Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Last updated
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
GSMRR-1-.jpg
Overview
Headquarters Bryson City, North Carolina
Reporting mark GSMR
Locale Western North Carolina
Dates of operation1988–present
Predecessor Southern Railway
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length53 miles (85 kilometers)
Other
Website www.gsmr.com

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad( reporting mark GSMR) is a heritage and freight railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. Originally formed in 1988, it is currently owned and operated by American Heritage Railways since late 1999. The GSMR operates excursion trains on the former Southern Railway's Murphy Branch between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. The GSMR is one of the most popular tourist railroads in the United States, carrying 200,000 passengers each year.

Contents

Background

GSMR's Bryson City Depot in 2008 GSMR-depot-nc2.jpg
GSMR's Bryson City Depot in 2008

The Great Smoky Mountains Railway (GSMR) owns 53 miles (85 kilometers) of the Murphy Branch , a former branch line of the Southern Railway between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. [1] It began operations in 1988, through a lease agreement between the NCDOT and Malcom & Joan MacNeill. With help of a team of investors, the MacNeils secured the lease only 48 hours before the Norfolk Southern would be dispatching work trains to the Murphy Branch to begin dismantling the track. [2] The full tourist route originally operated further west to Andrews and Murphy, North Carolina. Service between Andrews and Murphy ended in 1995. Regular service between Nantahala and Andrews ended by 2001. [3] [4]

GSMR's bright "circus train" livery is seen behind steam locomotive No. 1702 The Great Smoky Mountains Railway is pictured in the 1990s with its bright "circus train" livery.jpg
GSMR's bright "circus train" livery is seen behind steam locomotive No. 1702

In late 1999, the MacNeills sold the GSMR property to the American Heritage Railways, the owners of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG) in Colorado. [2] Additionally, the bright and colorful blue, yellow and red "circus train" livery was dropped in favor of the new Tuscan red and gold stripe livery. [2] On March 9, 2000, the Great Smoky Mountain Railway was renamed to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. [2]

Tourist trains of the GSMR route use a route passing through "fertile valleys, a tunnel and across river gorges" in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Tourist excursions use the line between Dillsboro and Bryson City (16 miles or 26 km in length) and the line between Bryson City and Nantahala (22 miles or 35 km in length). The GSMR eventually would become one of the most popular tourist railroads in the United States with about 200,000 passengers each year. [5] The railroad also has transported freight via an interchange with the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad in Sylva near Jackson Paper Manufacturing. [6]

In 2004, GSMR debuted its "Polar Express" train ride, based on the newly released movie and licensed through Warner Brothers. This ride has been an annual major economy boost for the railroad and the town of Bryson City. In 2019, GSMR broke all attendance records, with more than 91,000 people riding the Polar Express excursion alone.

In 2007, due an unresolved dispute with the Dillsboro Town Council, the GSMR decided to relocate its headquarters from Dillsboro to Bryson City and close the Dillsboro depot. [7] However, the Tuckasegee River excursions between Dillsboro and Bryson City continued, with the trips originating in Bryson City and laying over in Dillsboro. [7]

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused the GSMR to suspend operations. [8] However, they resumed on June 4, 2020, with provisions for public health such as social distancing. [8]

Equipment

Locomotives

GSMR had a current operational diesel locomotive roster of seven 4-axle (B-B) units, as any 6-axle (C-C) unit would be too big for the tunnels, and too long for some the line's tight or sharp curves. All of the current units were built by The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD). GSMR has two GP9s, Nos. 1751 and 1755, a GP30 No. 2467, two GP38-2s Nos. 2668 and 2335, an F9A No. 4210, and a GP35 No. 1009 which is now for sale despite still being operational and on the roster as of 2024. [9] [10]

GSMR owns one operational steam locomotive; S160 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type No. 1702, which was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in September 1942 for the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1991, it was purchased by the GSMR, and it operated for them until 2005, when it was taken out of service, due to firebox issues. [7] In 2012, the GSMR made an agreement with Swain County of North Carolina donating $700,000 to construct a new steam locomotive workshop for the restoration of No. 1702 and installing a new turntable in Bryson City for the locomotive to be turned around. [11] Afterwards, the restoration work of No. 1702 began in mid 2014 and completed in late July 2016 with the locomotive reentering excursion service. [12]

GSMR also owns another 2-8-0 built by Baldwin, Southern Railway Ks-1 No. 722, which worked on the former Murphy Branch from 1904 to 1952 and later operated from 1970 to 1980 in the Southern Railway's steam excursion program. The GSMR purchased it in late 2000 and planned to restore it to operating condition by 2026. The locomotive will be converted to burn oil like No. 1702. [13] [14]

During 2010, GSMR purchased a third steam locomotive, a former Swedish State Railways 4-6-0 No. 1149, [15] from the defunct Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad. This locomotive was originally slated to be moved to the GSMR in spring 2011. However, the engine remained on the B&ML for two more years. Ultimately, the railroad deemed the locomotive's planned move too costly and instead sold it to the Discovery Park of America [15] in Union City, Tennessee. In 1990, the GSMR considered importing a newly-built China Railways SY steam locomotive for use in their operations, but for unknown reasons, they never placed an order. [16]

In 2020 and 2022, the GSMR retired GP9 No. 777 and GP7 No. 711, respectively. The two units were purchased by YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson (best known as MrBeast), who used No. 777 in a train vs. tank stunt for a YouTube video. He used 711 for a different stunt in a later video. Both videos were uploaded to YouTube in 2022. No. 777 was scrapped soon after the video it was featured in, and No. 711 was left abandoned in a field in Whittier, NC.

