The Great Smokey Railroad, constructed between 1881 and 1894, using convict labor, ran from Asheville, North Carolina to Murphy, 116 miles to the west. During the 20th century, passenger and freight traffic began to decline. In 1948, passenger traffic ended and freight traffic ended in 1985. The state of North Carolina bought the Dillsboro to Murphy leg of the tracks to keep them being destroyed. Then a revival happened in 1988, when several entities formed the Great Smokey Mountains Railway (GSMR). Each year, the railroad operates over 900 excursions and transports over 200,000 people on its tracks.
The GSMR operates two train depots, Bryson City and Dillsboro, each one operating different excursions. The ticket prices vary depending on the type of excursion and the type of train car. The open car and coach are the same price. The open car has bench seating with the car open up at the waist, great for photography. The coach car has the traditional railroad seating with two by two seating with open windows. You may freely move between the two types of cars. Upgraded seating occurs in the Crown Coach cars which are climate controlled and has large windows for viewing. First Class seating is in the Club Car, which serves meals and has a full-service bar.
Our particular excursion was the Nantahala Gorge, a 44 mile, four and a half hour trip. We headed west from Bryson City to our final destination at the Nantahala Outdoor Center for an hour lunch before heading back. The highlights were Horseshoe Curve, Nantahala River Gorge, and the Little Tennessee River. However, none of these compared to the Lake Fontana railroad trestle. Lake Fontana, a man-made lake, is also home to a number of people. As the train proceeded over the lake, houseboats covered large sections, and almost looked like a floating trailer park.
The GSMR offers many excursions available year-round such as the Fontana Trestle, Tuckasegee River (departs Dillsboro), Gourmet Wine Train, and the Whitter Sundown. Some of the excursions are only seasonal such as at Christmas, the Polar Express, October, Peanuts-The Great Pumpkin Patch Express, and in the summer and fall, the Mystery Theater Dinner Train and the Gourmet Beer Train.
The GSMR is no stranger to the big screen. Movies such as My Fellow American and Forces of Nature were filmed on the train line. However, no movie is more popular than the Fugitive, which starred Harrison Ford. In the movie, a train derailment took place where Harrison Ford’s character escaped. Some of the railroad cars that were used in that scene have been left and can be seen on all excursions which depart the Dillsboro station.
Most of the excursions also include tickets to the Smokey Mountain Train Museum in Bryson City which can be visited before or after the train ride.