December 20, 2023.
Dollywood's narrow gauge 2-8-0 No. 70, operating at Dollywood theme park in the Great Smoky Mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Known as "Dollywood Express" No. 70, this Baldwin 2-8-0 was built in 1938 for the White Pass & Yukon Railway (WP&WR), a narrow gauge line connecting Alaska with Canada's Yukon Territory. Dollywood's five-mile isolated railroad was originally built in 1961, when the park was known as Rebel Railroad, which later became Silver Dollar City of Tennessee in 1976. The park was renamed Dollywood in 1986, when country singer Dolly Parton became part owner of the property.
This video features some evening footage of No. 70 operating on Dollywood's narrow gauge railroad, along with some distant audio of No. 70 echoing through the Smokies on a quiet December night. No. 70 is equipped with a classic Southern Railway style 3-chime whistle. From a distance, one can hear No. 70 climbing the steep outbound grade up to 6 percent, with occasional wheel slip near the steepest portions of the grade.
Two scenes in this video feature a repurposed US&S signal (likely former Clinchfield or L&N) placed along Dollywood's narrow gauge railroad near the "Village Station." The classic signal provides a timeless feel as smoke plumes rise into the night sky. The entire consist is decorated with Christmas lights during the holiday season.