Watauga Valley RR Museum adds extra fall excursion through the Smokies

On Saturday, Sept. 14, the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor a steam train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

The excursion is a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy the beauty of Western North Carolina while riding the rails behind a steam engine in vintage passenger railroad cars.

The #1702 locomotive dates to 1943. The engine’s construction was an official commissioned WWII steam engine plan. It is one of the world’s largest engine class, and is one of two remaining in the United States.

The one-day excursion will cover most of the operating trackage of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The track follows the route of the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line, established in 1891, with its five percent grade and many bridges. Our scenic steam excursion takes us from the historic depot in Bryson City, N.C., through the beautiful countryside of Western North Carolina, into the breath-taking Nantahala Gorge surrounded by the majestic Smokies, and back to Bryson City. Much of the route hugs the banks of the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers. It crosses Fontana Lake on a trestle spanning 780 feet 100 feet above the lake.

Passengers ride in comfort in First Class, Crown Class, Tourist Coach, or Open-Air cars. All classes offer seating in classic antique restored passenger cars. There are restrooms throughout the train.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has become a favorite of film producers over the years. The train wreck scene in the 1993 movie, The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, was filmed along the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. The railroad was used in the filming of the 1996 comedy, My Fellow Americans, starring Jack Lemmon and James Gardner, when they stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four. Train scenes in the 1998 movie, Forces of Nature, starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, were also filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Bryson City is a laid-back, non-touristy town of 1,300 with more stop signs than stoplights. It is an easily stroll-able town with local bookstores, arts and crafts galleries with working artisans, a bike shop, two fly-fishing shops, a fly-fishing museum, an historical museum, an aquarium, a scenic train, two breweries, and a surprising variety of restaurants. Bryson City is only 10 miles from the famous Cherokee Indian Reservation. Passengers have two options for arrival at the Bryson City Train Depot: they may either ride a chartered tour bus out of Johnson City, or drive directly to Bryson City, N.C., if that is more convenient. Free parking is provided in Johnson City and Bryson City.

Box lunches will be provided for $14.

For tickets and more information about the trip, go to www.wataugavalleynrhs.org , or email wataugavalley@gmail.com

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