East Tennessee and Western North Carolina 12

East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad 12
No. 12 at the main depot on October 26, 2019
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Serial number 45069 Model 10-26-D Build date February 1917
Specifications Configuration: ​  •  Whyte 4-6-0 Loco weight 98,800 lb (44,800 kg) Total weight 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) Fuel type Coal Water cap. 3,000 US gal (11,000 L; 2,500 imp gal) Boiler pressure 180 psi (1.24 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 16 in × 22 in (406 mm × 559 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts
Career Operators East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Shenandoah Central Tweetsie Railroad Class 10-26-D Numbers ET&WNC 12 TR 12 Nicknames Tweetsie Retired 1940 (1st retirement) 1954 (2nd retirement) Restored 1953 (1st restoration) July 4, 1957 (2nd restoration) Current owner Tweetsie Railroad Disposition Undergoing major overhaul East Tennessee and Western North Carolina 12 U.S. National Register of Historic Places Show map of North Carolina Show map of the United States Location Tweetsie RR theme park, jct. of Tweetsie RR Rd. and US 321, near Blowing Rock, North Carolina Coordinates 36°10′14″N81°38′51″W / 36.17056°N 81.64750°W / 36.17056; -81.64750 Area less than one acre Built February 1917 Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works NRHP reference No. 92000147 [1] Added to NRHP March 12, 1992

East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad 12, also known as Tweetsie Railroad 12, is a narrow-gauge 10-26-D class 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" type steam locomotive located near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It is preserved and operated by the Tweetsie Railroad.

History

No. 12 was built in February 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad. ^[2] After retirement in 1949, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad ceased operations on July 13th, 1950 and No. 12 is the only one of the railroad's narrow-gauge engines still in existence, it would be put into storage for the next four years. ^[2] It was sold to the Shenandoah Central in 1952 where it was restored in 1953 and continued to operate in service until its second retirement in 1954. ^[2]

No. 12 was put up for sale again and was later sold to the Tweetsie Railroad theme park in 1957, where it received a full restoration and began pulling excursion trains around the park on July 4, 1957. ^[2] Today, No. 12 continues to operate at the Tweetsie Railroad along with former White Pass and Yukon Route 2-8-2 No. 190. ^[2] On August 17, 2024, No. 12 was taken out of service to undergo a major rebuild, it is expected to return to service again for the 2025 operating season. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

The locomotive became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. ^[1]

See also

• Amusement rides on the National Register of Historic Places

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Laura A.W. Phillips (October 1991). "East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
3. Robbins, Chris (August 17, 2024). "Locomotive No. 12 to Undergo Major Restoration" (PDF). Tweetsie Railroad. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
4. "Locomotive No. 12 to Undergo Major Restoration". Yahoo Finance. August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
5. "Locomotive No. 12 to Undergo Major Restoration". PR Newswire. August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2025.