Passengers will join Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy for old fashioned Valentine’s Day fun based on the popular television episode titled by the same name. Thirteenth in the series, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown premiered in 1975. Fans follow Charlie Brown’s Valentine’s Day woes as he tries to get noticed by the “little red-haired girl” and receive a briefcase full of Valentines.

Festivities for the Be My Valentine passengers include mingling with Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy costume characters, listening to the narrated story based on the television special, and children can create their own Valentine for that special someone. There will also be plenty of photo opportunities, so do not forget your camera! Standard Coach Class adult tickets are $49, children (2-12) are $29, infants 23 months and under ride complimentary. Upgrade to Crown Class seating and receive a souvenir tumbler with unlimited soda, coffee and tea refill! Adult tickets are $66, children (2-12) are $38 and infants 23 months and under are $10.

Also available are upgrades to the fantastic Family First Class package! Treat the family to a wonderful Valentine’s train trip complete with a delicious meal for all in your party as well as a special GSMR souvenir and refillable tumbler! Adult ticket prices are $92, children (2-12) are $54, infants 23 months and under are $20.

If you’re looking to enjoy a special Valentine’s date with you and your sweetie join us in the Adult First Class for a romantic afternoon! Choose from one of our four delicious lunches served by a private car attendant. Receive a special gift amenity and souvenir tumbler with unlimited soda, coffee and tea refill. In addition enjoy a specialty dessert and long stemmed rose.  Tickets for adults are $92. Advance tickets are recommended, as seating is limited.

For more information and reservations please call 800-872-4681 or WWW.GSMR.COM.

©2012 PEANUTS Worldwide LLC

Admission to the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum is included with ticket purchase. Without tickets, admission to the museum is $9 for adults and $5 for children.

Bryson City, NC

On Saturday, December 31, enjoy an evening of live music, dancing, dinning and celebration!  The terrific duo Alias Smith & Jones will be the featured entertainment for the evening. Alias Smith & Jones is a superb Atlanta-based acoustic guitar/vocal duo whose vast repertoire ranges from the must-have classics to the totally unexpected.  Satisfy your tastes buds with an elegant three-course dinner on board a vintage dining car at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Complete the evening with a countdown to the midnight hour with party favors and a champagne toast to 2012! The train will depart from the Bryson City, NC depot at 9:00 pm and will feature the exquisite cuisine of Chef Deborah Douthit.

Let the evening begin early with a reception beginning at 7:45pm in the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum with a special selection of beer, wine, and mixed drinks.  Enjoy an array of hors d’oeuvres including tiger shrimp with cocktail sauce, button mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and crab parmesan filling, steak and roasted pepper skewers and fruit covered in rich chocolate! After kicking the night off with the fabulous reception boarding will promptly begin at 8:45pm.

Once on board the train, first course features a salad made of fresh baby greens in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing and warm yeast rolls. Choose from our selection of delicious entrées; spinach stuffed chicken with a creamy parmesan sauce, seasoned pork loin served with a tart raspberry glaze and portobello mushroom tower stuffed with smoked peppers, spinach and parmesan cheese. Complete your feast with a tasty rich white chocolate cheesecake covered with fresh berries! Served buffet style guests can mingle, relax, indulge on delicious food and greet the New Year in style!

Adults 21 and over only.  Dinner Train tickets are $135 per person (plus tax & gratuity). Three hour trip departs at 9:00 pm at the historic Bryson City Depot. Advanced reservations & 72 hour cancellation notice are required. PLEASE CALL FOR DRESS CODE INFORMATION.

For more information and reservations call 800-872-4681 or WWW.GSMR.COM.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a proud member of the American Heritage Railways family. Visit our sister railroads in southwest Colorado at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and in east Texas at the Texas State Railroad.

CAROLINA WONDERLAND EXPRESS
An indoor holiday railway  |  NOVEMBER 5 – JANUARY 15

Start a new family holiday tradition and join us for the inaugural Wonderland Express  holiday train exhibition at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

This handcrafted exhibition made of natural materials and designed by the award-winning artisans of Applied Imagination, is sure to immerse you in a magical world. Watch as model trains journey through a snowy Carolina, traversing mountains, crossing bridges and disappearing through tunnels.

Bells ring and whistles blow as trains chug along the Blue Ridge Parkway and journey to popular landmarks such as Kitty Hawk, the State Capitol Building and Jennette’s Pier.With more than 340 feet of track winding in and out of hills and valleys, this 2,200-square-foot, indoor holiday exhibition is sure to delight all ages.