Current locomotive roster

Locomotive details [17] [18]
NumberImageTypeWheel ArrangementClassificationBuilderBuiltSerial NumberFormer OwnerStatus
722 Southern Ry 722 and Savanna & Atlanta 750 in August 1971.jpg Steam2-8-0Ks-1 Baldwin Locomotive Works 190424729Southern RailwayUndergoing restoration
1702 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Steam Engine No. 1702 in Bryson City, NC - July 2021 - 02.jpg Steam2-8-0S160Baldwin Locomotive Works194264641U.S. Army,
Warren & Saline River Railroad,
Reader Railroad,
Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad		Operational
1009 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad No. 1009 diesel locomotive - July 2021 - 02.jpg Diesel(B-B) GP38-3M Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)196429006 Pennsylvania Railroad Operational
1751 GSMR 1751 Bryson City.jpg Diesel(B-B) GP9 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)195519968 Southern Pacific,
Arizona Eastern Railway,
San Joaquin Valley Railroad 		Operational
1755 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad No. 1755 diesel-electric locomotive - July 2021 - 01.jpg Diesel(B-B)GP9Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)195621359Southern Pacific,
Arizona Eastern Railway,
San Joaquin Valley Railroad		Operational
2335 2335 at the depot in Bryson city - Jul. 2024.jpg Diesel(B-B) GP38-2 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)19727342 St. Louis-San Francisco Railway,
BNSF Railway 		Operational
2467–Diesel(B-B) GP30-3 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)196328092 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway,
BNSF Railway		Operational
2668 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad diesel engine No. 2668 in Nantahala, North Carolina.jpg Diesel(B-B) GP38-3 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)197137275 Louisville and Nashville,
GATX 		Operational
4210–Diesel(B-B) F9a Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)195637275 Erie Mining Company Operational

Retired locomotives

No. 777 was retired in early 2020 and No. 711 in early 2022.

NumberImageTypeWheel ArrangementClassificationBuilderBuiltSerial NumberFormer OwnerStatus
223 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Diesel Engine No. 223 rolls through Marble, N.C.jpg Diesel(B-B) GP35 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)196429223-Now CBR 1916 in Oregon
711 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Diesel Engine No. 711.jpg Diesel(B-B)GP7 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)195419104 Chicago and North Western,
Union Pacific 		Abandoned at a field in Whittier, North Carolina following staged train wreck
777 Nantahala Train Ride - panoramio.jpg Diesel(B-B)GP9Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)195419874Chicago and North Western,
Union Pacific		Destroyed in staged train wreck; subsequently scrapped

Towns and attractions served

Smoky Mountain Trains Museum

The railroad owns the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum in Bryson City, North Carolina; located across Greenlee Street from the Bryson City Depot. [19] [20] The museum features a collection of over 7,000 Lionel model engines, cars and accessories, a large model train layout, a children's activity center, and a gift shop. [19] [20]

GSMR's No. 1702 steam locomotive was featured in the 1966 film, This Property Is Condemned , starring Natalie Wood, Robert Redford, and Charles Bronson. [17]

The famous train wreck scene in the 1993 Warner Brothers blockbuster movie The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones was filmed in Dillsboro along the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. [21]

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad was used in the filming of 1996 Warner Brothers comedy My Fellow Americans starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner; they stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four.

Train scenes in the 1999 DreamWorks SKG film Forces of Nature starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock also were filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

The video game Railroader takes place on an alternate history version of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, diverging from the real-world timeline sometime in the 1940s. Players take on the roles of various railroad employees, from CEO to passenger.

