Opening Day: Tweetsie Amusement Park in Blowing Rock, NCMay 2008The Tweetsie Railroad Park opened in 1957 and was originally 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). The locomotive was built in 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and is a narrow gauge coal-fired locomotive. It took passengers and freight over the ET&WNC's 66-mile line running from Johnson City, Tennessee to Boone, North Carolina.
Recommended Reading:
From Publishers Weekly . . . "Tweetsie Country can be roughly defined as being bound on the north by the Great Depression, on the east by the state of North Carolina, on the west by Tennessee, and on the south by hope and determination. The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad was born in this Blue Ridge Mountain country more than a century ago. In the 1880s it was called the "Stemwinder," and later, the "Eat Taters & Wear No Clothes." But it was the children (who rode the swaying cars to numerous summer camps) who christened it with the name that lasted: Tweetsie! Here is all the color and charm of the Tweetsie with its broad gauge aspirations on a narrow gauge budget. It is the story of a unique little railroad that traveled the Blue Ridge country and won the hearts of those who lived there. This handsome pictorial history includes 250 outstanding photographs, plus maps, scale draw-ings, and three full-color paintings by Mike Pearsall and Casey Holtzinger. " Book Description Amazon.com
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After the narrow gauge portion of the railroad closed down in 1950, the locomotive was purchased by a group in Rockingham County, Virginia to operate over the small "Shenandoah Central” tourist line in 1952. Hurricane Hazel damaged the Shenandoah Central Tourist Line in 1954 and the locomotive was put up for sale again. Actor Gene Autry considered purchasing it and moving it to California but ultimately decided not to because of shipping costs. |
It was eventually purchased by Grover Robbins, a real-estate developer from North Carolina and moved to North Carolina. A 3-mile track was built near Blowing Rock. 
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In March of this year, a fire destroyed the gift shop and museum building. The building was an original depot moved from Boone to the site when the park opened. The gift shop and museum housed photos and memorabilia illustrating the history of the park as well as items from the late Fred Kirby who portrayed the sheriff of Tweetsie Railroad. |
Today, Tweetsie is one of the most visited attractions in the Boone-Blowing Rock area. In 2008 they are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. from May 2 to May 18. They are open 7 days a week from May 23 to August 24. They will be open for weekends through November 2. Admission price for adults is $30, for children 3-12 $22. Children 3 and under are admitted free. For more information call to visit their website at www.Tweetsie.com . 
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Interesting links about Tweetsie:
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