Tweetsie Railroad is a family-oriented Wild West theme park located between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, United States.

12 is a 3 ft (914 mm) gauge 4-6-0 coal-fired locomotive that ran from 1918 to 1940 carrying passengers and freight over the ET&WNC's 66-mile (106.2 km) route from Johnson City, Tennessee to Boone, North Carolina.

The name "Tweetsie" was given to the original ET&WNC by area residents as a verbal acronym of its initials, but also referred to the "tweet" of the locomotive whistles that echoed through the mountains.

Cowboy actor and singer Gene Autry signed an option to purchase the locomotive and train cars for $17,000, with the intent to move them to California for use in motion pictures.

Grover Robbins, an entrepreneur from Blowing Rock, North Carolina, heard about the locomotive's availability, and purchased Autry's option for one dollar.

Robbins' plan was to bring the locomotive and rolling stock back to its original home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, initially as an excursion railroad.

The theme was enhanced by regular visits from singing cowboy Fred Kirby, who hosted a popular children's television show on Charlotte NC's WBTV.

In 1961, Grover and Harry Robbins built another theme park called "Rebel Railroad" in the Smoky Mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

In addition, the park is open on Friday and Saturday nights from late September through the month of October for the popular "Ghost Train" Halloween event.

[3][4] The railroad also currently handles parts, restoration and service of steam locomotives built by Crown Metal Products, having purchased the necessary tooling, jigs, inventory and rights in 2004.