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Visit Tweetsie: The oldest theme park in BY ALAN HODGE Special to The Herald A North Carolina tradition for over four decades, Tweetsie Railroad between Boone and Blowing Rock lays claim to being the Carolinas’ oldest theme park. A ride back into history on a gen- uine steam locomotive, Tweetsie is not just the name of a train, but a state of mind as well. The story of Tweetsie goes back to the discovery of iron in the North Caroline and Tennessee hills. Built to take advantage of this mineral, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad was built to run between Johnson City, Tennessee and the mining community of Cranberry in the . Tar Heel state. Interestingly, the railroad’s acronym ET&WNC was translated by some moun- tain folks as “Eat Taters and Wear No Clothes.” ° Building the railroad was a prodigious engineering and manual labor feat. The original 34 miles of track took 15 years to finish and cost $1 million. In 1916, another stretch of track was laid to Boone. This brought the total rail length to 66 miles. At first the name “Tweetsie” was applied by mountain folks to all of the narrow-gauge loco- motives that operated in the hills. The name came from the shrill whistles the engines echoed as they chugged along. Unfortunately, those whistles fell prey to progress in the form of more and improved mountain highways. In 1950, the ET&WNC ground to a halt. Seeking to save a piece of rail- roading Americana, a group of train enthusiasts bought ET&WNC Engine No. 12 and took it to Harrisonburg, Virginia « as an amusement park. That ven- ture ended in 1952 when Hurricane Hazel washed out the tracks. After an abortive attempt by cowboy star Gene Autry to move No. 12 to California, the engine was finally purchased by North Carolina native Grover Robbins Jr. in 1956 from Autry for $17,000. Tweetsie made its way back to our state first on a standard flat car to Hickory in May, 1956. The event was dubbed “Tweetsie Homecoming Day” by then-gov- ernor Luther Hodges. While in Hickory, Tweetsie underwent a restoration in the shops of the Carolina and Northwestern Railway Co. Along with the locomotive, the shop rebuilt four passenger cars, as well as a utility car. Engine No.12 had been built originally by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in 1917 at a cost of $14,000. It is the last of the 13 original ET&WNC engines sur- viving. It’s dimensions are 54 feet long, 9 feet wide, 12 feet tall. It tips the scales at 80 tons. Power for the locomotive comes from a steam engine that has a boiler 54 inches in diameter and that produces 180 pounds of steam pressure. The tender’s tank holds holds 3,000 gallons of water and four tons of coal. The engine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. When it came time to move Tweetsie from Hickory to Blowing Rock, Moss Trucking Co. of Charlotte came in on the action. Today, 44 years later, the move is still used as an advertis- ing credit by Moss. After the rail cars and locomotive were loaded onto special trucks, the caravan crept along the 40 mile route and nt, 4 The Kings Mountain Herald June 14, 2001 North Carolina Boone and Blowing Rock. For more information on tickets and schedules, call 1-800-526-5740. The park is open daily 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. All aboard! completed the historic journey on May 23, 1957 at a top speed of five miles per hour. July 4, 1957 saw Tweetsie make its first run at the 400 acre park we know today. The tracks had been laid in a three mile loop around Roundhouse Mountain and offered a five per- cent grade, two deep cuts, and the famous 225-foot trestle over Dead Horse Creek. park. Cowboys and Indians came to Tweetsie in the late 1950s when WBTV rented the theme park to hold a birthday party for their singing cowboy, the leg- endary Fred Kirby. From that beginnin g Kirby Wasa fixture. 1992, the engine was placed on at Pwo ion until his death in the National Register iof Histoiric 1996 Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Right: Spend the day with a host of Tweetsie characters. Can-Can girls, Cowboys and Indians are just a sample of the many friendly faces you will see around the Below: No. 12 crosses a 225-foot trestle over Dead Horse Creek. Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia built the engine in 1917 at the cost of $14,000. In Today, Tweetsie Railroad offers not only train rides, but a wide variety of other amuse- ments as well. From its May 4 opening day, to the last day of operation each October 31, Tweetsie is full steam ahead fun. Attractions at Tweetsie range from a railroad museum to car- nival rides. For other amuse- ment, there's a shooting gallery, gold panning, chair lift, deer park, and blacksmith shop. Wait, there’s even more at Tweetsie. How about a clogging show, dancing at the Palace Saloon, arcade games, antique cars, ice cream and other eats, and a jail. Besides these regular fea- tures, Tweetsie also offers spe- cial events throughout its sea- son. Events for 2001 will include a Clogging Jamboree June 23-24, Fireworks Extravaganza on July 4, Riders in the Sky Concert August 4-5, Ghost Train in October, and Halloween Costume Contest October 26. Tweetsie Railroad is located right on Hwy. 321 between Photo courtesy of Tweetsie Railroad. 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The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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June 14, 2001, edition 1
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