Scenery, history and nostalgia are just around the bend in two spring steam train excursions offered by Norfolk Southern Corp partnering with Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
On Saturday, April 5, 2014 the Bristol to Radford, VA Special will bring out the glories of the season through the rolling Southwest Virginia hills while celebrating the grand return of 21st Century Steam with historic steam locomotive Southern Railway #630 from Tennessee Valley Railway Museum in Chattanooga. This rare opportunity is being offered to communities along Norfolk Southern lines for display and periodic excursions.
The train’s route will take you through historic Abingdon, home of the world famous Barter Theatre and the Martha Washington Inn. Nearby is the famous route of the Virginia Creeper. The excursion will wind through the Virginia highlands, passing Emory & Henry College, Marion and Wytheville then will travel down Pulaski Mountain through a tunnel, and into the town of Pulaski. The train will then steam into the New River Valley and on to Radford, VA, where passengers will be able to enjoy the town with its many restaurants, shops and museums.
The Saturday trip to Radford will leave the Bristol, VA Train Station at 8 am.
The train will arrive in Radford at 12 noon. The train will depart Radford at 2:30 pm and arrive back in Bristol at 7:00pm.
On Sunday, April 6, 2014, the excursion train will operate from Bristol, VA to Bulls Gap, TN and return. There will be a station stop at the Elm St. Norfolk Southern Elm Street Station in Johnson City, TN. After leaving Johnson City, the train will pass through historic Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee. It will pass Washington College Academy, founded by Samuel Doak in 1780, the oldest school “west of the Alleghenies and south of River Ohio”. Next on the route is Limestone, birthplace of Davy Crockett, then Greeneville, the home of Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States. After descending into the lowlands, the train will arrive in Bulls Gap, TN. In Bulls Gap, passengers will have time to visit the small town with a chance to visit the Archie Campbell Birthplace along with the railroad museum and hotel.
The Sunday Bulls Gap excursion will also begin at the Bristol, VA Train Station. The train will depart at 9 am then arrive in Johnson City to board passengers at 9:50 am and depart at 10:00 am. The train will arrive in Bulls Gap at 12 noon. The train will depart Bulls Gap at 2 pm, arriving at Johnson City at 4 pm then Bristol at 5 pm.
Motive power for the Radford and Bulls Gap excursions will be steam locomotive Southern Railway #630 which also operated on the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad out of Johnson City from 1952 to 1967. Steam Engine #630 will be assisted by powerful NS diesels to pull the 15 car train.
For many passengers, these excursions will be a once-in –a-lifetime experience, not only to ride behind a steam locomotive, but also to see the hills and mountains from the unique perspective of the railroad while hearing the whistle echo in the hills and hollows of the beautiful Appalachian Region.
Tickets: Starting at $85 per seat for passengers age 3 & up. Everyone age 3 & up requires a ticket; under 3 is no charge if not occupying a seat. Coach Class: $85 - Coach Class seating is provided in temperature controlled modern cars with fixed back seats. Deluxe Coach: $100 - Deluxe Coach seating is provided in climate controlled vintage cars with reclining back seats.
The Radford ticket does not include a meal only the train trip. The Bulls Gap ticket does include a box lunch along with the train trip.The train will include climate controlled heated and air conditioned cars along with rest rooms. Tickets can be purchased by calling 423.894.8028 Office hours: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm or visitwww.wataugavalleynrhs.org.
