ET&WNC 434 returns to North Carolina

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:01 pm

Well, we pulled ET&WNC #434 out of the truck trailer today. She came out fairly easily with only a forklift, some cribbing, jacks, and industrial dollies.

Pix were added to the webpage at:

http://www.tarheelpress.com/etbox/

Restoration begins TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the kind words, encouragement, and advice from this board!!

Matt Bumgarner

p51 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:19 pm

Mike Stillwell wrote:

Matt Bumgarner wrote:

Now, with that being said, I hear that there are the remains of an ET&WNC tank car lying around the wilds of Alaska- anybody on this board tight with the WP&Y folks? We sure would like to have a Tweetsie tank car next to her boxcar cousin!!

That tank is ET&WNC # 603, which became WP&Y # 14. It’s a gutted shell out in the literal middle of nowhere today. A miner had it towed many miles into the mountains to use as a culvert, but the last I’d heard of it in the early 90s, it was possibly still being used as a storage tank.
Nonetheless, I am very glad to hear that this boxcar will be taken care of now.

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:54 am

Regarding that tank, would you or anyone have a contact at the WP&Y or in that area? We have combed the NC & TN mountains for a rumored ex ET-tank to no avail.

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

gcrr · **Posted:** Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:01 am

I have always heard that one of the ET&WNC narrow gage cabooses still exists. I posted a question on the Tweetsie Yahoo group once and was told that yes it exists but the people in the know have been sworn to secrecy. Is that really true? How could something like that still exist after all these years in total secrecy?

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:03 am

Yes, ET&WNC #505 does still exist, somewhere along the shores of the Watauga Lake as a private "cabin". As I understand it, the owners are very secretive and as such, let very few people into their "inner circle". Why that is the case, I have no idea. Anyway, some fairly recent (last 10 yrs or so) photographs do exist of the car and were published in Johnny Graybeal's "Along the ET&WNC" series.

Matt