03/09/2023
I learned a couple days ago that the mill featured in our recently uploaded video on the Blue Ridge Southern railroad is pending immediate closure before the mid-year.
https://youtu.be/w1VbN1-1YfQ
In the video I state: "As paper mills across the country have shuttered over recent years, there's no telling when Canton may meet its demise. The original Champion Paper mill in Hamilton, Ohio closed its doors in 2012 after 164 years of operation, but the rebranding of the Canton Mill into Evergreen Packaging seems to keep it in stable operation, employing over 1000 in this area alone. Although researchers and activists work on alternatives to the use of plastics in packaging, paperboard will still likely play a huge roll, keeping the steam whistle echoing across Canton for many years to come."
As it turns out, this prediction was far off, and the railway traffic and economic fabric of this region is going to experience a huge shift.
The Murphy Branch arguably has the craziest track profile in all of North America, including the steepest continuous mainline grades over two mountain passes...
