This may be the best alternative of all...

http://hellokittyfansunite.webs.com/

T7

I have pulled out my trip program from a 1981 Old Smoky excursion to Middlesboro,Ky in May 1981.They state they owned 5 railroad cars then,they were Pullman "McKinneysburg",Pullman "Cannonbury Tower",C&O dining car "Sutter's Tavern",a Southern baggage car and a wood Smoky Mountain caboose. I know the Sutter's Tavern and the caboose were basket cases and scrapped but don't know about the Pullmans.Seems like someone said they were saved years ago here on rypn but I don't remember where they went.

McKinneysburg and Cannonbury Tower were purchased by John Birmingham/Boulder Scientific Co. of Mead Colorado in the early 1990's. The cars spent a while on the Fillmore & Western in California before being moved to Colorado in 2003 or 2004. Last I knew, the cars were stored in Hudson Colorado, on the Hudson Terminal Railroad (also owned by Mr. Birmingham)

Mckinneysburg is in very good condition, both mechanicaly and cosmeticaly. The trucks were rebuilt before the move to Colorado and the interior received attention in California. Cannonbury tower is in overall OK shape, had a bad habit of breaking brake shoes during its move, the interior is mostly complete and untouched since its days on the Southern RR, some of the windows were broken (but boarded up) last time I saw it.

Jason Midyette

Great to hear,thanks Jason.

I think both those cars now belong to Iowa Pacific.

Howard P.

I do not think Iowa Pac. owns those two cars. Maybe one day...but not yet. JB still has them in good condition.

The Sutter's Tavern was sold to a private individual...and then scrapped.
The wooden caboose is (I am told) somewhere in Green County. I have never seen it so I am not sure if that is true or not.

Not sure about the baggage car. Maybe JB got it too?

T7

You're right, my mistake.

Howard P.

That's the best alternative I've ever seen to the NRHS and Old Smoky...

Thank you sir.

Whenever people see me...they say Hello to me...Hello Kitty

T7

John bought the McKinneysburg, Cannonbury Tower, and the baggage car (SOU 6459 IIRC). All three were stored at TVRM at the time of the purchase. The Pullmans got roller bearings before they left Chattanooga. They came back to Knoxville for a time and were glazed and painted for a movie that never happened before going West to Fillmore.

In hindsight neither were really too bad. The Tower had a fire while at the Southern Depot in Knoxville, but the McKinneysburg was not harmed. It appeared that the bums had used the train sheets from the dipatchers office downtown (dating from the 1920s through the 1960s) to set fire to the Tower. Not that the folks on here haven't figured this out already, but storing your artifacts in your cars at a bum infested abandoned depot isn't smart.

The master plan was to take the money from the sale of the cars and buy something that could be used in the NS excursion program. But since OSRM could never find the "perfect car" gridlock reigned. Finally the money was dumped into the "rock screen" you see now at the SR depot.

The Sutters Tavern was probably never a good idea. Unfortunately the frame and sills under the kitchen end were pretty well gone. It was a roller bearing equipped car with tightlocks. Nice lines too, clerestory with the Adlake sealed windows, just too far gone. There were some parts salvaged, lights, couplers, equalizers, cylinders and so on. It was nice to see what could have been several years later when C&OHS got their sister car out on the road.

ETA

Does anyone have any connection to this chapter? I’ve been interested to join & have shown up to their meeting time but found the gates to the parking lot locked, have called with no answers, & even have been emailing the NRHS for assistance but no answers from them.

Not sure what you're looking to do, but I've lived in the area for 10 years and haven't met anyone who talks about this chapter as an active group.

If you're interested in local rail preservation, see if the Rambler or Oak Ridge group need help, Little River Railroad Museum could use some excitement, and there's always TVRM in Chattanooga not to mention the 576 group in Nashville and many others within a couple hour drive.

Don't waste your time...there is a main officer who is like 85 and has been spending the past decades running people off. He wants to die and go to heaven with all the OSRM resources in his hip pocket. There's nothing down there and they (he) doesn't do anything so save yourself the embarassment.
T7