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Bear Creek Scenic RailroadRailroadtown USA |
Topton, NC / Apr 1970 / JCH
he Bear Creek Scenic Railroad was a short-lived tourist operation based in the western North Carolina mountain community of Topton. Tourist trains traversed the route of the much-celebrated Graham County Railroad, one of the last shortline operations in the east to operate gear-driven Shay steam locomotives. Graham County steam was used to haul passengers from Topton up into the Nantahala National Forest, to an overlook platform with views of the Nantahala Gorge. Freight trains continued along the full 15 mile route as far as Robbinsville, North Carolina. Just east of Topton, the shortline interchanged with the Southern Railway's Murphy Branch from Asheville. A railroad museum known as Railroadtown USA was located in and around the Topton depot. The Graham County Railroad was organized as a lumber hauling operation in 1905, but the Bear Creek passenger excursions did not begin until 1966. The shortline ceased all operations in 1970 after its major shipper closed and freight traffic dwindled. Both freight and passenger trains resumed for two years in 1973, but ceased again after a bridge washout. Happily, the four Shay steamers rostered by the Graham County (including one bought especially for display at Railroadtown USA) have all been preserved.
BCSR context map / RWH
postcard / collection
1966 tourist train guide ad / collection
collection
Topton, NC / Apr 1970 / JCH
Topton, NC / Apr 1970 / JCH
Topton, NC / Apr 1970 / JCH
Topton, NC / Apr 1970 / JCH
All time Graham County Railroad Shay locomotive roster
Graham County #1925
Spencer, NC / May 2001 / JCH
Graham County #1925
to Graham County Railroad #1925
to NC Transportation Museum, 1988
restored 1998; currently out of service
collection
Spencer, NC / Mar 2018 / RWH
RWH
See also our complete North Carolina Transportation Museum scrapbook in Preservation
from Railroading magazine #35 - Sep 1970 / collection
from Railroading magazine #42 - Jan 1972 / collection
from Railroading magazine #48 - Oct 1973 / collection
from American Short Line Railway Guide by Edward Lewis - 1975 / collection
collection
collection
from TRAINS magazine / Milton Winter collection
Our beloved railfan friend Rev. Milton Winter offers the following memories and materials from his 1966 boyhood visit to the Bear Creek Scenic Railroad. — RWH
We were staying at Fontana Village Resort. These were houses for the workers building Fontana Dam that had been converted for recreational use by middle-class families. Mother and Daddy were fans of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Bear Creek Jct. Railroad had grown up as a tourist attraction for park visitors. This was the summer of 1966 and I was about 12 and already budding as a railfan. The little railroad (also known as the Graham County Railroad) ran from Robinsville, North Carolina, to Topton, where it connected with the Southern's Murphy branch. The main attraction was a pair of Shay locomotives which pulled a few passenger coaches up an extremely steep grade. There were also a couple of Nickel Plate dining cars (still in NKP streamlined colors) which provided meal service, dining car style. There was a little souvenir shop, and here I acquired my first copies of TRAINS Magazine, a publication I have faithfully read ever since. Also, while driving down to the Bear Creek Jct. site, we happened upon a Southern freight train pulled by F-unit "covered wagons" — the only time I ever saw F's in regular service.
Topton, NC / Aug 1966 / Milton Winter
Topton, NC / Aug 1966 / Milton Winter
HawkinsRails thanks Milton Winter for sharing his Bear Creek Scenic postcards and materials
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
postcard / Winter collection
Railrtown USA tour handout / Winter collection
Links / Sources
- Wikipedia article for Graham County Railroad
- North Carolina Railroads Graham County Railroad page
- Shays in the Great Smokies
- Edward A. Lewis, American Short Line Railway Guide - First Edition (The Baggage Car, 1975) 70