Tickets Selling Fast For “Spring Excursion” On The Rails of Western North Carolina

Here’s information about the upcoming Spring 2009 Excursion of the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Below is the news release from the Watauga Valley NRHS

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Watauga Valley NRHS Sets Scenic Spring Railway Excursion
In North Carolina

The Spring 2009 Excursion of the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will be a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad on Saturday, March 28.
The excursion will feature a ride through the Smoky Mountains and spring countryside of Western North Carolina.  The route is the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line established in 1891 with its five percent grade.  It features many bridges as well as the whitewater Nantahala Gorge.
The trip will begin in downtown Johnson City at 6:30 a.m., at the City Hall Lot on East Main St, where passengers will board a motor coach to Bryson City, N.C.  Passengers will board the excursion train at 11:00 a.m.  This 4.5-hour excursion covers 44 miles to the Nantahala Gorge and back to Bryson City.
The route travels the banks of the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers and crosses Fontana Lake Trestle standing 100 feet above the lake and spanning 780 feet.  After crossing Fontana Lake, passengers will enter the gorge. 
        There will be a one-hour layover at the gorge for sightseeing. Passengers will have several options for lunch. Bring your lunch, small coolers only, Chicken Buffet will be available for purchase on board train and for the first time the Watauga Valley Chapter is excited to offer dining in a historic dining car. A truly unique, on board dining experience in the grand tradition in the Iron Horse Grill.
        On the return trip to Bryson City, passengers will have the time to shop, snack, and visit the Smoky Mountain Train Museum before returning to Johnson City via motor coach.  Expected arrival back to Johnson City will be 6:30 p.m.
The 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 in Dillsboro along the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.  The wreckage of the set can still be viewed on outbound train excursions from Dillsboro.
The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad also was used in the filming of the 1996 comedy “My Fellow Americans,” starring Jack Lemmon and James Gardner, when they stumble on to a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four.
Train scenes in the 1998 movie “Forces of Nature,” starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, also were filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
Passengers can choose to ride in comfort in reconditioned coaches (windows that open and close and ceiling fans), open-air cars, crown coaches or a club car, which are climate controlled with large picture windows.  All cars have grand views of the passing scenery.  Clean restrooms are available on the train.
Nearby attractions include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
Ticket prices for adult coach seats are $79 and $58 for child (2 to 12 years) coach seats.  Adult crown coach seats are $89 and $68 for children (2 to 12 years).  First class service Club Car seats are $115 for anyone 21 years and older. 
When ordering coach tickets, please specify open air or closed cars.  Also, specify if you will accept an alternate class of service if your choice is sold out.  Money will be refunded if you do not wish an alternate service.
To order tickets, enclose your check or money order along with the number of tickets and the class you choose.  Send checks to Spring Excursions, Watauga Valley Chapter NRHS, P.O. Box 432, Johnson City, TN, 37605-0432.
For questions about the trip, email:  or write:  Watauga Valley NRHS, P.O. Box 432, Johnson City, TN, 37605-0432.  Those interested in the trip can also visit the chapter at http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org for a printable order form.