Great Smoky Mountains Railroad facts for kids
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bryson City, North Carolina |
| Reporting mark | GSMR |
| Locale | Western North Carolina |
| Dates of operation | 1988–present |
| Predecessor | Southern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 53 miles (85 kilometers) |
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) is a special train company in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. It offers fun train rides for tourists and also carries goods. The railroad started in 1988. Since 1999, it has been owned by American Heritage Railways, which also owns another famous train, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado. The GSMR runs its trips on old tracks that used to belong to the Southern Railway. These tracks go between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is one of the most popular tourist trains in the U.S. About 200,000 people ride it every year.
Contents
About the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) owns about 53 miles of the Murphy Branch. This was an old train line of the Southern Railway. It runs between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. The GSMR began its trips in 1988. This happened because of a special agreement between the NCDOT and Malcom & Joan MacNeill.
The MacNeills and their team got the agreement just in time. If they had waited two more days, the Norfolk Southern company would have started taking apart the tracks. At first, the tourist train went further west to Andrews and Murphy, North Carolina. But trips to Murphy stopped in 1995. Regular trips between Nantahala and Andrews ended by 2001.
In late 1999, the MacNeills sold the GSMR to American Heritage Railways. This company also owns the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado. After the sale, the trains changed their look. They stopped using the bright blue, yellow, and red "circus train" colors. Instead, they started using a new Tuscan red and gold stripe design. On March 9, 2000, the company's name changed from Great Smoky Mountain Railway to Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
The GSMR tourist trains travel through beautiful areas. They pass through "fertile valleys, a tunnel and across river gorges." These are all in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Tourist trips run on two main parts of the line. One is between Dillsboro and Bryson City, which is about 16 miles long. The other is between Bryson City and Nantahala, which is about 22 miles long. The GSMR became very popular. Around 200,000 people ride it each year. The railroad also carries goods for businesses. It connects with the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad in Sylva.
In 2004, the GSMR started its "Polar Express" train ride. This ride is based on the popular movie and is officially allowed by Warner Brothers. The "Polar Express" ride has become a huge success. It brings a lot of money to the railroad and to Bryson City every year. In 2019, more than 91,000 people rode the Polar Express alone. This was a record for the railroad.
In 2007, the GSMR moved its main office from Dillsboro to Bryson City. This happened because of a problem with the Dillsboro Town Council. The Dillsboro train station also closed. However, the Tuckasegee River trips between Dillsboro and Bryson City still continued. These trips now start in Bryson City and make a stop in Dillsboro.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the GSMR to stop its operations for a while. But they started running trains again on June 4, 2020. They put in place new rules to keep people safe, like social distancing.
Train Equipment
Locomotives (Engines)
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad uses different diesel locomotives. Over the years, some have come and gone. As of 2023, the railroad has seven working diesel engines. These are all 4-axle units. Bigger 6-axle engines would be too large for the tunnels and too long for some of the tight curves on the line. All current engines were built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD).
The GSMR has two GP9s, named Nos. 1751 and 1755. It also has an GP30 (No. 2467), which was updated. There's also an GP35 (No. 1009), also updated. They have an GP38-2 (No. 2668). Their two newest diesel engines are GP38-2 No. 2335 and F9A No. 4210.
The railroad has one working steam locomotive. It's an S160 2-8-0 type engine, called "Consolidation" No. 1702. This engine was built in September 1942 for the U.S. Army during World War II. The GSMR bought it in 1991. But in 2005, it stopped working because of problems with its firebox.
In 2012, Swain County gave $700,000 to the GSMR. This money helped build a new workshop for steam locomotives. It also helped install a new turntable in Bryson City. This turntable helps turn the locomotive around. After that, work to fix No. 1702 began in mid-2014. It was finished in late July 2016, and the engine started running again for trips.
The railroad also owns another 2-8-0 steam engine, Southern Railway Ks-1 No. 722. This engine worked on the old Murphy Branch from 1904 to 1952. Later, it ran from 1970 to 1980 in the Southern Railway's special steam train program. The GSMR bought it in late 2000. They plan to get it working again by 2026. This engine will be changed to burn oil, just like No. 1702.
In 2010, the railroad bought a third steam engine. It was a former Swedish State Railways 4-6-0 #1149. This engine came from a closed railroad called the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad. The GSMR decided it would cost too much to move this engine. So, they sold it to the Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tennessee.
GSMR stopped using GP9 No. 777 in 2020 and GP9 No. 711 in 2022. These two engines were bought by a famous YouTuber named Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast. He used No. 777 in a video where a train went against a tank. He used No. 711 for another stunt in a later video. Both videos were put on YouTube in 2022. Engine 777 was taken apart soon after its video. Engine 711 was left in a field in Whittier, NC.
Current Locomotive Roster
| Number | Image | Type | Wheel Arrangement | Classification | Builder | Built | Serial Number | Former Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722 |  |
Steam | 2-8-0 | Ks-1 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1904 | 24729 | Southern Railway | Undergoing restoration |
| 1702 |  |
Steam | 2-8-0 | S160 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1942 | 64641 | U.S. Army, Warren & Saline River Railroad, Reader Railroad, Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad |
Operational |
| 1009 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP38-3M | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1964 | 29006 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Operational |
| 1751 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1955 | 19968 | Southern Pacific, Arizona Eastern Railway, San Joaquin Valley Railroad |
Operational |
| 1755 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1956 | 21359 | Southern Pacific, Arizona Eastern Railway, San Joaquin Valley Railroad |
Operational |
| 2335 | – | Diesel | (B-B) | GP38-2 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1972 | 7342 | St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, BNSF Railway |
Operational |
| 2467 | – | Diesel | (B-B) | GP30-3 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1963 | 28092 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, BNSF Railway |
Operational |
| 2668 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP38-3 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1971 | 37275 | Louisville and Nashville, GATX |
Operational |
| 4210 | – | Diesel | (B-B) | F9a | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1971 | 37275 | - | Operational |
Retired Locomotives
No. 777 was retired in early 2020 and No. 711 in early 2022.
| Number | Image | Type | Wheel Arrangement | Classification | Builder | Built | Serial Number | Former Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP35 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1964 | 29223 | - | Now CBR 1916 in Oregon |
| 711 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP7 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1954 | 19104 | Chicago and North Western, Union Pacific |
Abandoned at a field in Whittier, North Carolina |
| 777 |  |
Diesel | (B-B) | GP7 | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) | 1954 | 19874 | Chicago and North Western, Union Pacific |
Scrapped |
Towns and Attractions Served
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad serves these places:
- Dillsboro
- Whittier
- Bryson City
- Fontana Lake
- The Nantahala Outdoor Center
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
The railroad also owns the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum. It is in Bryson City, North Carolina, right across from the Bryson City Depot. The museum has a huge collection of over 7,000 Lionel model train engines, cars, and other items. It also features a large model train layout, a fun activity center for kids, and a gift shop.
Incidents
- On August 22, 2017, one of the GSMR's engines, No. 2467, had a small accident. It bumped into a Georgia Military College coach bus at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. The bus driver and eight passengers had minor injuries.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
