|
ll aboard! Tweetsie’s is a tourist attraction
and retail complex that is running full
steam ahead to success. In many ways, it’s
the classic story of “The Little Engine” in
reality that created a whole fun environment
with it.
Mention the name “Tweetsie” throughout the
South and it conjures up memories for all age
groups.
For children, it means a
trip back into the Wild West,
helping the US Marshal fight
off howling renegades and
would-be train robbers. It
also means music and entertainment,
exciting Country
Fair rides and arcades, and
lots of good things to eat.
For adults, it means a family
oriented theme park in
the scenic Blue Ridge
Mountains, providing a day
of fun and adventure for
themselves and their children.
For senior citizens, the
name stirs up nostalgia and
the uncomplicated days of
yesteryear.
Tweetsie's history dates
back to 1866, when the
Tennessee legislature granted
the East Tennessee &
Western North Carolina
Railroad Company permission
for the construction of a
railroad. At the outset, the
ET&WNC line (which
mountain humorists dubbed
the “Eat Taters and Wear No
Clothes” Railroad) was to
operate from Johnson City,
Tennessee to the iron mines
just over the state line at Cranberry, North
Carolina.
The narrow-gauge railroad began operations in
1881 after fifty miles of track was laid through the
rugged Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian
Mountains that divide the two southern states.
Later, additional tracks were laid to Boone, North
Carolina and in 1916 rail service was extended to
that mountain community. The new line added
passenger service to the formerly isolated area, and
brought lumber out of the mountains.
The name “Tweetsie” was given to the railroad
by local folks who became accustomed to the shrill
“tweet, tweet” train whistles that echoed through
the hills. The name stuck, and the train was
known as Tweetsie ever since.
|
|
A thoughtfully stocked display
at one of the Tweetsie
Railroad stores. The shops
have something for everyone.
|
Unfortunately, the
affection felt for
Tweetsie by mountain
dwellers could not protect
her from a changing
economy. The construction
of modern roads
made the mountain
communities more accessible,
and Tweetsie felt the
competition from trucking
companies. Severe floods
came in August, 1940, and
obliterated sections of the
line, hastening the demise of
the mountain railroads.
On July 13, 1950 the
ET&WNC Railroad Company
came to an official end.
Tweetsie Locomotive #12 -
the last of the original 13
coal-fired ET&WNC steam
engines - was purchased by
railroad enthusiasts and
moved to Virginia. Her stay
there was cut short when
hurricane Hazel swept
through the state and wiped
out the train tracks. The
owners found a buyer for #12
in Gene Autry. The movie
cowboy intended to ship the
locomotive out west to use in
films.
Grover Robbins, Jr., a
native of the North Carolina
Mountains, decided that it
was time to bring Tweetsie
back where she belonged.
Robbins purchased Tweetsie
from Gene Autry and in
1956 the little engine headed
back to Robbins' home town
of Blowing Rock.
North Carolina governor
Luther Hodges designated
May 20, 1956 as “Tweetsie
Homecoming Day,” but it was only
a partial homecoming. The locomotive
spent several months in
Hickory, N.C., undergoing complete
restoration. A year later, on
May 23, 1957, Bragg McLeod of
Moss Trucking Company in
Charlotte moved Tweetsie and
some of the original rail cars
from Hickory to a scenic spot
near Blowing Rock.
In the summer of 1957,
Tweetsie Railroad became
North Carolina’s newest travel
attraction, as she made her
first run at her new location
just a couple of miles away
from the old railroad station
in Boone. People came from
all over the South to welcome
her famous whistle
back to the mountains.
Tweetsie now makes a scenic
three-mile loop through
the mountains near Blowing
Rock, not far from the original
end of the line station in
Boone. Tweetsie also operates
a complete steam train
repair shop, rebuilding and
restoring locomotives for
other theme parks and museums.
Meticulously maintained
and now listed in the
National Register of Historic
Places, Tweetsie continues to
delight the rail buffs, children
and tourists who flock
to the cool Blue Ridge
Mountains every summer.
