By 1859, the railroad had built between Anderson and West Union, South Carolina and substantial work on several tunnels had started.
A final extension from West Union to Walhalla, South Carolina at the urging of the Town Council and local citizens saw the first train arrive November 14, 1877, but no more track would ever be laid along the alignment up Stumphouse Mountain.
In 1880, the Columbia and Greenville Railroad acquired the 34 miles (55 km) of track that had been laid.
The Southern leased the Blue Ridge to subsidiary Carolina and Northwestern Railway on July 1, 1951, and eventually merged the company.
Passenger service from Belton, South Carolina, through Anderson to Walhalla ended by the latter part of 1951.