Railroad / Train Adventures

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

The Great Smoky Mountain railroad is headquartered in Bryson City. The GSMR has a great website for information at http://www.gsmr.com and we have some helpful tips to make your trip more enjoyable.

 Tips:

The train trip is approximately 4½ hours long so you can plan to devote a good half day for this excursion. Go early so you can grab a cup of coffee, listen to the live country music played before each trip and do some people watching – have fun!

  1. Choose a good weather day.
  2. Choose the open air train car. You will have more fun and it is cheaper.
  3. Teenagers and children may become bored unless they really like trains. Make sure they have their portable gadgets with them. (Ipods, Gameboys, etc.)
  4. Take the train early in your vacation stay; it will give you a sense of how much the area has to offer.
  5. Take a little time to review the Settlers Mountain website for activities in the area because you will be exposed to Fontana Lake, the Nantahala Gorge and the Nantahala River – some of the places Settlers Mountain Adventures take place.
  6. The conductor gives a running narrative about the train history, Fontana Lake, Road to Nowhere and other points of interest along the way.
  7. After your train trip, take time to visit the Smoky Mountain Train Museum, the largest collection of Lionel™ trains in the county. Please note that same-day admission to the Train Museum is included with your ticket, see below.
  8. There is a combined ticket for raft and rail. Unless you are on a tight schedule, we suggest that you take the train on one day and the rafting trip on a different day. This way you can enjoy both excursions without overdoing it all in one day.

 

Smokey Mountain Trains and Museum

In walking distance from the GSMR depot in Bryson city is Smoky Mountain Trains, which houses the largest collection of Lionel™ trains - over 7,000 of them. This vast collection of model trains dates back to 1918. If you ever owned a train as a kid it will bring back memories of the good old days.

The museum is one of those lesser known establishments that you will be glad you took a little time to visit and share with your kids. When you walk into Smoky Mountain Trains you will enter into the retail part of the store where they have model trains and accessories to purchase. The model train museum has a small fee for adults and children.

At Smoky Mountain Trains, you will find:

  • A train layout almost as big as half of a basketball court.
  • A scavenger hunt challenging you to find over 30 items and scenes on the layout with a prize to all who complete it!
  • Free engineer hats to all children.
  • Train hand stamps with admission.
  • 3 tables with wooden trains sets to play with.
  • Relaxation Station for resting parents and grandparents.
  • Over 7,000 Lionel™ train engines, cars and accessories on display, many older than your parents.
  • A store with an expanded collection of train toys, books and videos.
  • Special events throughout the year (including ‘Railfest’ and ‘Day out with Thomas’).
  • And much more!

Visit their website for more information: http://www.smokymtntrains.com.