{"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=North+Carolina.+Department+of+Conservation+and+Development.+State+Advertising+Division\u0026view=compact","last":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=North+Carolina.+Department+of+Conservation+and+Development.+State+Advertising+Division\u0026page=1\u0026view=compact"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":1,"next_page":null,"prev_page":null,"total_pages":1,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":0,"total_count":8,"first_page?":true,"last_page?":true}},"data":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","creator":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02","type":"Item","attributes":{"title":"Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie's\" crew loved the little train as much as did the mountain people who depended on it for contact with the outside world. Engineer Sherman Pippin was as the throttle of No. 10 and No. 12 for some 20 years before the railroad was discontinued. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Text on photo: \"Tweetsie's\" crew loved the little train as much as did the mountain people who depended on it for contact with the outside world. Engineer Sherman Pippin was as the throttle of No. 10 and No. 12 for some 20 years before the railroad was discontinued. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"title_filing_ssi":"Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC","title_ssm":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC"],"title_tesim":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"creator_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Item"],"level_ssim":["Item"],"sort_isi":47,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie's\" crew loved the little train as much as did the mountain people who depended on it for contact with the outside world. Engineer Sherman Pippin was as the throttle of No. 10 and No. 12 for some 20 years before the railroad was discontinued. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Text on photo: \"Tweetsie's\" crew loved the little train as much as did the mountain people who depended on it for contact with the outside world. Engineer Sherman Pippin was as the throttle of No. 10 and No. 12 for some 20 years before the railroad was discontinued. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0/components#1","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c02"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06","type":"Item","attributes":{"title":"Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Over the river and through the wood\" went \"Tweetsie\" on her trips from Johnson City, Tenn., to Boone, N.C. in former days. Engineer Sherman Pippin stopped his train so passengers aboard for a day's outing could take pictures like the one above. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT P. O. BOX 2719 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Text on photo: \"Over the river and through the wood\" went \"Tweetsie\" on her trips from Johnson City, Tenn., to Boone, N.C. in former days. Engineer Sherman Pippin stopped his train so passengers aboard for a day's outing could take pictures like the one above. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT P. O. BOX 2719 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"title_filing_ssi":"Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river","title_ssm":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river"],"title_tesim":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Engineer Sherman Pippin and unidentified trainman in Locomotive 10 on ET\u0026WNC on a bridge crossing a river"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"creator_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Item"],"level_ssim":["Item"],"sort_isi":51,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Over the river and through the wood\" went \"Tweetsie\" on her trips from Johnson City, Tenn., to Boone, N.C. in former days. Engineer Sherman Pippin stopped his train so passengers aboard for a day's outing could take pictures like the one above. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT P. O. BOX 2719 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Text on photo: \"Over the river and through the wood\" went \"Tweetsie\" on her trips from Johnson City, Tenn., to Boone, N.C. in former days. Engineer Sherman Pippin stopped his train so passengers aboard for a day's outing could take pictures like the one above. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT P. O. BOX 2719 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0/components#5","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c06"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Photographs","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Photographs, 1949-1954, primarily comprises black-and-white photographs of Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train along the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird. Railroad employees and passengers are photographed in the train and inside the depot. Photographs of the May 29, 1953 Golden Spike Ceremony are also included. Six photographs document Tweetsie when it was part of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company. Many of the photographs are captioned with people, places, and dates identified. Postcards and color photograph negatives are included. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were retained.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Southern Railway System","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","Series 3: Photographs, 1949-1954, primarily comprises black-and-white photographs of Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train along the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird. Railroad employees and passengers are photographed in the train and inside the depot. Photographs of the May 29, 1953 Golden Spike Ceremony are also included. Six photographs document Tweetsie when it was part of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company. Many of the photographs are captioned with people, places, and dates identified. Postcards and color photograph negatives are included. