Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Overview
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a freight and heritage railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad owns 53 miles of the Murphy Branch, a former branch line of the Southern Railway between Dillsboro and Andrews. GSMR, which began operations in 1988, through a lease agreement from the NCDOT by Malcom and Joan MacNeil. With help of a team of investors, MacNeil secured the lease within 48 hours of the Norfolk Southern Railway dispatching work trains to the Murphy Branch to begin dismantling the track. The GSMR route uses a route which passes through "fertile valleys, a tunnel, and across river gorges" in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Several miles of the line between the far western end of the Nantahala Gorge and Andrews are currently out of service; excursions currently utilize the line between Bryson City and Nantahala (22 mile), and the line between Bryson City and Dillsboro (16 miles).
In December 1999, MacNeil sold the GSMR to American Heritage Railways, owners of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado. In 2000, with a new tuscan red and gold stripe livery, retiring the bright and colorful blue, yellow and red "circus train" livery, the GSMR debuted as the newly formed Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, changing the latter from Railway to Railroad.
GSMR runs nearly 1,000 excursions each year. In addition to running tourist excursions year-round, the railroad has also moved freight. However, it seems that there are no customers currently using the railroad.
GSMR interchanges with Blue Ridge Southern Railroad in Sylva.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Frequencies
- GSM uses site roaming with RAN and will automatically roam to towers in the appropriate coverage area.
|
|
| Frequency
|
AAR Channel
|
Notes
|
| 160.93500
|
|
GSM55 Yard Switching
|
| 161.46000
|
|
GSM90 Yard Switching
|
| 461.30000
|
|
Dillsboro Dispatcher
|
| 160.47000
|
341
|
Road
|
| 160.74000
|
377
|
Road
|
| 160.93500
|
403
|
Road
|
| 161.28000
|
449
|
Road
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Locomotives
|
|
| Number
|
Model
|
Year Built
|
History
|
Notes
|
| SOU 722
|
2-8-0
|
1904
|
Ex-SOU 722/ETWNC 208.
|
Under restoration. Restoration resumed in 2023.
|
| GSMR 1009
|
GP38-3
|
1964
|
Ex-WRIX 1009/NREX 1009/PRSX 1009/OHCR 2257/CR 2257/PC 2257/PRR 2257.
|
Operational. Purchased in 2020 from WRIX.
|
| GSMR 1702
|
2-8-0
|
1942
|
Ex-RERX 1702/USTC 1702.
|
Operational. Returned to service in 2016.
|
| GSMR 1751
|
GP9
|
1955
|
Ex-SJVR 1751/AZER 1751/SP 3312/SP 3432/TNO 420.
|
Operational.
|
| GSMR 1755
|
GP9
|
1956
|
Ex-SJVR 1755/AZER 1755/SP 3397/SP 3499/SP 5666.
|
Operational.
|
| GSMR 2335
|
GP38-2
|
1972
|
Ex-BNSF 2335/BN 2335/SLSF 664.
|
Operational. Acquired 2023.
|
| GSMR 2467
|
GP30
|
1963
|
Ex-LTEX 2467/BNSF 2467/ATSF 2769/ATSF 3269/ATSF 1269.
|
Operational.
|
| GSMR 2668
|
GP38-2
|
1971
|
Ex-GMTX 2666/LLPX 2156/CSX 2167/SBD 2167/SBD 6258/LN 4037.
|
Operational.
|
| GSMR 4210
|
F9A
|
1956
|
Ex-IBCX 4210/LTV 4210/EMCO 4210/EMCO 100.
|
Acquired Fall 2023.
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Passenger Cars
|
|
| Number
|
Type of Railcar
|
Built
|
History
|
Notes
|
| GSMR MILW
|
Baggage Car
|
19??
|
Ex-MILW.
|
Used for storage.
|
| GSMR 25
|
Coach
|
1929
|
Ex-CR/SOU 1042/PULL "Robert Toombs."
|
Named "Piedmont."
|
| GSMR 26
|
Coach
|
1913
|
Ex-CR/SOU 1043/PULL "Seaside"/PULL "Kokomo."
|
Named "Southland."
|
| GSMR 30
|
Open-Air Car
|
1960
|
Ex-KCS 20.
|
Named "Whittier."
|
| GSMR 31
|
Open-Air Car
|
1960
|
Ex-KCS 25.
|
Named "Almond."
|
| GSMR 32
|
Open-Air Car
|
1960
|
Ex-KCS 27.
|
Named "James 'Sarge' Revis."
|
| GSMR 33
|
Open-Air Car
|
1960
|
Ex-KCS 22.
|
Named "Topton."
