Dollywood Express on arvau

Wikipedia / Dollywood Express

The Dollywood Express is a narrow-gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located in the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Description

The Dollywood Express runs along a 2.5 mile loop-to-loop track from the Village to the top of the mountain Dollywood borders to the north. It is pulled by two ex-White Pass & Yukon Route 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives. It is the oldest attraction in Dollywood, opening at the theme park "Rebel Railroad" in 1961. It is also one of the signature attractions at Dollywood, appearing in almost all advertising.

History

Rebel Railroad

In 1957, North Carolina real-estate developer Grover Robbins opened a theme park between Boone and Blowing Rock called Tweetsie Railroad with ex-East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad 4-6-0 #12. The park was an instant success. In 1960, he acquired two USATC S118 Class 2-8-2s from the White Pass and Yukon Route. The success of Tweetsie prompted him to send one of them, #192, to the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee for a second theme park, called Rebel Railroad. The other, #190, was sent to Tweetsie and still operates there. The Rebel Railroad was officially opened to the public in July 1961 and was a huge success.

Gold Rush Junction

In 1966, Robbins renamed the attraction Gold Rush Junction and a western-style "shootout" was added at the midway point in the ride, allowing the locomotive to stop and "cool its heels". In 1970 the Cleveland Browns football team bought the attraction, but the locomotive and cars retained their colors and text.

Silver Dollar City Tennessee

In 1976, Jack and Pete Herschend bought Gold Rush Junction, renaming it Silver Dollar City Tennessee, making it a sister park to its Branson, Missouri attraction Silver Dollar City. The ride was renamed again. This time, instead of a minor text change, #192 was given a complete new look. It was painted black instead of Tweetsie green. It was also fitted with balloon stacks to give it a more western look. In 1977, the ride acquired two new locomotives from the WP&YR, #70, and #71, along with spare parts from #72.

Dollywood

In 1986, Dolly Parton became part owner of the property, and the park was renamed Dollywood. The train ride itself was renamed to Dollywood Express. After the 2004 operating season, the park removed the balloon stacks and gave the locomotives a new coat of paint. Since the removal of the balloon stacks, the locomotive's paint schemes have been revised. On February 24, 2026, Dollywood announced that they converted one of the locomotives from burning coal to oil to enable them to run more in unfavorable conditions. The conversion will also reduce maintenance and pollution.

Equipment

Locomotives

Former locomotives

Train maintenance

When the park is closed during part of the winter every year, the Dollywood maintenance crew usually follows a checklist to maintain the trains and keep them in pristine, working condition. According to Dollywood, the trains are sanded down and repainted every year, the running boards are replaced, brake systems are overhauled and other basic repairs are made where necessary. The train repair crew even contours the wheels if needed to ensure that patrons of the attraction can have a smooth, bump free ride.

Along with the regular maintenance performed every year on the locomotives, the train repair crew also overhauls the engine on the locomotives every ten years to ensure the trains operate properly. The locomotives are also winterized at the end of their yearly maintenance to ensure that they are protected from the cold in the park's offseason.

Accidents and incidents

On April 14, 2004, a female passenger fell out of one of the train's carriages while it was in motion. An investigation determined that a drink was spilled on the woman, who then lost her balance and fell out of the train. The attraction was closed after the incident but was re-opened the next day after it was determined to be operating normally. The passenger was taken to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was released a day later.
On October 18, 2020, Locomotive No. 70 was being prepped for service when a grease fire started on the side of the engine. There were no injuries that occurred and the fire was quickly put out.
On October 1, 2023, one of the steam locomotives was hauling a passenger train around the park when one of the passenger cars derailed due to a mechanical issue of a track switch. There were no injuries and the passengers were safety evacuated.