Cost: Members  $4 per person
General public  $5 per person, plus the cost of admission
Purchase tickets at the Admissions Desk
http://www.ncmls.org/visit/events/wonderland-express

Welcome to The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad where you can see the Smokies in Style! We are located in the heart of Bryson City, North Carolina. Your journey begins in Bryson City! Our scenic rail excursions takes you from our historic depot through the beautiful countryside of Western North Carolina. Our variety of train excursions and special event trains makes us perfect for making memories with your friends and families! Dine in our First Class Cars with a private attendant and breathtaking views or take it all in while riding in an open air gondola! Step on board for your next rail adventure!

Reservations Line: 800-872-4681
Group Sales: 800-872-4681 x3

Experience the Magic this season…. http://www.gsmr.com/

December 2nd, 3rd, 4th; 9th, 10th, & 11th; 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, & 20th

Park Opens: 5:00 pm

Train Rides begin at 5:30pm with the last train leaving at 9:00

Caroleers are a vibrant acapella group based at Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church in Thomasville. Authentic costumes dating from the 1880′s allow listeners to be transported back in time as they listen to familiar carols like Silent Night, children’s songs like Rudolph, and seasonal favorites like White Christmas. Since 1994, the group has logged over thirty performances at Biltmore House in Asheville, sung at Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville and has performed for numerous functions from banquets to nursing homes.

DENTON FARM PARK
Park Opens: 5:30-9:00 pm
Train Rides begin at 6:00pm

Visit www.TarheelTrains.com!

 

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For more info, visit: http://tweetsie.com/special-events/ghost-train/

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The North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation and the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will host two day trip excursions to Roanoke, Va. and Toccoa, Ga. this fall. These trips allow passengers great views of the fall colors combined with the romance of riding the rails to a great destination. If you want to see the Appalachian Mountains at their peak of beauty, these trips are for you.

Now in their fifth year, the Virginia Autumn Special will travel to Roanoke, Va. Oct 29. The Georgia Autumn Special features a day trip to Toccoa, Ga. Oct. 30. While Roanoke was a destination for last year’s excursions, Toccoa is a new location and an exciting opportunity for those who take the trips each year.

Saturday’s Virginia Autumn Special departs from the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer at 7 a.m. with additional passenger pick-up at the Greensboro Amtrak Station at 8 a.m.

The train will travel through the northern portion of the North Carolina Piedmont, including the cities of High Point and Reidsville, before crossing into Virginia. The western part of central Virginia offers spectacular views of the fall foliage, crossing the Dan and Roanoke Rivers. Moving onto the old Virginian Railway line, the train will pass through the towns of Huddleston, Moneda and Goodview, traveling through four tunnels. Passengers will also enjoy traveling over trestles that provide views of the tributaries into Smith Mountain Lake.

Arriving in Roanoke, the “Star City of the South,” at noon, the train will pass by the historic Roanoke Shops, where Norfolk Southern built their classic steam engines. Passengers will debark at the restored Norfolk & Western Passenger station, home to the O. Winston Link Museum. Passengers can enjoy downtown Roanoke or visit the museum, home to Link’s beautiful photography of 1950s-era steam locomotives. Advance tickets to the museum are available to excursion passengers at the discounted group rate of $4 per person.

Departing at 2:45 p.m., the Virginia Autumn Special will return to Greensboro at 6:30 p.m. and Spencer at 8 p.m.

Sunday, the Georgia Autumn Special will also depart from the N.C. Transportation Museum at 7:00 am with additional stop/pickup at the Spartanburg, SC Amtrak station at 9:00 am  and will traverse what was once Southern Railway’s main line, running from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Ga. Passengers will enjoy the gala fall colors of Carolinas’ rolling foothills, before crossing the 100-foot Seneca River trestle spanning Lake Hartwell to arrive at Toccoa.

Nestled into the foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the historic town will be bustling with activity during the 29th annual Harvest Festival. Passengers will have approximately three hours to enjoy the festival, which features handmade, handcrafted and home-grown items from more than 200 vendors, as well as delicious regional foods, great entertainment on two stages, children and youth activities, buggy rides and much more.

Toccoa Falls, named for the Cherokee word “Toccoah” meaning beautiful, is a must see.Located on the campus of Toccoa College, the 186-foot falls are 26 feet taller than Niagara Falls. Shuttle buses will be making a continuous loop between downtown Toccoa and Toccoa Falls.

