SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 ISSUE
Tweetsie’s Railfan Weekend Saturday and Sunday
Weekend Includes Exclusive Photo-Special Train Ride and Train Shop Tours
Railfans will have the opportunity to observe the operation of Tweetsie’s historic steam locomotives and learn about their past during Tweetsie Railroad’s Railfan Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13.
Tweetsie Railroad will celebrate its history as it hosts its 5th annual Railfan Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13. This year marks the 90th anniversary of train service to Boone, and the completion of the original 66-mile East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad between Johnson City, Tenn. and Boone. Railfans will have the opportunity to observe the operation of Tweetsie’s historic steam locomotives and learn about their past.
The highlight of the weekend will be the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET&WNC) train, comprised of the #12 locomotive, pulling the 1870s vintage coach car on non-stop trips around the mountain. This exclusive train trip will be running Saturday, September 12, and the afternoon of Sunday, September 13, while the #190 locomotive pulls a separate train, taking riders on a Wild West adventure. On Sunday morning, Tweetsie will showcase a rare doubleheader, with locomotives #12 and #190 working together to pull the train on the Wild West adventure train ride.
Railfans will be escorted on tours of the famous Tweetsie Railroad Train Shop, where steam locomotives from across the nation are repaired and restored. The Tweetsie Train Shop staff strives to keep locomotives in top condition. In addition, Railfan Weekend pass holders will have the opportunity to explore the special memorabilia room, which will showcase many rare artifacts and feature documentaries covering Tweetsie’s historic past.
Tweetsie is offering a special Railfan Weekend price for both days of railroad entertainment: $46 for adults and $31 for children ages three through 12. The Railfan admission price includes two fun-filled days at the park with unlimited train rides, and shop tours, historic documentaries, memorabilia room, photo-specials and a chance to ride in the cab of one of the locomotives are also included in this special weekend. Only guests with a Railfan Weekend pass will be allowed to be a part of these exclusive opportunities.
Tweetsie’s history goes well beyond 1957, when the park opened to the public. The original “Tweetsie” was known as the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET&WNC) Railroad. The line began service in 1881from Johnson City, Tenn., to Cranberry. Eventually the railroad expanded the line to Boone in 1919. Service to Boone continued until a flood in 1940 destroyed most of the tracks. By 1950 the remaining narrow gauge portion of the line was abandoned. The railroad gained its familiar nickname, “Tweetsie,” from the sound of the whistle as it echoed off the mountains. Tweetsie Railroad purchased the railroad’s sole surviving steam locomotive, engine #12, in 1956, and North Carolina’s first theme park opened July 4, 1957. Engine #190 the “Yukon Queen” joined #12 in 1960 after being purchased from the White Pass and Yukon Railway in Alaska, where it had served the US Army’s operations during WWII.
Daily admission to Tweetsie is $30 for adults and $22 for children ages three through 12. Children two and under are admitted free.
For more information about Railfan Weekend and Tweetsie’s 2009 season, or to purchase tickets, click to www.tweetsie.com or call 828-264-9061.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13
Time: 9:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Tweetsie Railroad
Cost: $46 for adults and $31 for children ages three through 12
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