I rode it in 2005 when we were in the area. It’s a win-win steam ride because the park has something to interest just about anyone (crafts and local stuff for the older folks, rides for the kids, steam for us). The operation was very impressive. The engines were very well cared for and they had a nice seat on the tender for cab rides (which even had seat belts). At that time, #70 was solid black with no lettering at all. Even since they have given her more colorful paint, # 70 still looks very understated, especially for a theme park.

Unfortunately cab rides are no longer available, however the railroad is the most impressive I can think of when it comes to parks being coal fired and climbing 5%+ grades. The whistle heard is an American 3 chime, owned by one of the engineers, and the paint scheme is a throwback to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Dollywood.

Why are Cab Rides no longer available?

Was fiddling around again on YouTube, and came across these video links. One is listed as the "Rebel Railroad," and is apparently very early, with rather raw looking earthworks; the original owners spent some serious money building that line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9jE2XAKptY

According to an earlier poster, cab rides are no longer available--but we do have several clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dKg6PL9vA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uHKxrMh6FQ

Another brief one, at night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx9AyS7DflY

Enjoy.

I wasn't born until the "Silver Dollar City" years but remeber them well. And after Dolly bought the park, it has really become one of the best parks in the country. It's not to big but not to small. Plus the setting it's in ( the beautiful "Smokey Mountains" has a lot to do with it. But I will say the main thing that draws me to go to the park everytime I go to Pigeon Forge is to hear those gorgeous sounding whistles bounce off the mountain sides. My favorite being the Lonergan.

Jamie

We own a couple of whistles, one of which however is not a Lonergan. Most of the time you will hear a Crosby 6" 3 chime or a long bell 6" Hancock 3. Occasionally a guest well bring one down to put on the engine for the day, but that isn't real often. If we have the time in the morning, and the whistle is lapped and ready to go, and the diameter of the pipe will fit the elbow on the steam dome, I'd love to play a whistle anyone brings down for the day. The key is we just need to know ahead of time to take care of other things to operate for the day.

If you are coming to the area and have a whistle you'd like to hear on the engine, let me know.

John, my bad about the Lonergan. I was told that Dollywood had one and it was a 5" diameter. Well either way, if it is the Crosby I'm hearing, it is my favorite and the most beautiful whistle I've ever heard. Yes I have a couple that I've built that I would love to hear in those mountains. They are basically designed and built like MD Whistles used to build theirs before they started casting them but with a few modifications to the design. I don't have a whistle valve and I've noticed that the whistles on the engines there have built in valves. Or atleast everytime I was there that was the type whistle mounted. Does the park have a seperate valve for mounting whistles that don't have one integrated into the bowl?

Jamie

No we don't unless one of the bowls will fit whatever whistle you brought. The Crosby has separate bowl as well as the Hancock, so if they fit that you might try it.