Tombstone Junction facts for kids

Tombstone Junction was a fun, western-themed park in McCreary County, Kentucky, close to the beautiful Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. It opened in the 1960s and was a popular spot until a big fire in 1989 caused a lot of damage. The park kept going a little bit, but then a second fire in 1991 completely destroyed it.

The park looked like a small, old-fashioned western town. It had a train station, a lively saloon, a dance hall, a jail, small shacks, and shops. There was also an outdoor stage where live shows with country and western music were performed. The main attraction at Tombstone Junction was a 2.5-mile ride on a real, full-sized steam train.

How Tombstone Junction Started

Tombstone Junction began in the 1960s as a tourist train ride called the "Cumberland Falls Scenic Railroad." Two brothers, Millard and Morris Stephens, from nearby Whitley City, built the railroad. They wanted it to be an extra attraction for their motel, The Falls Motel, which was near Cumberland Falls.

The railroad track was built in a large "L" shape, about 2.5 miles long, around a big cut between two mountains. In the 1960s, it was a trend to build small, special railroads that later grew into full theme parks. Famous examples include the "Rebel Railroad" in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which later became Dollywood, and the Tweetsie Railroad in North Carolina, which is still open today. A key difference was that Tombstone Junction's railroad used full-sized trains, not the smaller ones often seen in parks.

For its second year, the park added more buildings, shops, and a saloon called The Red Garter Saloon. Local people helped build these additions. The plan was to add new attractions, shops, and shows every year. The town part of the park was called "Tombstone Junction," and the train was known as "Old #77." However, the company's official name was "Cumberland Falls Scenic Railroad, Inc." Locals often just called the park "The Junction."

Exploring the Western Town

Besides the train ride, the main part of the park was the "town" of Tombstone Junction. You entered through a wooden fort that also held the ticket office. Inside, you'd find the Red Garter Saloon, where magic and stage shows took place. There was also an outdoor theater for guest entertainers, plus buildings like the train station, a jail, and gift shops.

A special building called "Pa's Cabin" was like a funhouse. Inside, the floor was tilted at a steep angle, making it tricky and fun to walk through. There was also a pretend graveyard called "Boot Hill."

Local people played characters in the town, making the park feel alive. The community was very involved. The park focused on shows where the audience could join in, pretend gunfights, music shows, and gunfighters who talked with visitors. This was important because, other than the train ride, the park didn't have any mechanical rides.

Tombstone Junction was well-known for bringing famous entertainers to the area. It offered family fun at a good price. Stars like The Judds, Randy Travis, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, Conway Twitty, and Loretta Lynn performed there. They were part of the Sunday Concert Series, which happened every Sunday from April to October on the Outdoor Stage.

The Cumberland Falls Scenic Railroad: Old #77

The park's most popular attraction was "Old #77," a real, working steam train. Passengers got on and off at the park's only station, which was right in the middle of the park. The station also had the park's offices and a large collection of signed photos from country-western stars who had visited.

The train traveled a 2.5-mile "L" shaped loop through the wooded hills. The track had steep hills, sharp turns, and was a bit bumpy, giving riders a feel for what an early 20th-century train ride might have been like. A big challenge for the train was a very steep hill it had to climb just before returning to the station. This hill was so steep that the train had to work very hard, making lots of smoke and noise!

Sometimes, the tight 180-degree turn in front of the station caused problems. Once, the train even lifted off the track right before a Loretta Lynn concert! This made it very hard to get the train back on the rails.

Halfway through the trip, the train would stop for a fun "train robbery." Bandits would "rob" the train until the Tombstone Junction sheriff arrived for a showdown. This robbery was not just for fun; it also gave the train crew time to get the engine ready for the steep climb back to the park.

Trains and Passenger Cars

The park owned three steam locomotives. When the railroad first started, two smaller U.S. Army steam engines were bought. However, they weren't strong enough for the steep hills and were mostly just displayed.

The third engine, and the one that actually pulled the train, was a powerful 90-ton steam engine built in 1944. It was originally Union Railroad #77, then Morehead and North Fork Railroad #14, before being bought by the park and renamed #77. This engine was moved by truck to the park and put into service.

The trains were hand-painted. In the early years, they were black with "Cumberland Falls Scenic RailRoad" written on them. Later, this changed to "Tombstone Junction Railroad."

