[?] Subscribe To This Site

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Through The Heart Of Western North Carolina

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, based in Bryson City, North Carolina offers some of the best and most scenic views of the state's western mountainous regions. Since its creation in 1988 the railroad has steadily grown over the last 20 years to become a very popular tourist attraction. Depending on what you are interested in the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers excursions that feature a nearly five hour trip covering the full length of the railroad (about 44 miles) to Thomas The Tank Engine for the kids. Overall the railroad has quickly become one of the top tourist lines in the country and its well worth the visit to Bryson City to board one of its trains.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has its beginnings dating back to 1988 after the Norfolk Southern had abandoned a branch line running between Andrews and Murphy, North Carolina originally part of predecessor Southern Railway's Murphy Branch (the line was initially built in 1880 as the Western North Carolina Railroad until it became part of the Southern's system). To give a brief history of the Southern Railway it is forever remembered by its famous slogan, “The Southern Serves the South – Look Ahead, Look South” (it was also known for the slogan "The Southern Gives a Green Light To Innovation"), was created from a number of smaller railroads, which merged over the years to form the Southern Railway. Perhaps the railroad’s famous green paint scheme was fitting for the railroad as it became the most respected and arguably the best managed railroad of its day before it disappeared into a merger with the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) in 1982 to form today’s Norfolk Southern Railway (NS).

Much of what made the Southern Railway such a highly profitable railroad was its many fine business leaders. It began with Samuel Spencer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which expanded the company to much of how it looked when it merged with the N&W in 1982. Later Ernest Norris began dieselizing the company’s fleet of motive power and Harry deButts was able to understand the future economic growth of the South, and prepared the railroad accordingly.

In 1999 the GSMR saw perhaps its biggest change to date when it was purchased by American Heritage Railways and renamed from Great Smoky Mountains Railway to Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. While the railroad's standard excursion takes you through the Nantahala Gorge and lasts nearly five hours it also has other trips operating throughout the year including "A Day Out With Thomas," "The Little Engine That Could," the "Pumpkin Patch," the "Easter Beagle," and the "Polar Express". For more information about these trains and riding the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad please click here to visit their website.

For power railroad typically employs one of four GP9s (#711, #777, #1751 and #1755) along with its star attraction 2-8-0 Consolidation #1702. Also slated to join the roster is another steamer, #722.

For more information on tourist railroads like the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad you might want to consider the book Empire State Railway Museum's Tourist Trains 2006 from the Empire State Railway Museum. Given excellent reviews this guidebook covers nearly all of the tourist railroads and museums operating in the country in fine detail. So, if you’re interested in locating a tourist train or railroad near you, or simply want to know more about a particular one, you will certainly not be disappointed in Empire State Railway Museum’s guidebook to tourist railroads and museums. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".

footer for great smoky mountains railroad page