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were retained."],"title_filing_ssi":"Photographs","title_ssm":["Photographs"],"title_tesim":["Photographs"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1949-1954"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949/1954"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Photographs"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":6,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":44,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Southern Railway System","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Southern Railway System","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","Gorman","Reid, H.","Reid, H."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Photographs, 1949-1954, primarily comprises black-and-white photographs of Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train along the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird. Railroad employees and passengers are photographed in the train and inside the depot. Photographs of the May 29, 1953 Golden Spike Ceremony are also included. Six photographs document Tweetsie when it was part of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company. Many of the photographs are captioned with people, places, and dates identified. Postcards and color photograph negatives are included. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were retained.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Series 3: Photographs, 1949-1954, primarily comprises black-and-white photographs of Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train along the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird. Railroad employees and passengers are photographed in the train and inside the depot. Photographs of the May 29, 1953 Golden Spike Ceremony are also included. Six photographs document Tweetsie when it was part of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company. Many of the photographs are captioned with people, places, and dates identified. Postcards and color photograph negatives are included. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were retained."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05","type":"Item","attributes":{"title":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie\" went where even a sure-footed burro would fear to tread. Here the little train starts across the Doe River on one of the many bridges built by ET\u0026amp;WNC R.R. Co. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Text on photo: \"Tweetsie\" went where even a sure-footed burro would fear to tread. Here the little train starts across the Doe River on one of the many bridges built by ET\u0026WNC R.R. Co. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"title_filing_ssi":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River","title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River"],"title_tesim":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC crossing a bridge over the Doe River"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"creator_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Item"],"level_ssim":["Item"],"sort_isi":50,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie\" went where even a sure-footed burro would fear to tread. Here the little train starts across the Doe River on one of the many bridges built by ET\u0026amp;WNC R.R. Co. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Text on photo: \"Tweetsie\" went where even a sure-footed burro would fear to tread. Here the little train starts across the Doe River on one of the many bridges built by ET\u0026WNC R.R. Co. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0/components#4","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c05"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03","type":"Item","attributes":{"title":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie\" was a familiar part of the rural landscape in Western North Carolina, as this photograph taken near Newland, N.C., shows. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Text on photo: \"Tweetsie\" was a familiar part of the rural landscape in Western North Carolina, as this photograph taken near Newland, N.C., shows. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"title_filing_ssi":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina","title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina"],"title_tesim":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC past a corn field near Newland, North Carolina"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"creator_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Item"],"level_ssim":["Item"],"sort_isi":48,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eText on photo: \"Tweetsie\" was a familiar part of the rural landscape in Western North Carolina, as this photograph taken near Newland, N.C., shows. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Text on photo: \"Tweetsie\" was a familiar part of the rural landscape in Western North Carolina, as this photograph taken near Newland, N.C., shows. (N.C. News Bureau Photo) - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0/components#2","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c03"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04","type":"Item","attributes":{"title":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eText on photo: The route between Johnson City, Tenn., and Boone, N.C. presented some of the most rugged territory in the Appalachian mountains. Here the railroad skirts the Doe River Gorge on a ledge of solid rock. (N.C. News Bureau Photo - typed and affixed with tape; Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Text on photo: The route between Johnson City, Tenn., and Boone, N.C. presented some of the most rugged territory in the Appalachian mountains. Here the railroad skirts the Doe River Gorge on a ledge of solid rock. (N.C. News Bureau Photo - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"title_filing_ssi":"Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge","title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge"],"title_tesim":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Tweetsie