ET&WNC: The Railroad with a Heart

Photo: Last year of the narrow-gauge operation to Boone NC, 1940. Photographer: Ivan Dmitri

The Ario Pardee era: Ingenious solution and the needed capital

The project was revived in the late 1870s by financier Ario Pardee and the Cranberry Iron & Coal Company. Recognizing the limitations of standard-gauge track in such a mountainous environment, they adopted a more ingenious solution: a 3-foot narrow-gauge line. This narrower track could be built at a lower cost and could navigate the tight curves and steep grades of the Appalachian landscape with greater ease. The decision proved to be a masterstroke of engineering, with noted railway engineer Thomas Matson expertly designing the route through the breathtaking Doe River Gorge, a feat that involved blasting ledges and building multiple crossings over the rushing river.

Photo: The legacy Pardee Point photograph from 1882. Photo from Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net

Construction, which began in earnest around 1880, was an arduous undertaking. But by July 1882, the 34-mile line was complete, linking Johnson City and Cranberry and opening up the vast mineral and timber resources of the region. Johnson City, ET&WNC’s hometown also provided a link to the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad and connections up and down the east coast and throughout the south.

Photo: The opposite direction at Pardee Point years later. Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net

The engine of Appalachian progress

The arrival of the Tweetsie fundamentally transformed the economy of the region. Iron ore from the Cranberry mines and lumber from the mountain forests were now efficiently transported to Johnson City, where the ET&WNC interchanged with larger railroads, expanding the market for these resources. The railroad’s presence fueled Johnson City’s growth, turning it from a small village into a burgeoning town in the 1880s.

Connecting to Boone NC

The railroad’s influence grew in 1919 when a 32-mile extension reached Boone, North Carolina. Acquired through the purchase of the Linville River Railway, this new segment provided passenger and freight service to a previously isolated community. A local at the opening banquet famously said, “I remember when the only way a person could get to Boone was to be born there”. The extension not only brought economic opportunity but also transformed the scenic journey through the mountains into a popular tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each year.

Photo: ET&WNC Engine #11 near Linville NC. James T. Dowdy, Sr. Photographs, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University

More than a railroad: The Tweetsie’s heart

The ET&WNC’s impact extended beyond its economic contributions, defined instead by its strong connection to its community. Known locally as the “Railway with a Heart,” the Tweetsie went beyond its commercial duties. During the Great Depression, the railroad offered free rides to those in need. The crew also regularly performed errands for residents in the remote mountain communities, delivering mail and picking up supplies. This “kindheartedness,” as described by historian and author Johnny Graybeal, solidified the train’s place in the local culture.

Photo: ET&WNC passenger train ready to leave Johnson City TN, most likely in the late 1940s. Ron Flanary Collection.

Passenger Service

ET&WNC provided passenger service for daily commuters, especially those working in the rayon plants around Elizabethton. But, the railroad was also a lifeline for the people living in the mountains in communities such as Hampton, Valley Forge, Roan Mountain, Shell Creek, Elk Park, Vale, Minneapolis, Montezuma, and others. Additionally, a well-known resort, the Cloudland Hotel at Roan Mountain TN relied on the railroad to transport its guests to-and-from Johnson City and connections there to cities up and down the east coast. However, the most renowned aspect of its passenger operations was the scenic tourist excursions during the summer months. The journey through the Doe River Gorge was a particular highlight, with special trains stopping at “Pardee Point” so passengers could admire the cliffs and scenery.

Photo: Last excursion before the 1940 flood, Grandfather Mountain in the background. Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net.

Decline and the end of an era for narrow gauge

1940 Flood

The ET&WNC’s downfall was a slow process caused by changing economics and a natural disaster. The narrow gauge segment from Cranberry to Boone remained in service until 1940 when a devastating hurricane and flood hit the Western North Carolina region. ‘The hurricane was the latest in a series of storms that had already dumped more than 21 inches of rain on the mountain region during the month of August. Downtown Boone was submerged in muddy water after eight inches of rain fell in just 48 hours.’ This excellent article in ‘Our State’ by Philip Gerard chronicles just how devasting the storm was. The flood significantly damaged the Linville River line between Cranberry and Boone. Repairs were considered too expensive for a route with limited traffic outside of the tourist season, leading to the abandonment of that eastern segment of the railroad.

Narrow Gauge Abandoned

Photo: The final train orders from the conductor to engineer on the last narrow gauge run. Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net

While business increased during World War II, the post-war years saw a rapid decline. The rise of modern highways, cars, and trucks diverted both passengers and freight traffic away from the railroad. The local iron and timber industries, which had been the Tweetsie’s original foundation, also declined. On October 16, 1950, the last narrow-gauge train made its final run.

Photo: Last narrow gauge run of the ET&WNC. Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net

ET&WNC continues as standard gauge only

Photo: ET&WNC #208, one of two steam engines that worked Johnson City and Elizabethton between 1952 and 1967.

A standard-gauge segment of the line between Johnson City and Elizabethton continued to operate for decades, serving industrial customers like the rayon plants. In 1952, ET&WNC acquired two standard-gauge steam engines, Consolidations #207 and #208, from the Southern Railway. The Southern, then in the process of dieselization, had sold the locomotives after they were deemed surplus. These reliable steam engines worked the ET&WNC’s standard-gauge line between Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee, for over a decade. As a young boy in Johnson City, it was truly a great memory to see the steam engines working well into the mid-60s.

