The Blue Ridge Stemwinder

"Tweetsie," the narrow gauge railroad that served Upper East Tennessee and Western North Carolina so well for so many years, has a firm place in Southern Appalachian history. Never has that been stated more clearly than in John Waite's The Blue Ridge Stemwinder.The history begins with the early years of settlement -- as far back as the 1760s. It examines the reason for the coming of the railroad -- iron mining. The history details the financial problems, the struggles, the legal posers -- until finally the narrow gauge line was constructed and regular freight and passenger service began. It chronicles the industrial development of the region, including a fascinating look at the role iron ore played in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century and the early years of the Twentieth Century.The book documents the history of the standard gauge ET&WNC after the narrow gauge was gone. It tells the story of Tweetsie Railroad, the Blowing Rock, North Carolina, amusement park, and the East Tennessee Railway, the successor to the ET&WNC. The Blue Ridge Stemwinder is richly illustrated with dozens of maps and hundreds of photographs. It captures the personalities of the old trainmen and the flavor of the mountains.(Paraphrased from Tom Hodge, Johnson City Press)