Tweetsie Railroad
| Location | Boone, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.tweetsie.com/ |
| Owner | Privately Owned |
| Opened | July 4th, 1957 |
| Operating season | May - October |
| Area | 30 (developed) acres |
| Rides | 12 total |
Tweetsie Railroad is a family oriented railroad theme park located between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. In addition to a three-mile ride aboard an authentic steam locomotive, the park features amusement rides and other attractions geared towards families with children.
Park History
Opened in 1957, Tweetsie originally started out as just a train ride aboard steam locomotive #12, the only surviving narrow-gauge engine left from the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC). Built in 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, #12 is a narrow gauge 4-6-0 coal-fired locomotive that was used to haul passengers and freight over the ET&WNC's 66-mile line between Johnson City, Tennessee and Boone, North Carolina. After the narrow gauge portion of the ET&WNC ceased operations in 1950, the locomotive was purchased by a group of railroad enthusiasts and was taken to Rockingham County, Virginia to operate over the small "Shenandoah Central” tourist line in 1952.
Floodwaters from Hurricane Hazel washed out the Shenandoah Central in 1953, and Locomotive #12 was once again put up for sale. Hollywood actor Gene Autry considered purchasing the locomotive to move to California for use in the movies, however, he decided against it due to shipping costs.
Instead, Grover Robbins, a real-estate developer from North Carolina, bought the locomotive in 1956 and moved the engine back to its native Blue Ridge Mountains for use at his “Tweetsie Railroad“ tourist attraction. A three-mile loop of track was constructed near Boone, North Carolina for the train to run on, and on July 4th, 1957, the locomotive made its first public trip over the line.
Tweetsie Railroad immediately became a popular tourist attraction. As the train ride grew into a small theme park, a mock western town and saloon were built around the depot area in order to give visitors more activities. An Outlaw robbery and Indian attack show were added to the train ride, playing off the Wild West theme established by visiting WBTV television personality/singing cowboy Fred Kirby, who had a children’s television show on the station. In 1962, a chairlift and amusement ride area was constructed at the top of the mountain Tweetsie was situated around.
Tweetsie acquired another steam locomotive, 2-8-2 #190, the “Yukon Queen” from Alaska’s White Pass and Yukon Route Railway in 1960. Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1943 for the US Army, the engine was part of an 11-locomotive fleet of “MacArthur” 2-8-2s originally purchased for use overseas. Due to World War II, the military diverted the locomotives to Alaska for use on the White Pass and Yukon, which had been taken over by the government in order to build the Alcan Highway.
Due to the success of Tweetsie, Grover Robbins built another train ride and tourist attraction in the Smoky Mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee called "Rebel Railroad" in 1961. Renamed "Goldrush Junction" in 1966, it was sold to the Cleveland Browns football team in 1970. In 1976, the attraction was sold again to Jack and Pete Herschend of Branson, Missouri, who redeveloped it as a theme park, "Silver Dollar City Tennessee". In 1986, country music star Dolly Parton became a partowner with the Herschends, and the theme park was renamed Dollywood to reflect her involvement.
The name "Tweetsie" was given to the original East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad by area residents who became accustomed to the shrill "tweet, tweet" of the train whistles that echoed through the mountains. The nickname stuck with the train and became more identifiable than the railroad's actual name.
Second to the train, Tweetsie's charm has long lay in its handpicked performers and the shows they create. From vintage dance hall numbers to realistic cowboy shoot-em-ups, the park has earned a reputation for acquiring talented young entertainers and extracting memorable performances from them. The Euphonius T. Flim-Flam Rainmaker Show of the 1992 season was a particular standout. A highly innovative comedic one-man show written, developed, and performed by Appalachian State University senior Lee Baber, the performance began to reach new heights with the addition of fellow student and performer Scott Buettner. The energetic duo portrayed Flim-Flam and his faithful Native American sidekick Chief Falling Rock, and comedy at the park has never been quite the same. The summer of 1992 has long been heralded as the heyday of Tweetsie's performing arts; some credit Baber and Buettner. The Rainmaker Show was quietly retired a few years later.
Historic designations
- National Register of Historic Places #NPS–92000147 — East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12
General Information
The park's operating season runs from the first weekend in May to the last weekend in October. The park is open weekends in the Spring and Fall, and daily during the Summer. In addition, the park is open on Friday and Saturday nights in October for the “Ghost Train” Halloween festival.
Tweetsie is located on US 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock.
Rides at Tweetsie Railroad consist of:
- Carousel
- Tilt-a-whirl
- Ferris Wheel
- Twist
- Go-carts
- Mouse Mine Train Ride (child-oriented loop-track train ride through a tunnel with an animatronic show)
- Tweetsie Twister
- Several children-only rides
Other attractions at Tweetsie Railroad include a face painting, gem panning, a deer petting park, and an arcade.
See also
East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
External links
- www.tweetsie.com (official website)
- Cy Crumley ET&WNC Photo Collection (johnsonsdepot.com)
- Tweetsie Railroad Photos
- "Tweetsie Comes Home" article in the October, 1957 issue of Ties, the Southern Railway System magazine.