locomotive and cars on ET\u0026WNC through the Appalachian Mountains and Doe River Gorge"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"creator_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Item"],"level_ssim":["Item"],"sort_isi":49,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eText on photo: The route between Johnson City, Tenn., and Boone, N.C. presented some of the most rugged territory in the Appalachian mountains. Here the railroad skirts the Doe River Gorge on a ledge of solid rock. (N.C. News Bureau Photo - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026amp; DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Text on photo: The route between Johnson City, Tenn., and Boone, N.C. presented some of the most rugged territory in the Appalachian mountains. Here the railroad skirts the Doe River Gorge on a ledge of solid rock. (N.C. News Bureau Photo - typed and affixed with tape;  Property of C. G. Price, Jr. 276 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, Virginia - handwritten and address label; NORTH CAROLINA NEWS BUREAU DEPT. CONSERVATION \u0026 DEVELOPMENT RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - stamped."],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0/components#3","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio"],"persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":90,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01_c04"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","ref_ssm":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01"],"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03_c01","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","parent_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03","parent_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","vihart_repositories_4_resources_672_c03"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs"],"text":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Photographs","Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","box 2","folder 10"],"title_filing_ssi":"Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee","title_ssm":["Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"title_tesim":["Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["circa 1949"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Tweetsie, North Carolina and Tennessee"],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":6,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":45,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"date_range_isim":[1949],"names_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"corpname_ssim":["North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division"],"containers_ssim":["box 2","folder 10"],"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#0","timestamp":"2026-04-30T22:58:37.387Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_672","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_672.xml","title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1997","1948-1956"],"unitdate_bulk_ssim":["1948-1956"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1997"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"text":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672","Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad","Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History","Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)","Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.","All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954","At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.","Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.","Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975).","The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. Department of Conservation and Development. State Advertising Division","Lee-Gitchell Studio","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986","McCarthy, Wilson, (Judge)","Gray, Carl R. (Carl Raymond), 1889-1955","Fallberg, Carl, 1915-1996","Disney, Walt (Walter Elias), 1901-1966","Autry, Gene, 1907-1998","Claytor, W. Graham (William Graham), 1912-1994","Aydelott, Gale B.","Clodfelter, Frank, 1911-","Reid, Gil, 1918-2007","Riley, Bob","Reid, H.","Gorman","Howe, Ward Allan, 1900-1977","Warden, W. E., Jr. (William E.)","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0327","/repositories/4/resources/672"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_title_tesim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"collection_ssim":["Charles Grattan Price Jr. collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"geogname_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"creator_ssm":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"creators_ssim":["Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Price, Charles Grattan, III"],"places_ssim":["Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.)","Penn Laird (Va.) -- History"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["The collection was donated to Special Collections in July 2021 by C. Grattan \"Butch\" Price III, son of C. Grattan Price Jr."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Narrow gauge railroads -- United States","Steam locomotives -- History","Railroads -- History","Railroad trains -- History","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"extent_tesim":["1.53 cubic feet 2 boxes, 1 flat file","61.9 Megabytes 1 digital file comprising a 00:05:23 video recording"],"genreform_ssim":["Photographs","Memorandums","Letters (correspondence)","Telegrams","Newspaper clippings","Printed Ephemera","Magazines (periodicals)"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection."],"altformavail_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAll photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via \u003cextref type=\"simple\" actuate=\"onRequest\" show=\"new\" href=\"https://www.jstor.org/site/jamesmadisonuniversity/jamesmadisonuniversitycharlesgrattanpricejrcollectionontweetsieandtheshenandoahcentralrailroad/\"\u003eJSTOR\u003c/extref\u003e. