The Secret City Excursion train is a historic railroad giving passengers the opportunity to go back in time and explore what Tennessee used to look like when the western frontier was still being explored and expanded. Located by Oakridge, Tennessee, the Secret City Train ride gives passengers a ride along Poplar Creek and Highway 327 and is about 80 miles from Kingsport, Tennessee.
Doe River George Ministries owns a historic stretch of land that used to be home to an extremely busy and important railroad line--the East Tennessee Railroad and Western North Carolina Railroad. The railroad was commonly known as the Tweetsie Railroad due to the sound of its whistle; it has the historic honor of being the first train line to pass through the Blue Ridge Mountains. The train hasn't run commercially since 1950 but scenic, historical tours are offered daily by the Doe Rover George Ministries, which owns the land on which the Tweetsie's historic tracks run. Passengers will enjoy a comfortable ride on an old, historic train and will get a glimpse into the type of travel that expanded the western frontier.
The Santa Train is a Kingsport, Tennessee, tradition dating back to 1943 when local businesses wanted to thank the areas around Kingsport for their patronage. Today, the Santa Train is a joint venture between CSX Transportation, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and Food City Grocery. The train is loaded with more than 15 tons of donated food, candy, toys, gifts and clothes and, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, it travels 110 miles from Shelby, Kentucky through Southwestern Virginia to Kingsport, Tennessee. Along the way the train makes multiple stops where Santa gives toys and gifts to needy children who are waiting for the train. Each year, a few individuals have the opportunity to ride the Santa Train but mostly, it is something that people in the Kingsport area come out to observe and enjoy.
