Train travel in the Upstate (Columbia, Greenville: elementary school, camp, train station)

[GVLNATIVE]

I was surprised to see that the Upstate used to have a dense network of passenger trains, from a range of New York-Atlanta ones such as the Crescent, which still runs, to a large number of what would count today as commuter trains, stopping every few miles and connecting small towns around the Upstate. For example, you used to be able to take trains from Greenville to Anderson, from Taylors to Greenville and more:

http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SRR25-6TT.pdf

Even as late as the early 1970s, there were still a few New York-Atlanta ones, and ones connecting Asheville, Spartanburg and Columbia were around until the late 1960s.

Given the nearly total disappearance of these trains, I'm curious about them. If you took them in the 1960s and earlier, I'd love to hear more about your experiences.

Thanks.

[paddiewhack]

Just asked my husband about this. He said that when he was probably 5 or 6 which would have been in the early 60s, he recalled taking an old style passenger train from Greenwood to Abbeville. He doesn't recall the train line name but it was interesting to know. I am from Seneca but never had this experience in school.

[Braids]

What an interesting topic......hope more folks add their experiences here.

[mckee16]

No experience here either, but plan to board the Crescent in Clemson one day soon and head north.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by mckee16

No experience here either, but plan to board the Crescent in Clemson one day soon and head north.

I've done the Crescent to DC before.. I don't know.. Good, bad.. All together.

The problem is that it leaves Greenville at about 11pm at night and gets into DC at about 8am. if you can sleep on a train, that's fine. But, if you want to see things.. Not so much.


My dad said that he used to get a train in Clinton and ride to Abbeville when he was dating my mother.

[ringer46]

I remember in elementary school (mid-50s) our class went on a train ride as a field trip from Newberry to Prosperity, Later, in High School, a friend and I took a train from Newberry to Arden, NC (Lutheridge) where staff from the camp met us at the train station and walked with us along a path through the woods to the camp.