Shenandoah Central 12

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:12 pm

Former ET&WNC, today still operating at the Tweetsie:

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/04tran ... 031304.jpg
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfol ... ns561.jpeg

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:24 pm

The combine behind the #12 is now in the collection of North Carolina Transportation Museum at Spencer Shops.

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:11 pm

Brian,

would that combine/mail be an East tennesee and Western North Carolina car?

any date on when and where it was built?

Ted Miles

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:06 pm

Ted, If memory serves me correctly, I think it was Jackson & Sharp, early teens. I'll have to find my copy of "Tweetsie Country" and look it up.

shaymech · **Posted:** Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:40 pm

ET & WNC #15 was built by Jackson & Sharp (American Car & Foundry) in 1917 according to my file on the car.

John Bechtel
NC Transportation Museum

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:57 pm

The ET&WNC bought a number of vestibuled wood bodied passenger cars during the teen's. Not only the combine but also coaches and a parlor observation car.

I think these are the only factory built 3' gauge vestibule passenger cars in North America. The Rio Grande's cars were shop rebuilds. The Newfoundland Ry cars are 42" gauge.

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:16 pm

Ah, the long-forgotten precursor to Tweetsie RR in Blowing Rock.
She lasted only one real season of operation before hurricane Hazel settled the matter. There really is very little interest in this operation, which is a crying shame. Were it not for this tiny Virginia Railroad, ET&WNC #12 and cars might not be running today (or even in existence at all), as the ET&WNC had few interested parties after the abandonment of the narrow gauge. Here’s a decent site with more info:
http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1953/53-6/tweet.html
I found it odd to visit a railroad collectibles show in Seattle a few years and find a cap with the SC logo on the front of it. Talk about rare trackage, even the vendor confessed to not having a clue about the railroad. I got a good deal on it in exchange for a quick history lesson! I had the foresight to wear it when I visited the Tweetsie and #12 last August.
Here’s one of those patches currently on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shenandoah-Central- ... dZViewItem

Steve Freer · **Joined:** Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:24 pm **Posts:** 380

At last year's Railfan Weekend:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=117183

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=117186

Similar event in a few weeks:

http://tweetsie.com/special_events/

Steve Freer · **Joined:** Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:24 pm **Posts:** 380

By the way, if you've been looking for a MAJOR cinder shower -- Ride the Tweetsie doubleheader. It might be an "amusement park" trip, but that railroad grade is the real thing. The sound of barking exhaust is unbelievable.