The appeal of riding an original
coal-fired steam train
will never die.
|
Children in the plush section of the
Tweetsie Railroad General Store in
Blowing Rock, N.C. Photo credit:
Kristen Ketring.
|
|
Tweetsie Railroad is home
to six retail stores. They are: the
Western Store, the General
Store, Happy Trails and the
Depot on “Main” street, along
with the Gem Mine Company
and the Arcade, which is in the
Country Fair section.
Kristin Ketring is the retail
sales assistant manager at Tweetsie
and was the spokesperson for this
article. Giving descriptions of each
shop, she explains:
The Western Store is Tweetsie
Railroad’s most successful shop.
It’s a salute to the Wild West in
every way possible. The merchandise
focuses on a western theme
carrying at least 11 different types
of cap guns, 13 different types of
rifles, two popgun styles and a couple
of battery powered type guns.
The 800 square foot store is
equipped with two registers. The
product mix also includes four
types of caps and western wear such as cowboy
hats, chaps, holsters, Indian headdresses, tomahawks,
boomerangs, Indian dance rattles, drums
and suede Indian wear.
“Usually when a parent buys the child a gun,
they usually buy them a hat to keep with the
theme of the park,” Ketrings says.
The General Store is located next to the
Western Store. A walkway joins the two. Explains
Ketring, “The General Store is our second best
selling store. Its theme is that of an old western
general store. With an array of antiques and old
western type household items hanging from the
ceiling and along the walls, it looks like a real general
store. Here we merchandise
and sell Tweetsie Railroad shirts,
souvenirs, cedar keepsake boxes,
old timey CDs and jewelry of all
types. By far, the best selling item
is the shirts, particularly children
and infant sizes (2-4, 5-6.) The
General Store is also the place to
buy plush (we dedicated a whole
section to stuffed animals), hats
and jackets. Mostly with the TRR
logo and/or Tweetsie image either
embroidered or screened onto it.
This store also has two registers to
handle the traffic flow and is
always filled with the sounds of an
old timey music box. The square
footage is by far the largest of all of
our retail stores at about 1000 sq. feet.”
|
|
Shoppers look at an American Gift
wind chime display at the Tweetsie
Railroad General Store. Photo credit:
Kristen Ketring.
|
Living up to its name, Happy Trails Store is an
emporium of gag and novelty gifts. It is the epitome
of a fun store, loaded with blinking and flashing
products such as flashing bouncy balls, blinking
lapel buttons, magic wands, funny hats and
novelty mouthpieces. “We sell a lot of plush out of
here as well. We have dedicated an entire wall to
gag items such as whoopee cushions, black hand
soap, fake rattlesnake in the bag, a jokers coin,
smelly feet treats, and the ever so popular ‘squirting
doorbell’ just to name a few of our top sellers
in Happy Trails, “ Ketring states. This shop also
has a very active and attractive boutique dedicated
to gifts for little girls. It’s called “Little Lil’s” -
named after the famed Wild West femme fatale
Diamond Lil.
Depot Store is just what the name implies -
everything has a train theme. Licensed design
Thomas the Tank Engine is the star of the show
along with train whistles and engineer hats and
conductor hats. It is equipped with a museum of
historical facts and pictures as well as memorabilia
of the old ET & WNC railroad lines. There’s also
a large selection of books,
tapes, DVDs and maps of the
routes here. The walls are
adorned with pieces of history
that pertain to Tweetsie’s
lifeline and how it ended up
in Blowing Rock, North
Carolina.
Up on Miners Mountain is
a gem of a store in more ways
than one. In the Gem Mine
section visitors can mine for
their own gemstones, and yes,
they are all real and genuine.
After visitors do their mining
they can go into the store and
buy cut gems in the form of
all sorts of things, jewelry, letter
openers, or just ornamental.
The shop even sells mining
helmets! “We have one
person tending to the store
and two more out in the actual
mine area to dole out buckets
of sand and gems and to
clean the troughs. Our actual
mining for gems is the biggest
seller in the Gem mine store.
You can buy buckets for $6
and $9. So keeping a good
supply of silt and gems is critical,”
Ketring says.
The Company Store is a
charming whirlwind of business.
