BLOWING
ROCK, N.C., Aug. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- One of Tweetsie Railroad's
historic steam locomotives, the 107-year-old No. 12, will be out of
service for several months for major restoration.
"When you maintain and operate a steam locomotive that is over a
century old, there is always the chance there will be some down
time," says Chris Robbins, President
of Tweetsie Railroad. "We wish the timing would have been
different, especially with our annual Railroad Heritage Weekend
coming up August 24th and
25th."
Guests can expect a few changes in the in the originally
released schedule for Railroad Heritage Weekend.
Locomotive No. 190 will run on Saturday and Sunday featuring the
Wild West show and on Saturday evening for the Photo Special.
Locomotive No. 12 and the vintage 1870's Coach Car No. 5 will be
available for guests to have the rare opportunity to step up into
the cab and tour the coach car.
Robbins reports that Tweetsie Railroad's locomotive mechanics
discovered some thin areas on the boiler firebox during a routine
maintenance check. An independent testing firm was summoned to
inspect the boiler for verification, and then the NC Dept. of
Labor's Boiler Safety Bureau was notified. The boiler is the
original one installed by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917, and
last underwent major repairs in 1979. "We are unsure how long the
restoration will take since it is a custom re-build, but we expect
to see Locomotive Number 12 ready to run for the 2025 season," says
Robbins.
Guests can follow regular updates on tweetsie.com and the park's
social media accounts.
About Locomotive No. 12
Narrow gauge Locomotive No. 12
is the last surviving steam locomotive of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina
Railroad (ET&WNC), which ran rail service from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Boone, North Carolina from 1919 to 1940. When
the Tweetsie Railroad theme park opened with its first steam
locomotive ride in 1957(one mile to a picnic area and back), this
was its sole locomotive. Locomotive No. 190 was brought from
Alaska to Tweetsie Railroad in the
early 1960's as a backup to No. 12.
About Railroad Heritage Weekend
Railroad Heritage
Weekend is a once-a-year event for Railroad Enthusiasts of all
ages! The theme park celebrates the golden age of steam locomotives
with special events throughout the weekend including a Tweetsie
History Exhibit, Locomotive Shop Tour and Evening Photo Special.
All Railroad Heritage Weekend activities are included in Tweetsie
Railroad's regular daily admission price.
Tweetsie Railroad
Since 1957, North Carolina's first theme park, has
provided families with unforgettable Wild West adventures.
Visitors to Tweetsie Railroad enjoy an interactive three-mile
journey into the Old West behind a historic narrow-gauge steam
locomotive. The park features live shows, classic amusement rides,
the Deer Park Zoo, gem mining, and more.
Tweetsie Railroad is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day
Monday through October 27th. Regular
hours are 10 am to 6 pm, with nightly
operations during Ghost Train® and Tweetsie
Christmas®.
Contact:
Meghan Minton
8282649061 x114
381982@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Tweetsie Railroad