Conversion to Diesel

Photo: The passing of the baton from steam to diesel in 1967. Photo by David DeVault.

By 1967, the ET&WNC was ready to complete its own transition to diesel power. A fortunate turn of events ensued: Southern Railway’s steam program, led by W. Graham Claytor, was actively seeking steam locomotives for excursions. A trade was arranged, with Southern sending two used ALCO RS-3 diesels (ex-Central of Georgia) to the ET&WNC in exchange for the two steamers.

This trade not only brought modern, efficient diesel power to the small railroad but also saved the two steam locomotives from being scrapped. Under Southern’s ownership, #207 reverted to its original number, 630, and #208 became 722. Both were restored for excursion service, and today, they are famous preserved engines—#630 at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and #722 with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

ET&WNC becomes the East Tennessee Railway

The existing portion of the railroad was eventually acquired by Green Bay Packaging in 1983 and renamed the East Tennessee Railway. However, as the remaining industries closed in Elizabethton, the 10-mile stretch of track to that city was abandoned in 2003. The East Tennessee Railway continues to use the old ET&WNC and Clinchfield rails as a Johnson City-only switching railroad servicing both CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroads.

Photo: East Tennessee Railway engine #215. Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net

A legacy preserved

While the original Tweetsie’s narrow-gauge tracks are gone, its legacy is preserved in several forms. Some of the bridges and tunnels remain, reminders of the engineering feat that conquered the Appalachian terrain. The right-of-way between Johnson City and Elizabethton was converted into the Tweetsie Trail, a rails-to-trails greenway allowing visitors to walk or bike along a historic path. The Doe River Gorge Christian Camp in Hampton TN operates over 3 miles of railroad as part of their outdoors program. And as you can read below, the ET&WNC #12 still runs today at Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC.

The ET&WNC was more than just a railroad; it was an important chapter in the history of the Appalachian people. Its story serves as a reminder of how a train, built to move raw materials, became a symbol of resilience, progress, and a beloved icon in the region and around the world.

ET&WNC Personal Remembrance by Ron Flanary

From 1960 to December 1967, I was often in Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee to see either East Tennessee & Western North Carolina No. 207 or 208 at work (as shown in these November 1964 images in Elizabethton). These two 2-8-0s were former Southern Ks-1 class Consolidations Nos. 630 and 722. They were both out of service and stored in Southern’s Asheville roundhouse when they were selected by the short line’s chief mechanical officer, Clarence Hobbs in 1952. After having their tenders modified to allow better vision to the rear for the engine crewmen, they went to work on the former “bi-focal” line between Johnson City and the industrialized city of Elizabethton.

I’ve written about these engines before, but the impending restoration of 722 is special to me. I’ve been fortunate to photograph sister No. 630 many times (plus a cab ride several years ago), but the engine I viewed through the viewfinder of my camera most back then was ET No. 208 (Southern 722). In 1964 I even got a cab ride in ET 208 while the crew was switching the rayon plants in Elizabethton.

It was special–mostly because this was still everyday steam. It wasn’t a tourist pike, or an excursion. These engines were digging in to pull cars out of sidings, place others, performing “flying switches” with choreographed precision, and barking upgrade on Milligan Hill with a heavy string of L&N and Southern Railway coal hoppers coupled behind their tanks. It was the real deal—in 1964.

So, that’s why I hope to see 722 again. It’s personal…

Tweetsie Railroad

Photo: Tweetsie Railroad East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Historical Society Collection, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University

The Tweetsie Railroad theme park in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, is perhaps the most famous tribute to the ET&WNC. When the railroad was decommissioned, one of its locomotives, No. 12, was saved. After a brief ownership by actor Gene Autry, entrepreneur Grover Robbins, Jr., purchased it and brought it to its new home in 1957. Today, this meticulously maintained locomotive, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, delights new generations, its whistle still ringing through the mountains as a testament to the Tweetsie’s remarkable story. Click here for more information on the Tweetsie Railroad.

ET&WNC Remembrance

The ET&WNC was more than just a railroad; it was an important chapter in the history of the Appalachian people. Its story serves as a reminder of how a train, built to move raw materials, became a symbol of resilience, progress, and a beloved icon in the region and around the world.

More information will be added about the ET&WNC Railroad in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the ET&WNC, the region, or model railroading.

ET&WNC Sources & Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the ET&WNC Railroad. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

• Archives:
  • Archives of Appalachia
• Associations:
  • ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
  • George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society (Johnson City Railroad Experience)
• Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
• Books:
  • Ferrell: ‘Tweetsie Country’
  • Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
  • Graybeal: ‘Along the ET&WNC’ Volumes 1-6
  • Poole: ‘History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
  • Scheer & Black: ‘Tweetsie: The Blue Ridge Steamwinder’
  • Sulzer: ‘Ghost Railroads of Tennessee’
• Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
• Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
• Websites:
  • Carolana.com
  • CarterCountyHistory.com
  • StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
  • SteamLocomotive.com

Contact Us

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

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