Great Smoky Mountain Railroad - BBQ and Beer

Nice pics, I’ll be there next month but sadly no steam while I’m there for some odd reason.

Matt:

I’ve been kicking around the notion that the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad might be a great field trip for the club.  It’s been a number of years since we last did a real train ride and this one just seems like a natural.  Plus you’ve got the 0 gauge model railroad in Bryson City too.  And it’s close enough we could make it a long day trip.

We’ll probably have a small group going up to the TCA meet in Ringgold in early August and I think I’ll mention this to Les then. 

Curt

PS:  I’ve got a weather related camping story I’ll share next time I see you.  Goes back to when my boys were all in Scouts.

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

Thanks for posting. Was in Bryson City a few years ago, hit the museum, but didnt get to ride the train. Looks like we need to go back! 

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

You're kidding, right?

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

Various wine and dinner trains seem to be able to do it

Glad you had a blast.  Looks like a real neat thing to do. 

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

Perhaps Mr. Mazoch should get out in the real world, it's tedious reading his questionable logic and wisdom on every topic... 

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

As SMD4 stated.  WOW???? Must be a tea totaler?

Borden Tunnel posted:

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OK, is the beer part of this a really good idea in today's world?  Somebody having drunk a beer, or two, could be intoxicated.  Then the train hits said person.  Talk about lawsuit city........

Perhaps Mr. Mazoch should get out in the real world, it's tedious reading his questionable logic and wisdom on every topic... 

Yes, the vast majority of his posts/comments, never seem to make much sense.

@superwarp1 - have a good time! that's a bummer they won't be running steam, but the Geeps they have look pretty cool too. I believe if you book in advance, you can do a cab ride

@juniata guy - I'd definitely be in for a club trip back there! We didn't realize there was an O Gauge layout in the museum/depot when we arrived (and instead opted for a beer across the street as we waited before boarding), and by the time we read our pamphlet, the museum had closed. I took a look at some photos online though and it looks like quite a collection and layout!

@Jamie_h - definitely check it out one weekend! The town itself is nice and there's plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars near the depot. The ride itself was okay, mostly looking at kudzu, but the bridges across the rivers and lakes offered some good views. When we go back, I'll likely skip the ride itself and just spectate from the bar patio across the street

mattrain posted:

The ride itself was okay, mostly looking at kudzu, but the bridges across the rivers and lakes offered some good views. When we go back, I'll likely skip the ride itself and just spectate from the bar patio across the street

Welcome to the south.  I think kudzu is our contribution to society, for better or worse.  I will say that the railroad is far more scenic in the spring/fall/winter when the kudzu is dormant.  The gorge has grown in tremendously in the last 20 years.  In the late 90s, it was far more open than it is now, which is sad since that is by far the most scenic section.  Plenty of memories of 1702 threatening to wake the dead coming through there with a full train.

@matt- you are one lucky guy, you have a beautiful wife who at the very least pretends to love trains, you got to ride a steam powered train through some nice scenery and got to enjoy beer and barbecue, two of the most well matched things around..can't get any better than that

My spouse and I have complimentary tickets for the Sept. 1st steam excursion from Bryson into the gorge. Our second home is the Bear Creek Junction depot south of Robbinsville.

My wife and I took a steam trip a couple weeks ago. Also rode the blue ridge. The Biltmore is only about an hour and a half drive from Bryson city, we went there on the way home for a couple days. The train museum is great. 

A cold beer, BBQ and trains.  Jackpot.

Mattrain:

First off, congrats on successfully surviving your first year of marriage. I hope there'll be decades more for you two.

IF you're not already a steam fan, beware: They ARE infectious. You have been warned.

The crack in my diesel armor happened on a chilly night out in northeast OK during a Freedom Train encounter.

Andre