|
| GSMR 34
|
Open-Air Car
|
1964
|
Ex-KCS 15.
|
Named "Olivine."
|
| GSMR 35
|
Open-Air Car
|
1946
|
Ex-NYC.
|
Named "Fontana."
|
| GSMR 36
|
Open-Air Car
|
196?
|
Ex-KCS.
|
Named "Wildwater."
|
| GSMR 37
|
Open-Air Car
|
1949
|
Ex-MMID 83/RRP/PC 2182/EL 1311/DLW 311.
|
Named "Nantahala."
|
| GSMR 320
|
Coach
|
1923
|
Ex-SBD 320/CSE 6/CRR 101/LN 2589/NCStL 1100/NCStL 731/PULL "Loudonville."
|
Named "Sylva."
|
| GSMR 322
|
Coach
|
1922
|
Ex-SBD 322/CRR 107/LN 2587/NCStL 742/NCStL 737/PULL "Bridesburg."
|
Named "Bryson City."
|
| GSMR 324
|
Coach
|
1922
|
Ex-SBD 324/CRR 111/LN 2586/NCStL 741/NCStL 739/PULL "Bellwood."
|
Named "Pee-Wee."
|
| GSMR 463
|
Diner
|
1957
|
Ex-AMTK 8507/AMTK 8049/NP 1297/NP 463.
|
Named "Silver Star."
|
| GSMR 513
|
Open-Air Car
|
19??
|
Ex-??
|
Named "Oconaluftee." Rebuilt flatcar.
|
| GSMR 522
|
Coach
|
19??
|
Ex-PESX 4956/CN 4956.
|
Named "Jackson."
|
| GSMR 523
|
Coach
|
19??
|
Ex-CN
|
Named "Cherokee."
|
| GSMR 536
|
Club Car
|
1949
|
Ex-NS 536/NW 536.
|
Named "The MacNeill Club Car."
|
| GSMR 556
|
Open-Air Car
|
19??
|
Ex-GCRR?
|
Named "Tuckasegee."
|
| GSMR 841
|
Coach
|
1958
|
Ex-NS 841/SOU 841
|
Named "Royal Palm."
|
| GSMR 1103
|
Coach
|
1920
|
Ex-GSMR 6118/NGA 1103/NOKL 9/T&P 1143.
|
Named "Crescent Limited."
|
| GSMR 1144
|
Baggage Car
|
1946
|
Ex-AMTK 1144/AMTK 1186/PC 9120/NYC 9120.
|
Used for storage.
|
| GSMR 2448
|
Generator Car
|
1960
|
Ex-NW 448/NKP 448.
|
Rebuilt caboose.
|
| GSMR 3331
|
Observation Lounge
|
1941
|
Ex-American Zephyr 3331/AMTK 3331/SCL 5831/ACL 252.
|
Named "Carolina Shine."
|
| GSMR 6118
|
Generator Car
|
196?
|
Ex-LN 6118
|
Rebuilt caboose.
|
| GSMR 6514
|
Coach
|
1949
|
Ex-WICT 6514/CNW 553/CNW 6514.
|
Named "Dillsboro."
|
| GSMR 8015
|
Diner
|
1947
|
Ex-American Zephyr 8015/AMTK 8015/SCL 5915/SAL 6110.
|
Named "Silver Meteor."
|
| GSMR 8507
|
Diner
|
1957
|
Ex-AMTK 8507/AMTK 8049/NP 463.
|
Named "Silver Star."
|
| GSMR 8806
|
Diner
|
1949
|
Ex-AMTK 8806/PC 4622/PRR 4622.
|
Named "Harper."
|
| GSMR 8807
|
Diner Kitchen
|
1949
|
Ex-AMTK 8807/PC 4623/PRR 4623.
|
Named "Conductor's Cafe."
|
| GSMR 994012
|
Parlor
|
1951
|
Ex-CSX 994012/CR 12/PC 7138/PRR 7138.
|
Named "Catamounts."
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Cabooses
|
|
| Number
|
Type of Railcar
|
Built
|
History
|
Notes
|
| GSMR 637
|
Caboose
|
1970
|
Ex-NW 518637.
|
|
| SOU X782
|
Caboose
|
1949
|
Ex-SOU X782/SOU X3200.
|
|
| GSMR 1490
|
Caboose
|
1970
|
Ex-NW 518690.
|
|
| GSMR 3753
|
Caboose
|
1971
|
Ex-BO 3753.
|
|
| ATSF 999447
|
Caboose
|
1942
|
Ex-ATSF 999447/ATSF 2185.
|
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Freight Cars
Back to North Carolina Shortlines
Back to Shortlines
