One of the most popular attractions at Dollywood theme park is the train ride, where an authentic 110 ton coal-fired steam engine takes you on a breathtaking 5-mile journey through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains! For many guests, the ride is considered one of the park’s “must visit” attractions and is like a trip back in time! Here are 4 fascinating things to know about the Dollywood Express train ride:
1. History of the Dollywood Express
The history of the Dollywood Express train ride starts in Philadelphia when two Baldwin coal fired steam trains, Klondike Katie (No. 192) and Cinderella (No. 70) were built in 1943 and 1938, respectively, by Baldwin Locomotive Works. Both of the trains served in Alaska during World War II, transporting troops and lumber on numerous missions across what would eventually become the 49th state. Klondike Katie was sold to the Rebel Railroad in 1960, a small park where the new train ride would take visitors on a 5 mile trip through the Smokies. The engine arrived at the Pigeon Forge park in 1961.
2. Purchase of Klondike Katie and Cinderella by the Herschend Brothers
Over the years, the Rebel Railroad park experienced several changes of ownership and it was eventually purchased in 1977 by Jack and Pete Herschend of the Branson, Missouri based Herschend Enterprises. The brothers were owners of the Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson and they renamed the small park in Pigeon Forge as Silver Dollar City, Tennessee. As part of the sale, the Herschend brothers acquired Klondike Katie. In the same year, the Herschends purchased Cinderella and shipped her to the park to work alongside Klondike Katie. Dolly Parton and the Herschends eventually formed Dollywood in 1986, and today you can still take a wonderful train ride pulled by one of these majestic locomotives!
3. Maintenance on the Train
Another fascinating thing to know about the Dollywood Express train ride is that the park’s train shop replaces around 200 to 300 cross-ties of the nearly 6,000 ties each year! The maintenance team constantly inspects the locomotives, cars and track for anything unusual, and most of the extensive maintenance is performed during the winter when Dollywood is closed. During the winter months, the cars are repainted, inspected from top to bottom and may even be completely assembled!
4. What to Expect on Your Ride
Whether you are treated to a ride on Klondike Katie or Cinderella, you can count on a fun journey through the mountains with some of the best scenery that nature has to offer! Your 20 minute adventure starts when the engineer sounds the whistle and departs from the Village section of Dollywood, climbing into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains! This is also a chance to experience a unique part of railroad history, so close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like to travel across the country by train!
Check out all of our cabins in Pigeon Forge TN today to stay close to the Dollywood Express and all of the other thrilling attractions at Dollywood theme park! We look forward to seeing you soon!
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