ET&WNC RAILROAD AT DOE RIVER GORGE

ALL ABOARD! 

THE EAST TENNESSEE AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD!

 One of my adventures currently ongoing, is helping the folks at Doe River Gorge in Hampton Tennessee with their railroad operations, maintenance, and wherever I am needed. 

Conductor R.W. Fay (Montana) 

The Mission... 

I have three passions in my life: Railroads, The History, Nature, and Culture of the Appalachian Mountains, and most importantly sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and doing everything I can so that he may be glorified. 

Doe River Gorge is the only place in the world where all three passions are able to work together in complete harmony. Doe River Gorge has always been a place where folks could go on a true adventure. 

Whether it was riding a narrow gauge steam train to a new exciting place in the 1880s, or in the 21st century: flying through the air like an eagle on a zip line, riding the white water on innertubes, or cooling off on a hot summer day in the swimming hole. While kids of all ages are enjoying these high adventure activities they are also learning about life's greatest adventure, which is knowing our Lord Jesus Christ in a deep personal way, and learning to live for him. 

The Railroad has been used in this mission to transport campers, and visitors to various camp activities. As well as provide folks an opportunity to step back in time, and see what life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina was like not too awfully long ago.

However, now The Railroad has an opportunity to fully live out the mission of what we are trying to do here by being used as a ministry tool to share the gospel of Jesus with thousands of families every year. 

By transporting them back through the pages of history, and scripture back to the very first Christmas. Learning who this King born in a stable was, why he came, and the hope that can be found through new life in him. Through the Doe River Gorge Christmas Train, families who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to learn about Jesus will be able to hear his true story in a unique, and interesting way. 

Why would I want to be involved in such a project? Beyond my interest and passion for historic railroad equipment I have personally seen the work of our Lord in my life, and believe that everyone needs to know that their God LOVES them. Folks especially kids today need to know who Jesus truly was, and that he did NOT come to judge us, but to save us. 

How I am helping: I wear many hats on this Railroad, I work as a conductor on the excursion trains, I run as a motorman giving tours to small groups, as well as transporting campers to activities through the gorge on the Motorcars. I work on Maintenance of way projects, equipment maintenance, I also have been blessed to be welcomed into the steam crew, helping rebuild and maintain the ET&WNC's three historic steam locomotives. I will also be onboard the Christmas Train Crew as an operations crew member. 

E.T.&.W.N.C.R.R. #17

#17 Pulling the Christmas Train as DG&SCRR #43

Photo owned by Doe River Gorge Ministries www.doerivergorge.com

One of the many ongoing projects currently at the "Poteat Shops" is the rebuild of ET&WNC #17

This 28 Ton Porter 0-4-0 Started her career at the Carbon Limestone Company. Sister to George R at Cedar Point, As well as the Anaka, and Myrtle on the Lahaina Kaanapali And Pacific RR In Hawaii.  

She Came to us by way of the Dry Gulch and Silver City Railroad where she was used as part of Camp activities for the Dry Gulch summer Camp. However her most well known job was pulling the Famous Dry Gulch Christmas Train. Where thousands of families every year had both the opportunity to make lasting Christmas memories, and most importantly learn all about the true meaning of Christmas. 

After her time at Dry Gulch, she and her stablemate #18 came to live at Doe River Gorge where a full restoration effort would begin. As one would imagine Restoring an 80 year old Steam Locomotive is quite the undertaking. The team at Doe River Gorge has been hard at work breathing new life into this tired little puffer-belly.

One very important step in the process of restoring a Steam Locomotive is keeping track of all the small parts. You can't call up H.K. Porter and order new parts for an 80 year old locomotive anymore. Making new parts is also expensive, and time consuming. Therefore sensitive custom machined parts such as these rod bearings must be kept in good condition. Marked and tagged on which locomotive they belong to, and their exact location on the locomotive.  

Once parts have been removed they are taken to be cleaned, degreased, and checked for any defects before returning to the locomotive. Seen here are the main rods that transfer the lateral motion of the locomotive's cylinders (back and forth) to a rotary motion of the Locomotive's drive wheels. 

Railroad Superintendent David P. Carefully stamps the rods, the rod brass bearings, and all necessary parts to the assembly so that we know their exact location when the time comes to return them to the Locomotive. 

BEFORE....

AFTER!

It is amazing to see what a little bit of work, sweet tea breaks, and elbow grease can do to make these 80 year old rods looks as new as the day they came from the machine shop! 

Maintenance Of Way

Photographed here (2018)  Philip Raynes, and another volunteer are installing a new culvert at "Clark's Commissary Curve" on the "upper end" of the Doe River Gorge. Just above this location behind the photographer is a recently discovered cave atop the gorge rim. 

One of the never ending tasks on a 140 year old narrow gauge railroad is track work. Track maintenance is possibly the most import job on the whole line. If you don't have track then it doesn't matter what shape the motive power is in! In this photo we had leased a handy dandy narrow gauge tie inserter from some two foot gauged feathered pants wearing geese in Pennsylvania. The tie inserter makes for a hard day's work just a little easier as we had to insert several brand new ties that day! 

The "Long John" is the longest continuous straight section of track on the entire *current railroad. 

here you can see the line of ties preparing to be inserted. 

Yours truly spiking, and inserting ties this would have probably been in the spring of 2022.

Retaining Wall construction spring of 2019

Due to the steep terrain of the Doe River Gorge. There has always been a struggle to keep the roadbed in place. The Railroad has accomplished this task by installing retaining walls up and down the line holding the roadbed in place. In 2019 Mark Milbourne, Phil Raynes, and I constructed a small retaining wall at the west end of the "Long John" section of the railroad. 

Mark stands by the wooden ballast gondola after the standard gauge ties have been secured to back fill the roadbed with fresh ballast. 

"Grandpuff" Phil Raynes 

The tiny but mighty work horse of the ET&WNC MOW Crew Motor Car #4. 

Originally built for the Union Pacific Railroad, was regauged to three foot narrow gauge by the ET&WNC crew.

Completed retaining wall. 

Current End of Track. 

This is the current end of track for the ET. This top deck truss bridge was not originally built for the ET&WNC but was purchased second hand from the Southern Ry to quickly replace the wooden bridges washed out in the winter of 1900-1901. 

Hopefully one day soon trains will reach this end of the line, maybe beyond. The last train to run over this bridge would have been the old "Hillbilly Express" train from the defunct tourist operation that ran here in the 70's. 

BEWARE THE BEAR! 

In the fall of 2020, The ET&WNC Railroad was called upon to run night time trains through the Doe River Gorge for the Summer Camp's "Beware the bear/Maze of Life" Corn maze event. 

During this event guests rode the train through The Gorge, and got a very unique experience. The Doe River Gorge is a whole other world when the sun goes down.

Photo by Ben Merritt October 2020

Photo by Ben Merritt October 2020

Photo by Ben Merritt October 2020