Tweetsie Railroad #12: ‘Tis the Season at Tweetsie

On a cold evening in Blowing Rock, North Carolina we visited the Tweetsie Railroad. During our visit the Tweetsie Railroad was celebrating Christmas along with former East Tennessee and Western North Carolina 4-6-0 ten wheeler no. 12 looking festive dressed up in Christmas decorations.
12 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917 for the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railway narrow gauge line. 12 pulled freight and passenger trains for the ET&WNC from Johnson City, Tennessee to Boone, North Carolina. In 1950, the ET&WNC would ceased operations and 12 was retired. 12 would become the only surviving ET&WNC narrow gauge ten wheeler. In 1952, 12 was moved to Rockingham County, Virginia for the Shenandoah Central until the line was flooded by a hurricane in 1954. Hollywood actor Gene Autry was interested buying 12 for future Hollywood movies, but Gene would find out that it’ll cost too much to transport 12 from Virginia to California. In 1955, Gene gave 12 to Grover Robbins, Jr. and took 12 to Hickory, North Carolina to be restored to operation. The Tweetsie Railroad was opened on July 4, 1957 and no. 12 was the staring role for the grand opening. The name “Tweetsie” was given to the ET&WNC by area residents as a verbal acronym for its initials, but also referring to the shrill “tweet tweet” of the locomotive whistles that echoed through the mountains. 12 is one of two operating steam locomotives at Tweetsie, the other being former White Pass and Yukon Route 2-8-2 Mikado no. 190 or the “Yukon Queen.”
The cold temperatures didn’t stop us from having a good time at the Tweetsie Railroad! We hope y’all enjoy. Note: we don’t own any of the music in the background.
tweetsie.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAq...

[@tommyrutledge4654]

My grandkids enjoyed this much!!

[@TrainChamber]

Well done Ty! I hope to see 12 some day!

[@TyTytheTrainGuy]

Thanks Joe!

[@nathancorcoran5347]

I’m going to be visiting the Virginia & Truckee Railroad for their Electric Holiday Train O-Lights event sometime in December.

[@SteamZRailfan]

Awesome! Was nice to run into you!

[@TyTytheTrainGuy]

Thanks, it was great meeting you too.