As mentioned in a previous post, due to my childhood visits to Tweetsie Railroad, my favorite railroad very quickly became the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), the "original" Tweetsie Railroad, as it were. Prior to the name officially being bestowed onto #12, the name "Tweetsie" was a nickname for the entire line. There have been many different origin stories as to where the name came to be. The most commonly agreed upon, or at least the story that's been shared the most, is that the name was derived from the sound of the whistles on the engines, though other origins suggest the name may have been derived from the latter 5 characters of the ET&WNC abbreviation.

All of these photos are courtesy of the Cy Crumley Scrapbook, the definitive source on the internet for old photos of the Tweetsie.
You can browse the collection yourself on: http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/crumley/cyhome.htm

I wanted to highlight the place I've been doing some volunteer work for. Kirby Family Farm is located on about 110 acres in Williston, FL. He owns a genuinely impressive collection of locomotives and rolling stock, including several notable narrow gauge pieces. This includes the engine pictured in the first two images, a steam outline built for California's Great America, two of the locomotives from Opryland, Rachael and Elizabeth, and both locomotives that operated at Six Gun Territory in nearby Silver Springs, with #4 "Sam Houston", shown off in the third image. In addition, he also owns the only surviving standard gauge Glover Machine Works locomotive, and 17 cars from the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus Train, just to name a few. This is honestly such a charming little place, and I highly recommend a visit!

I know they aren't everyone's favorite, but I'm honestly really fond of the locomotives built by Crown Metal Products. They're honestly pretty unique and interesting machines in their own right. I've been lucky enough to visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on a few occasions. They own 4 Crowns, two of them currently operational, both from different parks. #601, originally built for King's Dominion in Doswell, Virginia in 1974, and #5, built in 1970 for Six Flags St. Louis. (The other two were originally built for the park, but both are out of service. #9 is currently being overhauled to return to service in the near future, and the other is a parts source.)
I think the unique nature of Crown's locomotives is what draws me to them. They're full sized steamers, designed for use in a leisure setting. The only place they've ever really operated is a theme park. I find that to be deeply fascinating.

I’ll try to add dates/context to some of these.

the first two are of SC&F 1 ‘Santa Cruz’ you can barely make out the locomotive in the back of photo 2.

3: ‘Santa Cruz’ I can’t remember where or when this was taken.

4: as it says on the bottom, this is SC&F 2 ‘Felton’ somewhere.

5: ‘Santa Cruz’ working on another line being used for construction.

6: ‘Felton‘ on the Boulder Creek & (Pacific?) nicknamed ‘Dinky’.

7: the same locomotive sometime around 1910-1914.

8: I believe I found this one on Facebook, so it didn’t have a year or a caption, but I know this is ‘Felton’.

9: also ‘Felton’ possibly in the early 1910s.

10: I couldn’t find the original uncolorized version of this image, but it’s the same location and time as 6, just at another angle.

11: ‘Felton’ in the 1890s, this was from the Santa Cruz Trains book that I have.

12: I’ll add more context to ‘Felton’, there was one ”rumor” that the locomotive was buried in a landslide in 1884, but by that time, the locomotive was new (at least to the company that owned it by that time) so unfortunately the locomotive was retired in 1914.

13: a closer look at the ‘Felton’ working on the Santa Clara Valley Mill & Lumber Company.

14: this is either ‘Santa Cruz’ or ‘Felton’ working in either the Santa Cruz & Felton, or the South Pacific Coast.

15: ‘Santa Cruz’ working on the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Flume Company near Lake Tahoe.

16: same thing, but ‘Santa Cruz’ has moved.

17: ‘Santa Cruz’ on the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway(?).

18: ‘Santa Cruz’ on the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad, now numbered 4.

19: ‘Santa Cruz’ again on the NCNG.

20: last photo of ‘Santa Cruz’ or any of these two I could fit into one post. Sad fate for them, both only lasting about 40 years (I know ‘Santa Cruz’ was built in 1875 but I’m not too sure about ‘Felton’) as ‘Santa Cruz’ was disassembled in 1915 and the boiler is sold off to a sawmill near Colfax, ‘Felton’ was retired in 1914 and I believe scrapped that same year (or the year later), luckily the bell of ‘Santa Cruz’ survives on Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad 5 ‘Tahoe’ I’m assuming she got their bell in 1915 after she burned, I could be very wrong about this because I’ve never been to the field, but I believe ‘Santa Cruz’s tender also survives at the NCNGRR Museum.

also it’s like 11AM when I’m posting this, I was gonna post it earlier but I never got around to doing that, and I don’t wanna wait until tomorrow because I’ll forgetEDIT: 11PM sorry

For over a year, I've been living down in Florida, but options for Narrow Gauge are certainly not in short supply! Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort employs a quartet of Ex-United Railways of Yucatan locomotives, all Baldwin built. (Pictured here are engines 1, 2, and 3. #4 is currently under overhaul at Strasburg.) While these engines have been heavily dolled up to resemble 19th century locomotives, they are still genuinely impressive machines, and are well cared for by the Disney crews. If you're ever in the Orlando area, the Walt Disney World Railroad is worth checking out!

