Tweetsie, officially the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), was the first railroad to cross the Blue Ridge. She opened up mountain country which had previously known only isolation and remoteness.

Tweetsie made her last scheduled run in 1950. Then, in 1956, the people of North Carolina and Tennessee, and lovers of railroad lore everywhere, were filled with excitement when the gallant train was rescued from oblivion and began operating over three miles of track at Blowing Rock, North Carolina. “Tweetsie’s back!” were words repeated thousands of times in the Blue Ridge.

The authors claim that they have written, not a history, but “a song to Tweetsie.” Here is history nevertheless…and legend…and a loving look at the mountains and their people. It is a delightful story of the best loved of all the doughty little narrow gauges—Tweetsie—the little engine that could, and still does!