Hayride on the rails? Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Off to Woodfin, North Carolina we went to see just how fun it would be riding the
Craggy Mountain Line during their hayride event.
The Craggy Mountain Line has an odd assortment of cars and "trolleys" scattered around its loading area. Many of them are in the process of being restored. You are free to do self-tours of the cars and there is usually someone nearby that can answer any questions that you may have.
Our trip on the 3 1/2 miles of trackage, next to Beaverdam Creek, would be on "The Berksy #6." The Berksy Trolley's original number was 101. It was built in 1971, from a late 1940's two-axle chassis brakeman's jitney car, by the
Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern Railroad for use on their former Reading Railroad tracks. Its name comes from the local passenger train that once ran in the WK&S area. In 1999 the trolley was sold to the Coastal Heritage Society of Savannah, Georgia (Georgia State Railroad Museum). Craggy Mountain Line purchased it in 2016. More history can be found on
Jeff-Z.com.
The people the Craggy Mountain Line are great. The 90-minute ride, which includes a 30-minute layover at Woodfin Park, is loud and bumpy but definitely fun. It's a fantastic way to kill a couple of hours on the weekend. Take a look at a few more pictures over on my photo site:
Bubba Harmon Imaging.
