Tweetsie
through the Years

• 1866 - The Tennessee legislature grants a charter to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC).
• 1882 - ET&WNC begins operation with 32-mile narrow-gauge service from Johnson City, Tenn. to the iron mines at Cranberry, NC.
• 1917 - Engine No. 12 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA, at a cost of $14,000.
• 1919 - ET&WNC extends tracks for service to Boone, NC.
• 1940 - In August torrential rains wash away large sections of ET&WNC track, forcing the company to abandon service to the mountains rather than rebuild.
• 1950 - On Oct. 16, The ET&WNC discontinues all narrow-gauge rail service, marking the end of an era.
• 1952 - Engine No. 12 is bought by three railroad enthusiasts and moved to Harrisonburg, VA as a tourist attraction called Shenandoah Central Railroad.
• 1953 - Hurricane Hazel washes away most of Shenandoah Central tracks. Singing cowboy Gene Autry purchases the rights to buy the Tweetsie locomotive and cars, and plans to move them to California. but instead sells his option to Grover C. Robbins, Jr., for $1.
• 1956 - On May 20, NC Governor Luther Hodges proclaims "Tweetsie Homecoming Day" as the 80-ton locomotive returns to North Carolina for refurbishing in the Hickory repair shops of Carolina & Northwestern Railway Company.
• 1957 - In May Tweetsie is moved up the mountain from Hickory to its new home near Blowing Rock, not far from its old railroad stop in Boone.
• 1957 - On July 4, Tweetsie makes its first run on a one-mile track carrying passengers to a picnic area, then backs up to the station.
• 1958 - An authentic western town is added to Tweetsie Railroad, and the park adopts a Wild West theme.
• 1959 - Charlotte television station WBTV rents Tweetsie for a birthday party for Fred Kirby, beginning a nearly 30-year career for Kirby as Tweetsie's marshal.
• 1960 - Another narrow-gauge locomotive, the Baldwin-built No. 190 "Yukon Queen" is acquired from Alaska, and brought to Tweetsie to be rebuilt and placed in operation.
• 1962 - A chair lift is erected to the top of Miner's Mountain, expanding the park with additional rides, a Deer Park and other family entertainment.
• 1976 - Tweetsie opens its own Steam Locomotive Shop to handle maintenance on its two vintage steam trains as well as other steam engines across the country.
• 1990 - In October the Ghost Train® Halloween Festival debuts with a spooky nighttime train ride and a small haunted house.
• 1992 - Engine No. 12 celebrates its 75th birthday. The U.S. Department of the Interior lists Tweetsie in National Register of Historic Places.
• 1997 - Tweetsie celebrates its 40th anniversary as the first theme park in North Carolina.
• 1998 - The Tweetsie Railroad Steam Locomotive Shop is expanded to a modern facility to better serve an expanding array of customers. Historic engine No. 12 is completely overhauled to its original condition.
• 1999 - Rebuilt historic engine No. 12 Engine is unveiled. Bachmann Train Company recognizes Tweetsie with a G Scale model replica of the locomotive.
• 2000 - Tweetsie celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Ghost Train® Halloween Festival, which has grown to be one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Association. Engine No. 190, the "Yukon Queen", is completely overhauled to its original condition.
• 2001 - Tweetsie Railroad celebrates its 44th season and was voted by the readers of Blue Ridge Country magazine as the "Best Place to Take the Kids in the Blue Ridge Mountains".
• 2002 - Tweetsie celebrates its 45th season with a new album by the Grammy Award winning band Riders In The Sky, titled "Ridin' the Tweetsie Railroad". It contains some of the classic American railroad songs, plus songs written about Tweetsie Railroad by the band's members: Too Slim, Ranger Doug, Woody Paul, and Joey the Cowpolka King. Thomas the Tank Engine™ makes its first appearance at Tweetsie Railroad for a ten-day event, starting an annual tradition.
• 2003 - Tweetsie Railroad commences its 46th season with the debut of the Tweetsie Twister ride on Miner's Mountain, the return of Thomas the Tank Engine™, and the opening of an entertainment stage for its new Hopper and Porter™ mascot characters.
• 2004 - The Purina Incredible Dog Team performs for the first time at Tweetsie Railroad in a nine-day-long event. These amazing canines have won acclaim across America performing on television, at halftime shows and at other public events. Tweetsie Railroad acquires the assets of Castle Ridge Products, which manufactured scores of Crown steam locomotives during the late 20th century. These assets are added to Tweetsie's renowned Steam Locomotive Shop, which supplies parts and complete rebuilding services to owners of steam locomotives at parks, attractions and museums in North America.
• 2005 - Tweetsie completed its second straight season of increased attendance welcoming families from across the Southeastern part of the United States.  Ghost Train® Halloween Festival celebrated its 15th Anniversary in October as one of the High Country's premier Halloween events.
• 2006 - Thomas the Tank Engine™ made its fifth consecutive visit to Tweetsie Railroad.  The park also brought back Railfan Weekend.  Railroad enthusiasts had the opportunity to see the lost art of steam locomotive restoration during tours of the famous Tweetsie Railroad shops and took an exclusive train ride on an 1870's vintage coach car.
• 2007 - Tweetsie's 2007 season marks the 50th anniversary of the park, which first opened its gates to the public on July 4, 1957.  Other highlights of the season include a first time visit from Bob the Builder™ and the Can-Do Crew as well as the unveiling of new park rides.
• 2008 - Tweetsie celebrates the 2008 season with the 65th Anniversary of the historic Engine No. 190, the "Yukon Queen," which was built in 1943 and used in World War II by the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and was later put into service on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad.