From the 2011 Narrow Gauge convention site. This is open to anyone, and they need to sell 100 tickets by Aug. 31st. URGENT !! Last Minute Event Addition !!! Well folks, to use an old Baseball analogy, it’s the bottom of the ninth and we’ve got a new player in the game. We have been working with the management of Dollywood, proud owner of two, count them, two former White Pass and Yukon locomotives, hoping to work out a special event for people attending the Convention. Well, with less than a month to go, we finally have a deal worked out. On Monday, September 12th, Dollywood will put on a special event for Railfans. This is the First Time EVER that they have offered to do anything for steam fans. On that Monday morning, they will pull out at 9:30 am and take the special ticket holders up to the loop at the top of the mountain, where they can get off for photo run by opportunities with former White Pass locomotive No. 70. Once the train returns, those special ticket holders will be escorted to the locomotive maintenance facility, for a private shop tour. US Army/White Pass engine No. 192 will be steamed up and parked in front of the shop. Later that morning, No. 192 will be put on the front of the train, and will operate the rest of the day. Dollywood is offering this special event at a discount price. Those who call and get tickets in advance will be admitted for only $46, a discount of over $11. For those of you from outside the region, Dollywood is a huge theme/music park, with plenty to interest the spouse (and you) besides the train, which is only a small part of the overall operation. Dollywood is the home of several master Craftsman shops, where you can watch things being made by hand, including blown glass, wood carvings, candles, even wagons! There are numerous rides in this theme park besides the train, and the Dolly Parton connection insures that there is plenty of live musical entertainment to occupy several hours. The Dollywood.com website can tell you all about the things to do there. But putting in a new guy in the bottom of the ninth always has a twist. Dollywood wants a minimum of 100 tickets sold BY AUGUST 31st, before they will commit to this special event. I know I know, not the best situation, but it was the best we could do after over a year of email discussions with people who are unfamiliar with train enthusiasts. Many of you may have already planned to visit Dollywood and their trains, so here is the chance to get in on this first ever Railfan event. Please refer to the attached flyer for phone numbers and times to call. Finally, spread the word on this. With our extremely short time window here, we have decided to throw this open to anyone in the model railroad and full sized Railfan community. Feel free to post this on any message board that might be relevant. We need to show that people are interested in the train at Dollywood, and the best way to get an Annual event started there is to respond to this limited time offer. Thanks.
