100 Year Old Railway Depot Becomes Home For Model Railroad Club

November 22, 2005

The 40+ member Apple Valley Model Railroad Club (AVMRC) is located in a 100 year-old historic Hendersonville Depot . The HO model railroad represents the Hendersonville and Western North Carolina.

In its heyday, a 22,000 gallon water tank stood on the other side of the tracks with underground pipes to two stand pipes in between Track #1 & #2. Just far enough apart for two Mikado steam locomotives to be serviced at the same time. At its peak, six passenger trains a day stopped in Hendersonville collecting and discharging passengers for our City, while making their way from as far away places as Cincinnati and Charleston.

This section of track is still claimed to be the steepest Class #1 railroad in the United States at the 600’ elevation in less than 3 miles between Saluda and Melrose. While passenger service ended in 1968, thousands of tons of freight particularly coal and wood chips traveled over these track and through the Hendersonville station with as many as 6-7 trains a day up until 2002. At that time the current owners, Norfolk Southern Railroad, elected to re-route trains South by selecting different routes thereby by-passing Hendersonville.

Except for occasional local deliveries to area industries the tracks at the Hendersonville Station sit quietly beside the station providing a nostalgic reminder of the hustle and bustle of years gone bye.