The ('''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
Mine s at
Cranberry, North Carolina .
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.
''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
ICC approval on
March 22 ,
1941 .
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 .
Soon thereafter, Tweetsie Locomotive No. 12 (a 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.
The Green Bay Packaging Company of
Green Bay, Wisconsin ultimately acquired the railroad properties and reorganized the company as the
East Tennessee Railway (ETRY). As of
1996 the standard gauge line continues to operate between Johnson City and Elizabethton.
