"Rumble in the Valley:" The evening local rumbles through the quiet hamlet of Clyde, NC, heading westward down what was then Norfolk Southern's Murphy Branch. Less than two weeks after this photo was taken, Watco's new Blue Ridge Southern Railroad (BLU) subsidiary reached an agreement with Norfolk Southern to purchase this branch line, along with two others that originated out of nearby Asheville, NC. BLU's operations were slated to begin as early as June 26th.