ET&WNC – East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad
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Page Contents
ET&WNC: The Railroad with a Heart
The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) has a special place in the hearts of minds of people even if they are not railfans. Its legacy is kept alive to this day by the Tweetsie Railroad theme park in Blowing Rock NC. Youngsters and oldsters alike can experience what it was actually like to ride on narrow gauge rails through the Blue Ridge mountains. Additionally, one of the original ET&WNC locomotives, #12, is still in operation at the theme park.
Photo Courtesy Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net
Iron Ore and Narrow Gauge
The ET&WNC was a 3-foot gauge railroad, which allowed it to traverse the mountain sides and curvy rivers of the region’s terrain. The rail line was chartered in 1866, built in 1881 and 1882, and initially was focused on transporting iron ore from the Cranberry Mines in Avery County NC to Johnson City TN and its Carnegie (Cranberry) Furnace. Johnson City also provided a rail link to the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad and connections up and down the east coast and throughout the south.
Johnson City TN to Boone NC
Initially, the ET&WNC ran to Cranberry NC through Elizabethton and Hampton TN, but was eventually extended to Boone NC. Part of that expansion was made possible by the purchase of the Linville River Railroad which had been built in 1891 for the purpose of transporting lumber. Some of the truly beautiful views from the rail line between Elizabethton and Cranberry were provided by the Doe River and the gorge that it cut through the mountains.
ET&WNC Passenger Service
The railroad also provided passenger service. There were many people who used it as daily commuter transportation from Johnson City to Elizabethton and the manufacturing plants there. 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.
The Flood of 1940
The narrow gauge segment 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.
In the aftermath of the storm, the segment of the narrow gauge between Cranberry and Boone NC was abandoned.
Tweetsie Railroad
The legend and memory of the ET&WNC is kept alive by the Tweetsie Railroad theme park in Blowing Rock, NC.
Click here for more information on the Tweetsie Railroad.
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.
- Association: ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Book: Ferrell: ‘Tweetsie Country’
- Book: Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
- Book: Graybeal: ‘Along the ET&WNC’ Volumes 1-6
- Book: Poole: ‘History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Book: Scheer & Black: ‘Tweetsie: The Blue Ridge Steamwinder’
- Book: Sulzer: ‘Ghost Railroads of Tennessee’
- Website: Carolana.com
- Website: CarterCountyHistory.com
- Website: StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website: 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.