Departing Toccoa at 3 p.m., the Georgia Autumn Special will return to Spartanburg, SC at 5:45 pm and back to Spencer, NC at 8 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now.
Tourist Class seating features the convenience and comforts of modern rail travel. Each car has a center aisle with two adjustable seats and a wide window on each side. The seating area provides convenient access to the souvenir and café cars. Tourist Class tickets are $145 each.

All rail cars feature air conditioning, heat and rest rooms.

For those wishing to eat on the train to provide more time for sightseeing, an optional Gourmet Boxed Lunch will be offered. Delivered to your seat, the $15 meal will be served in a souvenir lunch tote, including chicken salad on a croissant, pasta salad, fresh fruit, homemade pound cake and a drink. This option is only available in advance and can be purchased with your ticket.

Tickets will be available online now. Simply log on to www.nctrans.org and click the available links or call 704-636-2889.

The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, the former Southern Railway repair facility is located just five minutes off I-85 at Exit 79 in Spencer, N.C., and about an hour from Charlotte, Greensboro or Winston-Salem.

The North Carolina Transportation Museum and the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society are both non profit organizations.

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Featuring, The Handy Dandy Railroad, The Southeast Threshers Reunion is the greatest steam, gas and antique farm machinery show in the Southeast, featuring 800 antique tractors and gas engines, arts & crafts, border collie demonstration, 15 restored buildings, music, food and more.

The festival is held in Denton Farm Park in Denton, NC, which is located in southern Davidson County.

The story of Denton Farm Park and the Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion must begin with the introduction of Brown Loflin and Howard Latham.

Loflin is a lifelong resident of Davidson County’s Handy community, the home of this museum park. Farmer, entrepreneur and con-summate hobbyist, he has done everything from driving race cars, flying and restoring old machinery to building the park. He is the organizer and director of the Threshers’ Reunion.

Latham, a field engineer for Georgia-Pacific, lives a few miles east in Randolph County. One of their early associations was as co-owners of an airplane based at Loflin’s Denton Airport, a grassed runway with an open-sided shelter as a hangar. Both piloted the airplane, and the airport was a frequent gathering place for other aviation hobbyists and their flying machines.

Latham may have been harboring a desire to be a railroad engineer. Taking vacation during the Reunion, with traditional striped cap and red bandana, he drives the steam locomotive on the park’s standard gauge Handy Dandy Railroad. “It’s hard work and hot,” he said, “but it’s also fun when I see how much it’s enjoyed by kids from 2 to 92.”

Check out Denton Farm Park on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dentonfarmpark

Visit http://www.threshers.com/farmpark/seotr_history.html

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2008 marked the 75th Anniversary of The Lone Ranger. Come meet the masked rider and Tonto, experiencing a full day of fun! There will be an array of cowboy and western activities at the depot for people of all ages. Enjoy live musical entertainment, old west cowboy roping demonstrations, games, original episodes of The Lone Ranger playing in the theatre, a Lone Ranger look-a-like contest and much more!

Dates & Times:
June 19, Saturday departs 11:00am, 1:00pm & 3:30pm
June 20, Sunday departs 1:00pm & 3:30pm
Tickets are on sale now!
Advance tickets are recommended, as seating is limited. Adult tickets are $49.00 and children two and up
are $29.00. For more information and reservations please call 800-872-4681 or WWW.GSMR.COM.

225 GH Everett Street
PO Box 1490
Bryson City NC 28713
828 586-8811 Phone
800 872-4681 Toll free
828 488-0427 Fax

Admission to the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum is included with ticket purchase. Without tickets, admission to the museum is $9 for adults and $5 for children.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a proud member of the American Heritage Railways family. Visit our sister railroads in southwest Colorado at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and in east Texas at the Texas State Railroad.
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About The Lone Ranger®
With one jaunty call, “Hi-Yo, Silver!,” The Lone Ranger sparked a cultural phenomenon that would establish him as America’s favorite hero of the Wild West. Mounted atop a white stallion, he became a steadfast symbol for truth and justice, capturing the
hearts and imaginations of generations of fans. For more than seven decades, The Lone Ranger has been the star of more than 3,000 radio shows, 220 classic TV episodes, three feature films, and hundreds of comic books. 2008 marked the 75th anniversary of The Lone Ranger.
© Classic Media, Inc. THE LONE RANGER and associated character names, images and other indicia are trademarks of and copyrighted by Classic Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad With 53 miles of track, 2 tunnels and 25 bridges, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers a variety of excursions that explore the amazing landscape of western North Carolina. With the romance and mystique of an era gone by, guests on-board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will enjoy scenic train journeys across fertile valleys and through river gorges in a spectacular region near The Great Smoky Mountains.

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