The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), affectionately called the "Tweetsie" in reference to the sound of its steam whistles, was a primarily narrow gauge railroad established in 1866 for the purpose of the serving the mines at Cranberry, North Carolina. Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 500 miles (805 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 9. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 195 km 710 km 2. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Johnson City is a city in Washington County, Tennessee; however a small part of the city is located within Carter County, Tennessee. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... There are approximately 150,000 miles (240,000 km) of railroad track in the United States, nearly all standard gauge. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ...

History

The ET&WNC Transportation Company was chartered by the Tennessee General Assembly on May 24, 1866. Lack of financial backing led to the venture's failure, and the railroad was abandoned in 1874. The Cranberry Iron Company acquired the line between 1876 and 1879, and designated the railroad one it its subsidiaries. The initial 14.1-mile (2.25-kilometer) run through the Appalachian Mountains from Johnson City to Hampton, Tennessee via Elizabethton was completed on August 22, 1881 by Pennsylvania-based financier Ario Pardee, and the technical expertise of Thomas Matson (the noted railway engineer); a line extension to Cranberry opened on July 3, 1882. Soon dubbed by mountain residents as the "Railway with a Heart" as railroad personnel often performed errands for the locals (and even allowed passengers to ride for free during the Great Depression), its tickets were even validated with a heart-shaped punch. May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A mile is any of a number of units of distance, each in the magnitude of 1–10 km. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the United States, forming a zone, from 100 to 300 miles wide, running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 1... Johnson City is a city in Washington County, Tennessee; however a small part of the city is located within Carter County, Tennessee. ... Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn, starting in 1929 and lasting through most of the 1930s. ...

A train crew poses in front of ET&WNC Locomotive No. 4 at Newland, North Carolina circa 1914. The unit was purchased new in 1902 and sold twelve years later to the Linville River Railway.

The ET&WNC (sometimes referred to as the "Eat Taters & Wear No Clothes" Railroad) hauled iron ore from the Cranberry mines, pig iron from the local forge, and lumber from the forests of western North Carolina. CIC purchased the Linville River Railway (LRR, known as the "Arbuckle" line) in 1913, a line originally constructed in the 1890s specifically to haul lumber between Cranberry and Saginaw, North Carolina. The LRR line was subsequently extended to Boone, North Carolina; the tracks suffered heavy damage from a 1940 flood, and the line was abandoned following Interstate Commerce Commission approval on March 22, 1941. Image File history File links ET&NWC_Locomotive_No_4_circa_1914. ... Image File history File links ET&NWC_Locomotive_No_4_circa_1914. ... Newland is a town located in Avery County, North Carolina. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Iron ore (Banded iron formation) Manganese ore Lead ore Gold ore An ore is a volume of rock containing components or minerals in a mode of occurrence which renders it valuable for mining. ... A blacksmiths forge For finery forges (making iron) see finery forge. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... Boone is a town located in the northern mountains of North Carolina and in Watauga County, North Carolina, for which it is the county seatGR6 and market town. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ...

The ET&WNC was one of the major rail lines to haul both passengers and freight in the region during World War II, though business declined dramatically after the War. The narrow gauge track from Elizabethton was soon abandoned, though the ET&WNC retained service between Johnson City and the rayon plants of Elizabethton. The tracks in and around Johnson City (where most of the company's industrial customers were located) were dual gauge to allow for interchange with other railroads; the ET&WNC purchased three standard gauge locomotives to switch cars throughout the area. The ET&WNC Railroad Company officially ceased operations on July 13, 1950. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... Cellulose is treated with alkali and carbon disulfide to yield viscose. ... Sunlight reflects off dual-gauge tracks near Chur, Switzerland Mixed-gauge track and pointwork (1435 mm and 1067 mm) at Odawara in Japan Dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway is a special configuration of railway track, allowing trains of different gauges to use the same alignment. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Soon thereafter, Tweetsie Locomotive No. 12 (a 4-6-0 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917, and the last of the original 13 coal-fired ET&WNC steam-powered units) was purchased by a group railroad enthusiasts and shipped to Virginia. Movie cowboy Gene Autry later bought the unit, intending to transport it to California for use in his films. After a lengthy restoration, the locomotive returned North Carolina on May 23, 1957 along with a few pieces of the original rolling stock. That summer, the "Tweetsie Railroad" became the state's newest travel attraction and family theme park. The train travels over a scenic 3-mile (4.8 kilometer) loop through the mountains near Blowing Rock, close to the original end-of-the-line station in Boone. The park operates two steam locomotives: in addition to former ET&WNC No. 12, in 1960 the company acquired No. 190 (the Yukon Queen, a type 2-8-2 locomotive) from the State of Alaska and restored it for operation. An authentic ET&WNC wooden coach also sees regular service, and is typically placed at the rear of the train. In the Whyte notation, a 4-6-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has a two-axle leading truck followed by three driving axles. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq. ... Gene Autry Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Once upon a time, in an unincorporated community in Tennessee, a man tied a string to a rock. ... Great Western Railway No. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... PRR 520, on display at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, Strasburg, Pennsylvania, in 1993. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... // Original meaning and etymology The original meaning of the term coach was: a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger — and of mail — and covered for protection from the elements. ...

The Green Bay Packaging Company of Green Bay, Wisconsin ultimately acquired the railroad properties and reorganized the company as the East Tennessee Railway (ETRY). The standard gauge line continues to operate switching operations in Johnson City for freight arriving via the CSX and Norfolk Southern Railways. Green Bay is the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... The East Rennessee Railway is a short line railroad linking Elizabethton, Tennessee to the CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads in Johnson City, Tennessee, 11 miles away. ...

Historic designations

• National Register of Historic Places #NPS–92000147 — East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12

The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ...

External links

• ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society official website
• ET&WNC: The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
• Slim Rails: East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
• "Tweetsie Comes Home" article in the October, 1957 issue of Ties, the Southern Railway System magazine.
• Tweetsie Railroad History
• Cy Crumley ET&WNC Photo Collection

The Southern Railway (AAR reporting mark SOU) was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894. ...

References

• East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) — accessed on November 26, 2005.
• East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Transportation Company Records, 1868–1970 — accessed on November 14, 2005.
• History of Western North Carolina Railroads article by John Preston Arthur (1914) — accessed on November 14, 2005.