The Townsend Express at the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum is Now Ready For Boarding!
As most may know or not the trail through the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum was the original rail bed for the Little River Railroad then after the demise of the Little River Railroad it became the first direct highway into what would be Townsend, Highway 73. The Townsend Express is our way to preserve the history of the Little River Railroad and to give kids both young and old a treat on this fantastic wooden train.
Before I go on we have a general rule of not singling out the any one of the volunteers at the TRWA but in this case it is warranted. Rodney Pearson did an outstanding job of overseeing and doing much of the planning and construction of this train. Without his commitment to getting this train done on-time and on the rails, this part of the project would still be a long way off. Thank You Rodney!!!
We had decided on adding a train to our TRWA Master Plan after we saw what a success our wooden truck "Old 73" turned into. We purchased the plans for the train which was originally 4 cars but we added a fifth, a dining car to compliment the picnic area that was just completed across from the train. The location was selected based on the new picnic area plus it provided a rather level spot to make it easier for the kids to get on and off the train.
From beginning to end the laying of the track and the building of the train took just a little over a month. We still have the staining of the train that will be done this fall when the weather cools.
The Townsend Express is comprised of five cars and give honor to some of communities of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. They cars are as follows:
- Engine named the Townsend Express
- Coal Car named Smokemont
- Log Car named Tremont
- Dining Car named Elkmont
- Caboose
Enjoy our slide show below of some of the steps that were taken to build this wonderful new addition to the TRWA! With much thanks to the volunteers at the TRWA and to those that donated to Picnic Area Fund Raiser Event that we had this past April. Without your generous contributions this dream could not have become a reality.
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