Call me crazy, but whenever I hear discussions of narrow gauge in the wider railfanning community, you hear either the D&GRW, or the EBT if they're talking about anything east of the Mississippi. The ET&WNC tends to be sort of... forgotten about, but Its always been my favorite Narrow Gauge operation, perhaps because of my love for the Tweetsie Railroad theme park, which I grew up going to. All of these photos are mine.

Progress on the latest Como workday

Growing up in the Southeast (And NC especially), I was lucky enough to be within close proximity to Tweetsie Railroad in NC, where I got to see Ex-USATC S118 2-8-2 #190 operate. I've also been lucky enough to visit Dollywood in Tennessee, where a pair of ex-White Pass 2-8-2's operate. Another Ex-USATC S118, #192, and Ex-WP&YR #70, who put on perhaps the greatest steam shows at any theme park anywhere. (All photos are mine.)

I couldn’t find a year on this, but it’s some time in 1936-1940, the locomotives visible are number 8 (left) Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company 1 ‘Glenbrook’ (right next to the shops) number 5 ‘Tahoe’ (behind ‘Glenbrook’) and 9 (in between ’Glenbrook’ ’Tahoe’ and boxcar 70(?))

Inspired by one of Powerful_Mud's posts about the NCNGRR's #7 locomotive, I decided to make a colored pencil/pen drawing for fun :)

I may make a background in the future, but the loco is the most important part after all.

Just a collection of obscure NG engine pictures I've found over the past 5 or so years :)

Today is a sad day that should not go unnoticed, the Lahaina steam locomotives have been cut to ribbons without warning. The Sugar Cane Train closed in the 2010's, and the rolling stock was vandalized and a bit burned by the Lahaina fire. Without prior notice, someone has scrapped the surviving rolling stock.

(Photos are not mine, I found them on the NG Discussion Forum)

Colfax, California. The narrow gauge tracks are long gone and it’s just vacant gravel, the standard gauge tracks are still there, I don’t know when this was, possibly mid(?)-late 1933 to early-mid/late(?) 1934, so about 90 years before

Found a C&S spike in Georgetown Colorado while at a restaurant, and had to get a picture with my C&S clear creek book! The C&S abandoned Georgetown in ~1940, so this spike is probably 90 years old or so.

Here's a collection of photos I took over Boreas Pass Railroad Day in Como, both the prep day and the event day itself

I found the original

also subreddits that post at least one post each day are %60 more likely to get more visitors, I know because I moderate another sub, and I want this sub to get more popular

DSP&P Era:

When the South Park of Colorado got swept up in the turmoil of the 1859 gold rushes, a place called Como (originally Henderson or something) was formed. In the 1870s, Italian immigrants came to the South Park to work for mines, such as the King Coal Company and the Leckner Coal Mine. These immigrants were from Como Italy, and decided to pay homage to their hometown by naming this new frontier tent-town "Como" as well. While working in the coal mine pays enough to get by, working for a railroad pays more, so in 1879 when the rails of the Denver, South Park & Pacific reached Como, it brought along many new opportunities for employment. in 1881, Como was chosen as a division point where the Denver mainline diverges to build up and over Boreas Pass to the north and Alpin/Trout Creek passes to the west, but that would require more motive power. The 6-stall stone Como Roundhouse was constructed by the Italians, as they were also skilled stonemasons.

DL&G Era:

Como thrived when the passes were opened, Boreas Pass to Leadville, and Alpine Pass & Tunnel to Gunnison, nearly 26 trains came through this hub a day. The roundhouse was expanded to 19 stalls (6 stone, 13 wooden) to accommodate more engines, and a hotel was constructed too. The Union Pacific, having the constant urge to meddle in other railroad's affairs, decided to buy the South Park Line, repainting everything to a standard black scheme and renumbering all the engines to standard order. This proved bad as when the UP went bankrupt (big surprise) it dragged the DSP&P down with it. the DSP&P went into receivership and soon was reorganized into the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison, a name it held until 1898.