The theme is always
changing. Last year it had a
“nature” theme. This year it still has that theme,
but with it a heavy dose of “western.” Ketring
says, “On top of selling bird items, ponies and
trinkets that relate to nature, we also sell our
biggest seller in the park - cap guns and rifles, and
of course cowboy and cowgirl hats. We have
swords and spears here as well. We have very natural,
calming music playing and rocking chairs on
the front porch. Parents really
like this store, as do kids of
all ages. Top selling item
here are cap guns and hats.
Next, probably plush.”
Weather is a major factor
to Tweetsie’s gift shops’ success.
When it rains it pours a
flood of customers to each
shop looking for plastic ponchos.
The $1.79 retail items
are high on the best selling
list.
Cathy Robbins is the
main retail buyer for
Tweetsie’s. She has a long
standing loyalty with most
of the suppliers with which
she does business, but is
always open for new
resources and ideas. She and
her team shop the toy show,
various gift shows and especially
the Great Smoky
Mountain Gift Show in
Gatlinburg Tenn. The
“Gathering” gift show is important to
her, too.
|
A girl poses in front of a popular display of Brio toy
trains in the Tweetsie Railroad General Store. She is
holding a Parris Manufacturing Western Rider pink
cowgirl pistol and wearing the holster that goes with
the toy. Photo credit: Kristen Ketring.
|
|
Tweetsie’s customers are generally
families with children ages 2 to 16.
Adult train enthusiasts are frequent
visitors, too. Notes Ketring, “Some
people just want to come in and
shop. That makes us feel like we’re
doing a good job. The kids love everything,
from the train ride, to the well
thought out and rehearsed shows to
the huge array of toys and souvenirs.”
While the center’s theme might be
old time trains, its marketing tactics
are nothing short of futuristic.
Online business has become an
important factor. Tweetsie has a very
active online site that sells a wide
range of merchandise. Photos and
descriptions make it easy for the customer
to shop. All the products
online are identical to what is in the
store. All orders are filled and
shipped within one day.
“Our best online selling items are
mainly popguns, cap guns, caps, rifles
and our classic engine and tender setwhich
is a replica of our very own
Tweetsie in a brio style design,”
Ketring concludes.
Special events are also a major part of Tweetsie’s marketing program. The schedule is
loaded with extra reasons for visitors to come back
and experience new thrills.
Throughout October is the Tweetsie Railroad’s
Ghost Train Halloween Festival. Celebrating its
15th anniversary this spooktacular event will wrap
up Tweetsie’s 48th season. Everyone rides on the
Ghost Train with engineer Casey Bones and his
ghostly crew. Visitors experience Halloween fun
while encountering scary characters and frighteningly
fun activities along the way. Visitors can
brave the Haunted House and discover spooky
scenes and illusions, along with specially designed
rooms guaranteed to both frighten and challenge
the imagination. Although some attractions are
recommended for adults and older children, there
are shows and attractions for young guests too. It’s
safe, scary fun for all ages.
Special events in June are dedicated to Thomas
The Tank Engine. Children and their grown-ups
have the opportunity to ride a train led by Thomas
and can enjoy all the other rides, shows and attractions
in the park.
On the 4th of July, Tweetsie is a hive of
Americana activity, including the most spectacular
fireworks show in the High Country! It’s one of
the most popular annual events in the mountains.
July is also the month of many country music concerts
and one of the most original events you’ll
ever see: The Purina Incredible Dog Team. For
nine exciting days, Tweetsie Railroad will play host
to the world famous Purina Incredible Dog Team.
Audiences of all ages are dazzled by unique highenergy
performances showcasing a team of dynamic
dogs in acrobatic freestyle routines. The dogs
have delighted audiences nationwide at half-time
shows and on television. This event is included in
the regular daily admission fee.
Tweetsie Railroad’s schedule varies. For the first
three weeks of May it is open on Friday-Saturday-
Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. From Memorial Day weekend
to the end third week of August, the hours are
daily from 9 to 6, with the park open to 9 only on
Independence Day. From the end of August to
October 30, hours are Friday, Saturday and
Sunday from 9 to 6.
|
SGN Newsletter
