With a healthy cut of woodchips on the head end, BLU T31 climbs out of the dip at Enka on their westward journey from Asheville to Canton. The impending closure of the paper mill in Canton has sent railfans swarming here in recent weeks. As of the time of this upload, the mill has about two weeks to live.

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

BLU T31 grinds across the trestle at East Canton with cars inbound from Asheville Yard. This is one of two bridges that were required to be replaced in order to get larger steam power on the Murphy Branch back in the Southern days -- and even then, just beefy consolidations.

BLU 31 works on switching cars around at Evergreen Paper in Canton, before heading East to Asheville

Blue Ridge Southern T31 heads east toward Asheville.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 grinds upgrade west as they cross over High Bridge on the approach to Canton, NC.

With its return trip from Ashevillle complete, T31 breaks down its train at the yard in Canton. The moribund paper mill is still producing paper products and filling the stacks with the smoke of industry. Within a few weeks, 115 years of papermaking in the town of Canton will abruptly cease.

Climbing westbound from Murphy Junction, 4 Blue Ridge Southern EMD's bring T31 by the Southern Railway "Non Automatic Block Approach Signal" at the MP 1.

BLU heads east towards Asheville through this classic location in Candler.

Playing with light using a speedlite flash

Just east of Canton, T31 slows to a crawl as it eases over the high trestle.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 heads east for Asheville on the Murphy Branch.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 returns to Canton Yard after interchanging with the NS at Asheville.

Blue Ridge Southern's T31 arriving into Asheville on the NS S line after just coming off home rails at Murphy Junction.

The River Arts District that the railroad is passing through there is a large piece of Asheville's support for the arts. Many of the galleries and other buildings in the district can be a canvas for artists who follow the rules. There are colorful murals (and graffiti) on the buildings as well as this old tank. It's one way that the town gets some color into an otherwise older industrial area. Since there would be graffiti anyway, it's a join 'em (and control 'em) if you can't beat 'em situation.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 winds upgrade over Hominy Creek crossing 'High Bridge' about to enter the Yard Limits at Canton, NC.

Taken same night as the Last post. 10-15 minutes later. Sunsets take on so many different looks in one sunset.

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BLU T31 works through Enka with a sizeable train.

Once it leaves the path of US Route 19, the Blue Ridge Southern reaches some pleasant rural countryside in the area of Candler. By this point, T31 is about halfway between Asheville and Canton. The trio of SD45 car bodies are hard at work traversing the hilly terrain with a lengthy trian.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 glides downgrade hitting the West end of Enka siding headed for Asheville.

Four SD45 carbodies lead Blue Ridge Southern T31 back to Canton.

Blue Ridge Southern's T-31 crosses Hominy Creek near Candler, NC bound for Canton.

3 Blue Ridge Southern SD40's are switching in the Canton yard getting train T31 ready for the trip down to Asheville. The Evergreen Packaging mill in the background accounts for 70% of the line's business. The company announced that it will close the milll early in June. There's been a paper mill in Canton for over 100 years and it identifies itself as Papertown. There are signs around town asking "Have you prayed for the mill today?". The company attributes it to market conditions for food packaging but I suspect they have enough capacity at their other mill and chose this one to close due to high upgrade costs. I have a pretty high tolerance for industrial smells having been in lots of refineries and chemical plants over the last 50 years. But the paper plant smell is a special kind of stink. Locals tell me it used to be a lot worse but there are mills that don't smell as bad. Makes me think that there is more they can do that they don't want to pay for. And makes me glad I didn't get the job in a paper mill that I thought I wanted getting our of school.

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

Spring has sprung in the Carolina mountains by the middle of April. Blue Ridge Southern's T31 is starting down the grade from Canton on the former Southern's Murphy branch with 3 SD40's (rebuilt from SD45's) and a short 14 car train.

T31 crosses the French Broad River in Asheville with interchange cars with the NS.

Blue Ridge Southern train T31 departs Canton, NC for its run to Asheville in order to interchange with Norfolk Southern. BLU's lone nose-logo adorned SD40-2 is on the point of a mix of loads and empties facilitated primarily by Evergreen Packaging to the right of the frame.

The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced for 1967. Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived on a concept car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro; production started on March 16, 2009. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Camaro]

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

BLU T31 drops into the yard at Canton, NC and rolls by some old storefronts.

Details

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Behind the Scene

Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of McDowell County. Founded in 1844, the city was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War Hero whose talent in guerrilla warfare earned him the name “Swamp Fox”. Marion's Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population was 7,838 at the 2010 Census. [source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion,_North_Carolina]

City of Marion NC website: www.marionnc.org

Marion Cruise In links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarioncruisein

Website: www.marioncruisein.com/index.html

2016 Image Flyer: scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/12983248_78761507467...

This image was created from multiple exposures blended together in Photoshop CS6 layers using the "Lighten" blend mode. All exposures were taken with a single Paul C. Buff Einstein strobe with a 22" beauty dish attached to a Elinchrom boom arm. If you send me a FlickrMail message, I'll be more than happy to send you some information on mostly how I photograph this style and what equipment I use, along with some YouTube video links that help explain this process.

Please have a look at my automotive photography album: www.flickr.com/photos/kenlane/albums/72157634353498642

BLU T31 nears its destination of Canton, NC as it soars over the famous trestle just east of town. The train is returning from Asheville after interchanging with Norfolk Southern.

T59 switches the East end of Canton Yard digging cars out for T31 under some quite impressive storm light.

Well 3 days in atleast! Started out 2016 with a long planned trip to properly shoot the Blue Ridge Southern with Kyle Yunker, to say it was a success was an understatement. Here T31 rolls downgrade towards Asheville at Coeburn with the namesake Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

BLU T31 rolls East through Candler under cloudy skies with a small train for Asheville

Blue Ridge Southern's T31 Asheville turn job leaves the mill town of Canton behind as they trundle towards Asheville on a splendid Spring afternoon.

With the railroad's namesake mountains in the background, Blue Ridge Southern's daily T31 job descends one of the numerous grades along BLU's Canton to Asheville, NC section of the T Line in Enka, NC.

The Sunday westbound run of Blue Ridge Southern train T31 crosses the trestle over North Hominy Creek just west of Canton, NC, the terminus of this Asheville turn job. It was odd seeing the train run with two motors, as three to four SD40 motors is the norm.

A trip back to better times; T31 westbound at Enka with chips for the mill in Canton. With the mill closing in less than a month (as of this posting in May 2023), these trains are now just another item to catalog in the "railroad memories" files.

Blue Ridge Southern T31 leaves Canton, NC headed for Asheville over 'High Bridge' on a nice Fall morning.

T31 departs Asheville for Canton with 4 SD45 bodies leading Woodchips and freight.

BLU T31 takes the dip at Enka with three SD45 flares and an SD40-2 leading eastbound tonnage to Asheville.

A quartet of Watco EMD's bring Blue Ridge Southern train T31 east on its way to Asheville, NC to interchange with Norfolk Southern.

With their EMD 16-645 Prime Movers screaming, four Blue Ridge Southern SD40-2's make the final assault on Camelback Grade and into Canton with a decent sized T31 dragging behind.