The 5 passenger cars were old B&O Railroad cabooses that were changed for passengers. They had their top parts removed, big windows cut into the sides, and seats from old school buses. In the early days, they were bright red with "Cumberland Falls Scenic Railroad" on them. Later, they were painted bright orange, blue, yellow, and green, with "Tombstone Junction" written on the sides.

After Tombstone Junction closed, the train equipment was sold. "Old 77" was bought by Harmon Taylor so it would stay in McCreary County. The two smaller engines were sold to other people. As of 2018, #77 is in a building in Stearns, KY. There was an attempt to fix it up to run again, but it didn't work out. The passenger cars were scrapped.

Shows at the Saloon and Amphitheater

Shows were held in The Red Garter Saloon and on the outdoor stage. The first Red Garter Saloon looked like a western movie saloon, with a main floor and an upper deck for more seating. It had a bar for drinks and a big stage for shows. The park's house band performed music shows here. This saloon burned down in 1974.

A new Red Garter Saloon opened in 1975. It had a raised stage and a fast-food counter. The park owners' family even lived in apartments on the second floor during the summer! With the new saloon, the house band's music shows moved to the outdoor amphitheater, and the new Red Garter Saloon became the home for magic shows. Three famous magicians who started their careers at Tombstone Junction were Lance Burton, Mac King, and Whit “Pop” Haydn. They performed three shows a day in the saloon.

The outdoor amphitheater was where concerts with local bands and famous country and western music stars were held. Regulars included Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. It was an octagonal (eight-sided) structure with a roof covering rows of bench seats. There were no walls, just a roof and stage built over a gravel area.

The saloon was damaged by fire in 1989, which started the park's decline. However, concerts continued at the amphitheater until the park fully closed in 1991.

Why the Park Closed

Tombstone Junction was a popular local spot, but it started to have problems in the late 1980s. Several things led to its closing:

• Loss of Leaders: The park's founders, Millard and Morris Stephens, passed away in the mid-1970s. They were the heart and vision behind the park.
• Local Economy: The area's economy relied heavily on coal mining. When the coal industry struggled in the late 1980s, many jobs and money disappeared. This meant fewer local people could afford to visit the park.
• New Competition: Nearby places like Dollywood and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, along with Gatlinburg, Tennessee, became very popular tourist spots. Tombstone Junction, being a smaller park, couldn't offer as much as these bigger attractions, which were only a few hours away.

The Stephens Family sold the park in 1989. Later that year, a big fire severely damaged the park.

The End of the Park

The fire in late 1989 destroyed the Red Garter Saloon and several other town buildings. The park tried to keep going in a limited way, still having outdoor concerts and train rides. But then, a second fire in late 1990 or early 1991 destroyed almost everything else, except for a few small buildings and the train. With fewer visitors and no money to rebuild, the decision was made to close the park. In 1992, what was left of the park was sold at an auction.

The Kentucky & Tennessee Railway bought the train tracks. A scrap company bought the old passenger cars. During the scrapping process, the wooden cars accidentally caught fire from a cutting torch. The fire quickly got out of control. To save the #77 locomotive, a worker quickly unhooked the burning cars from it. The cars, fully on fire, rolled down a steep hill and crashed into removed track at the bottom, burning up in a pile.

What's Left Today

As of 2019, very little remains of Tombstone Junction. You can still see the two-level parking lot and the rusty entrance gate. The foundation of the saloon and the water standpipe used to fill the train's boiler are also still there.

"Pa's Cabin," the small cabin with the tilted floor, was the best-preserved piece for a while, but its roof completely caved in around 2007. The train station stood until the early 2000s when vandals burned it down. The concrete vault inside the station still remains. The park's repair shop barn was also burned down by vandals around 2005.

You can still find old wooden railroad ties and gravel from the tracks in some spots. The large sign that greeted people at the parking lot entrance on KY 90 stood until about 2004–2005. It had a painted picture of a gunslinger and a sign that showed which acts were playing. It eventually collapsed.

Photos and Videos

It's hard to find many photos or videos of Tombstone Junction when it was open. Some photos from the 1970s, mostly of the train, can be found on blogs. Pictures of the actual park are even rarer.

Videos of the park are almost non-existent. However, there is a rare video taken by the train engineer in 1989, just before the first fire. It shows some of the best views of the park in its final days. This video can be found on YouTube if you search for the park's name.