Incidents

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swain County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Swain County is a county located on the far western border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,117. Its county seat is Bryson City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Jackson County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,109. Since 1913, its county seat has been Sylva, which replaced Webster. Cullowhee is the site of Western Carolina University (WCU). In the early 21st century, the university has more than 12,000 students, nearly twice the number of permanent residents of Cullowhee. The university has a strong influence in the region and county. More than 10 percent of the county residents identify as Native American, mostly Cherokee. The federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is based at Qualla Boundary, land that consists of territory in both Jackson and neighboring Swain County. This is the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina, and one among three federally recognized Cherokee tribes nationally. The other two are based in what is now the state of Oklahoma, a former Indian Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillsboro, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Dillsboro is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 213 at the 2020 census down from 232 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryson City, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Bryson City is a town in and the county seat of Swain County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,558 as of the 2020 census. Located in what was historically the land of the Cherokee, Bryson City was founded as Charleston to serve as the county seat of Swain County when it was formed from parts of surrounding counties. It grew into an important local rail hub. Today the city serves as a popular tourist destination, lying just to the west of the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for outdoor activities in the Nantahala National Forest, and along the Nantahala River and Fontana Lake, and serves as the home of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, a heritage railroad that provides tours of the Nantahala valley. The popular Nantahala Outdoor Center provides guide services for many of the outdoor activities in the area.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murphy Branch</span>

The Murphy Branch is a branch line operated by the Western North Carolina Railroad, later the Richmond and Danville, Southern Railway, the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) and today the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad. The branch runs between Asheville, North Carolina in the east and Murphy in the west.

The Great Smoky Mountains Expressway is a four-lane divided highway that serves as the main east–west corridor through Southwestern North Carolina; connecting the towns of Bryson City, Sylva and Waynesville to Interstate 40. Its establishment and funding was made possible by the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS), designed to generate economic development in previously isolated areas, supplement the interstate system and provide access to areas within the region as well as to markets in the rest of the nation.

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Nantahala Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Bryson City, North Carolina. The brewery was founded in 2009 by Chris Collier, Joe Rowland and Ken Smith. It's located at 61 Depot Street, Bryson City, North Carolina, across the street from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad train depot. September 2023 - Nantahala Brewing Company is closed

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 630</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (SOU Ks-1 class)

Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ks-1 class. It was primarily assigned to haul freight trains on the Murphy Branch between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina until its retirement in the 1950s. No. 630, along with sister locomotive No. 722, were sold to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) to be served as switchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 722</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (SOU Ks1 class)

Southern Railway 722 is a class "Ks-1" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1904 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to run on the Murphy Branch, where it hauled freight trains between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 1952, it was purchased by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), alongside its sister locomotive No. 630, where they were served as switchers around Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Valley Railroad 610</span> Class of 1 post-WWII American Army 2-8-0 locomotive

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham County Railroad</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 1702</span> Preserved 2-8-0 steam locomotive, based in North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 1702 is an S160 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps during World War II. After the war ended, the No. 1702 locomotive worked on two railroads in Arkansas and one in Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryson City Depot</span> Train station in Bryson City, North Carolina, U.S.

The Bryson City Depot is a train station located in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. It serves as the only active station along the Murphy Branch, a rail line that traverses from Asheville to Murphy in Western North Carolina. Owned and operated by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, it serves as both the begin and end point of various scenic excursion trains.

References

  1. ↑ "History". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Majors-Duff, Lisa (March 9, 2000). "Attraction's new owner has big plans for Great Smoky Mountain Railroad". The Sylva Herald and Ruralite . Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Special Excursions". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. GSMR. 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-01-26. Retrieved 2023-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. GSMR. 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-12-16.
  5. ↑ "10 Fun Facts About the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad". Watershed Cabins. December 28, 2020. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Freight Services". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Plott & Plott (2021) , p. 187.
  8. 1 2 "A timeline: COVID-19 pandemic hits one-year mark in N.C." Smoky Mountain Times . March 10, 2021. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  9. ↑ Plott & Plott (2021) , p. 185.
  10. ↑ "Great Smoky Mountains Railroad adds another engine to fleet". Smoky Mountain Times . January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ "GSMR Steam Engine #1702 Restoration Update". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on November 2, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. ↑ Kays, Holly (August 3, 2016). "Renewed steam engine service excites Bryson, Dillsboro business owners". Smoky Mountain News . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Great Smoky Mountain Railroad to restore Southern No. 722 to operation". Trains. Kalmbach Media. May 21, 2023. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Southern Railway No. 722 restoration work begins at GSMR". Trains . Kalmbach. August 2023. p. 40.
  15. 1 2 Karlsson, Lars Olov (2013). Ånglok vid Sveriges normalspåriga enskilda järnvägar. Del 2. MBJ–ÖVJ (in Swedish). Malmö: Frank Stenvalls Förlag. p. 154. ISBN   9-789172-661875.
  16. ↑ "Railnews - Tang Shan 2-8-2s". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 9, no. 9. Carstens Publications. September 1990. p. 38.
  17. 1 2 George & Strack (2012) , pp. 147–149.
  18. ↑ George & Strack (2012) , p. 176.
  19. 1 2 "Great Smoky Mountains Hosts HRA Spring Meeting". HeritageRail News. HeritageRail Alliance. May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  20. 1 2 "Smoky Mountain Trains Museum". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  21. ↑ George & Strack (2012) , p. 47.
  22. ↑ Hodge, Rex (August 22, 2017). "8 injured, bus driver charged after collision with Great Smoky Mountains train". WLOS . Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.

Bibliography

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