Eighteen months after Hurricane Helene tore up the railroad between Old Fort and Black Mountain, a Norfolk Southern freight train once again rolled through McDowell County and made its way through the historic Old Fort Loops as it headed west up the mountain.
Cathy Moore, the local leader for the grassroots effort to bring passenger trains back to McDowell County and western North Carolina, looks at a set of plans that detail the repairs made to the railroad.
After around 30 minutes in Old Fort, the train continued its way west toward the Loops around Andrews Geyser, traveled through the mountain tunnels and made the steep climb up to Ridgecrest.
This railroad worker stands on the front of the locomotive in Old Fort.
MIKE CONLEY, MCDOWELL NEWS
On Saturday morning, crowds of anxious people were found on both sides of the track in Old Fort waiting for a train. Many of them carried signs saying, “Welcome back Norfolk Southern.”
Cathy Moore, the local leader for the grassroots effort to bring passenger trains back to McDowell County and western North Carolina, looks at a set of plans that detail the repairs made to the railroad.
After around 30 minutes in Old Fort, the train continued its way west toward the Loops around Andrews Geyser, traveled through the mountain tunnels and made the steep climb up to Ridgecrest.
On Saturday morning, crowds of anxious people were found on both sides of the track in Old Fort waiting for a train. Many of them carried signs saying, “Welcome back Norfolk Southern.”
