BRYSON CITY, N.C. —If you like trains and mountain scenery, it’s time to book your ticket for this spring’s Great Smoky Mountains Train Excursion. Tickets for the April 30 adventure are expected to sell out quickly.
The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum sponsors the one-day train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, offering train enthusiasts an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of spring while riding the rails in vintage passenger railroad cars.
The scenic rail excursion takes passengers from the historic depot in Bryson City, North Carolina, through the beautiful countryside of Western North Carolina, into the breath-taking Nantahala Gorge surrounded by the majestic Smoky Mountains, and back to Bryson City. The excursion covers 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 5% grade and many bridges. 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 can choose from first-class, crown, tourist coach or open-air cars. All classes offer seating in classic antique restored passenger cars. There are restrooms throughout the train. The first-class cars are climate- controlled and feature large windows and lounge-car seating. Crown-class cars also offer large windows and climate control for passenger comfort. The tourist coach cars have ceiling fans and windows that open and close for fresh-air viewing, while open-air coach cars are great for picture-taking and “experiencing” the ride and scenery.
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 also used in the 1996 comedy, “My Fellow Americans,” when stars Jack Lemmon and James Garner stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four.
Transportation and Parking
Bryson City is a town of 1,300 with more stop signs than stoplights. It is an easily strollable town with local bookstores, arts and crafts galleries with working artisans, a bike shop, two fly fishing shops, a fly-fishing museum, a historical museum, an aquarium, a scenic train, two breweries, and a surprising variety of restaurants.
Passengers have two options for arrival at the Bryson City Train Depot: They may ride a chartered tour bus out of Johnson City or drive directly to Bryson City. Patrons will need to select their point of departure location on the order form when purchasing tickets. Free parking is available in both Johnson City and Bryson City.
Passengers who elect to drive to Bryson City will need to claim tickets and box lunches, and visit shops and the Lionel Museum, between 10 and 11 a.m. and be prepared to board the train at the Bryson City Depot at 11 a.m. Passengers who elect to ride the motorcoach from Johnson City will need to board the tour bus in Johnson City between 7 and 7:25 a.m. It will depart for Bryson City at 7:30 a.m. Once on site around 10 a.m., passengers will have about an hour to claim box lunches (if pre-ordered), shop and visit the Lionel Railroad Museum before boarding the train at the Bryson City Depot at 11 a.m.
The train departs Bryson City at 12:01 p.m. and returns between 4:15 and 4:45 p.m. The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum assumes no liability for passengers not arriving on time at the Bryson City Depot.
After passengers disembark, those who rode the motor coach will board their bus for the return trip. The group is expected to arrive back in Johnson City at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $94 for adults and $77 for children (ages 2-12) in open-air coach to $170 for adults (ages 21 and older only) in first class, which includes a meal. Other passengers can pre-purchase boxed lunches for track-side pickup, purchase food from the concessions car on board, or pack a small cooler.
All tickets and pre-purchased meals must be ordered online by credit card at http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org. Click on the excursions link. The excursion runs rain or shine; every effort will be made to stay on time.
The Watauga Valley Railroad Museum is a nonprofit educational organization. All proceeds from events go into the railroad museum and the Chuckey Depot Museum in Jonesborough. To learn more, visit the website or email wataugavalley@gmail.com.
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