managed to survive into the 2000s, there were no freight customers north of Whitestone left, so the line got demoted to excepted-track, only to be used for power moves. That makes these moves highly sought after & I've been fortunate to now catch it 2 years in a row. 1-25-22
In the Woods
The annual trek of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway's power to Tate can be seen here in the woods south of Blue Ridge. This move is made every year in late January so the engines can have their annual inspections conducted at the GNRR maintenance shop in Tate before returning in time for the start of season in March.
While these moves are typically only done with just the engines, what makes the move south & the return trip north special is that they are only times of the year where the "Ellijay Block," the portion of the Hook & Eye between Blue Ridge & Whitestone, see any traffic. With the demise of the lumber business that traveled by rail that managed to survive into the 2000s, there were no freight customers north of Whitestone left, so the line got demoted to excepted-track, only to be used for power moves. That makes these moves highly sought after & I've been fortunate to now catch it 2 years in a row. 1-25-22