Who want's to talk ET&WNC or any other narrow gauge railroad for that mattaer?
The ET&WNC RR HS Convention is this coming weekend in Banner Elk NC.
Johnny Graybeal has announced that Train and Trooper of Maine will be at the convention taking reservations for an all brass HOn3 ET&WNC ten wheeler. This model is promised to be affordable, but price TBA once a quote is back from the builder.
It is hopped that this will spur small scale modeling of the ET&WNC in time for the 2011 National Narrow Gauge Convention in Hickory NC.
Bill Miller
Wish I could go. Well this is the price you pay for living in the snd hills. :-\
It appears that Johnson City, TN may be bying some of the ROW from the current owner, at least that was in the JC paper when I was up there this week. Google turned this up:
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-07-10-0028.html
Them Hippies better not lay a finger on that track!!!! >:( The track should be perserved and kept in good condition! I was hopeing that someone will acctually rebuild #'s 10,11, and 14 of tweetsie (just some childs dreams). The freinds of tweetsie my tail. The line should be perserved and have the little whistler loco in the Tweetsie shops run on it. Little Whistler was a ET&WNC loco.
Man if I had the money I would build one of them locos and rolling stock and make the Railroad come alive once more! Is there any industrie that is left beside the old line and where does this line run through. It would be amazing if the whole ET&WNC was put back together.
The track is in and is in good condition, but with the industrial base gone (around some around JC and North American Rayon gone in Elizabethton)and a few other issues, there are no customers on the line, so that is why it is for sale. No longer economically viable for service.
In the article I read, an excursion line is a possibility, but this has to go past the economic development folks and the city would have to get the money. This would also have to weigh industry and the economics of converting it to a trail (read: grants).
While this announcement is not for an On30 ten wheeler I thought I would let you all know that Train and Trooper of Maine two footer fame is going to import HOn3 ET&WNC ten wheelers in Brass. They will come factory painted for four different era's. If you are interested check out their website.
Bill Miller