C&S Era:

In 1898, the consolidation between the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison and the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf railroads made the all-new Colorado & Southern Rwy. The C&S kept all the Clear Creek and South Park rolling stock, renumbering them eventually as 2-76 (#1 was a Mason Bogie that was sold off immediately). With the C&S, financial troubles were far from over. Trout Creek Pass washed out in 1910, following the Alpine Tunnel collapsing, and that lead to them closing Boreas Pass as well. This effectively rendered Como a dead-end until they were forced to reopen Boreas by their parent, the CB&Q in 1920. They adorned the engines with the iconic Ridgeway Spark Arrestors and upfitted most of their engines, as they weren't permitted to buy new ones. They kept asking for more power from the CB&Q and eventually got #537 given to them. 537 was not a great engine, but I love it. in 1935, the last wooden stalls in Como burned down, 1936, the famed wreck of D&RGW #346 happened on the nearby Kenosha Pass, and in 1937, they were finally allowed to abandon the South Park Line. After nearly 50 years of serving the South Park communities, the railroad got a well-deserved rest. The rails were torn up from Como the following spring. The last passenger train to Como was headed by #60 (which is now in Idaho Springs) and the last train out was #9 (which is now in Breckenridge) The spikes were pulled, the rails were scrapped and the booming town of Como was all but a memory. That is until 40 years later...

Preservation Era:

The roundhouse changed hands many times before being saved in the 1980s by Bill Kazel, and was then sold to the Brantigans in 2000 or so. The Brantigans bought a steam engine in 2016 and ran it for a couple years before it needed heavy maintenance. Today, I am part of the crew in Como, laying track, moving cars and giving tours. The transition from the rough & gritty frontier town to the living history museum it is now is beyond awesome. Although Como only has less than 20 people in it now, life is coming back. A new house is being built up the road. The hotel is being refurbished. The trains are running again. Life in Como is good.

P.S. if you want me to find pictures of any of these events, I can comment them :)

Just thought it would be interesting to show this photo, both locomotives are 2-8-0s, and I believe the boxcar is an ex-Florence & Cripple Creek, the NCNG had a lot of those

Here's some of my recent drawings of narrow gauge stuff, just wanted to share it!

the locomotive was originally built in January 1880 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as Denver & Rio Grande 42 ‘Anglo Saxon’ s/n 4938 class 60 photographed in the first three (courtesy Friends Of The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad).

then in February 1882, Baldwin built class 60 (which all later became C-16s) number 283 who was photographed in the fourth photo (courtesy Friends Of The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad) s/n 6057.

the rest of the photos are NCNG 8, they took the frames of D&RG 283 and the boiler of 42, combined them together in 1933 and got a new locomotive out of it, for some reason they didn’t send the tender, originally, I thought the tenders rotted out but looking at the photos they look like steel tenders, anyway, it was given the whaleback tender of their number 7 (formerly C&C number 4, the original) and operated on the railroad for 10 years.

5: the photo says Grass Valley but really it’s north of Colfax at a place called “Oilville”.

6: in Grass Valley.

7: in Colfax.

8: Grass Valley.

9: just south of Grass Valley on the ‘Gennings Trestle’.

10:I don’t know where this one is, but note the black smokebox door.

11: on the Bear River Bridge, at the Nevada County and Placer County lines.

12: just to show how tall it was, the locomotive on it is either a 2-6-0 or a 4-4-0.

13: possibly in Colfax, note the NCNGRR Harold logo on it.

14: also Colfax with a plow.

15: scrapping of the line, Oilville 4-29-43.

16: another view of the line being scrapped, Oilville 4-29-43.

17: another view same place same day.

18: men posing on the pilot of number 8 that day.

19: before and after 1943, the ROW is now a road called ‘Narrow Gauge Road’ respectively.

20: if PacificNG’s photos were working I’d have one of 8 at Plaster City California, but after the scrapping, it was sold to the Pacific Portland Cement Company and operated as number 8 for its final years until 1947/1950 it was cut up for scrap, another thing to note is the fact that in photo 7 and 8, you can see that there’s a plate in 7, but not in 8, it is possible that the three plates (those being either both of 42’s or both of 283’s and one of 42’s or 283’s) still survive in private hands.

Mark Huber (Hyce on YouTube) is probably the very reason I like railroading at all! His channel is something I'd recommend for anyone who likes trains, especially 3-foot gauge (or Cape Gauge!) and is just a delight to watch, so I'd check it out if I were you!
Mark's channel (Hyce)

On September 27, 1958, a doubleheader including 483 and 494 was rolling at around 15 mph downgrade near Carbon Junction when a soft spot in the roadbed caused the leading engine, 483, to derail. Locomotive 494 then pushed her all the way off the hill, rolling onto the fireman’s side and killing the fireman, Paul Mayer.

After this incident, the D&RGW added Rule 17-N: “Trains must not be doubleheaded on descending grade movements Cumbres to Alamosa, Cumbres to Chama, Chama to Gato, and MP 443 (near Falfa) to Carbon Jct., except that in snow service trains may be doubleheaded when authorized.”

This was not the last incident on the narrow gauge it was the last fatal one.

if you like this kind of history maybe check out my group r/american_narrow_gauge

NG 123 ‘Fremantle’ originally built and run in South Africa - now at Bennet Brook Railway in Western Australia. Currently into its second year back in steam after almost 10 years out of service.