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"altformavail_heading_ssm":["Other Formats Available"],"altformavail_tesim":["All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor's video recording of his family's visit to the Shenandoah Central have been digitized and are available online via  JSTOR . Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1916-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePrinted and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePhotographs, 1952-1954\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged chronologically.","Correspondence, 1916-1997 Printed and Promotional Materials, 1952-1997 Photographs, 1952-1954"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAt the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026amp;WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026amp; Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026amp; Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026amp; Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003e\"The Crooked \u0026amp; Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026amp;WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western provided the ties and ballast. \u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eShenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026amp;WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eAfter two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eActor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eDuring the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eGrover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["At the suggestion of Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway, C. Grattan Price Jr., Harrisonburg insurance agent and railroad enthusiast, wrote to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET\u0026WNC) Railroad in August 1952 about purchasing a narrow gauge steam locomotive and tender as well as narrow gauge cars. Price, along with fellow railfans Wade W. Menefee Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Hill, intended to build a narrow gauge railroad on Hill's farm in Penn Laird, Virginia as a scenic operating museum line. Narrow gauge railways differ from standard railways in that the distance between rails is 3 feet compared to the standard 4 feet, 3 1/2 inches.","Dr. Paul S. Hill (1907-1986) was a surgeon in Harrisonburg. He attended Washington \u0026 Lee University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School. Hill served as a major with the Medical Corps during World War II. Wade W. Menefee Jr. (1924-2004) was a graduate of Virginia Tech and a World War II veteran. Upon his return from military service, Menefee managed W. M. Menefee \u0026 Son, a local feed, fuel, and general supply company. Charles Grattan Price Jr. (1919-1996) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a veteran of World War II during which time he served as a railway shop superintendent and was a member of the U.S. Army's military railway service in France. Price was a partner in the insurance firm C. G. Price \u0026 Sons, Inc. until his retirement in 1978. He also authored  \"The Crooked \u0026 Weedy\": A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway  (1991). He was a resident of Harrisonburg and lived on Franklin Street until 1958 when he moved to Ott street where he lived the remainder of his life. ","In November 1952, Price, Menefee, and Hill entered into a partnership agreement forming the Shenandoah Central Railroad. Hill served as Shenandoah Central's president, Price was vice president and general manager, and Menefee was secretary-treasurer. Soon after its formation, Shenandoah Central purchased Tweetsie (aka Locomotive #12), a historic narrow gauge steam locomotive, and two narrow gauge passenger cars from ET\u0026WNC. Prior to its purchase by Shenandoah Central, Tweetsie was a working engine from 1917 to 1950 in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, plying the area's Great Smoky Mountains. Shenandoah Central purchased a third car from Pennsylvania's East Broad Top Railroad. After several failed attempts to locate and acquire rail, Chesapeake Western Railway loaned Shenandoah Central the necessary rail to build the one-mile scenic track which would be known as the Tweetsie Route. Norfolk \u0026 Western provided the ties and ballast. ","Shenandoah Central Railroad held its Golden Spike Ceremony on May 29, 1953 to mark the official opening of the Tweetsie Route and the inaugural run of the Stonewall Jackson train. The Stonewall Jackson comprised a coach, a combination car, and a screened observation car with Tweetsie pulling the cars. During the Stonewall Jackson's first run, Dr. Paul Hill was Tweetsie's conductor, C. Grattan Price Jr. was engineer, and Wade W. Menefee Jr. was fireman. The ceremony included remarks by Don W. Thomas, president of the Chesapeake Western Railway; F. S. Baird, vice president of the Norfolk \u0026 Western; Sherman Pippin, retired ET\u0026WNC engineer who was the engineer on Tweetsie's last run in 1950; and C. Grattan Price and Wade Menefee Jr. on behalf of the Shenandoah Central Railroad among others. Music was provided by the Harrisonburg High School band and included the songs \"Dixie\" and \"I've Been Working on the Railroad.\" Major General Carl R. Gray Jr, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, drove the golden spike.","After two operating seasons, which saw more than 15,000 visitors, the partners were forced to place Tweetsie and the cars up for sale due to insufficient patronage and resulting loss of money. Additionally, flooding from Hurricane Hazel which hit Virginia in October 1954 damaged the track and roadbed beyond what was financially feasible for the partners to repair.","Actor and singer-songwriter Gene Autry inquired about purchasing Tweetsie and related equipment in April 1955. He intended to use the locomotive and equipment in his television and movie projects. Autry even planned to come to Harrisonburg in the spring of 1955 to finalize the arrangements, a visit that was eagerly anticipated by community members and local press. However, by the end of August 1955, the Autry Deal was dead due to the cost to transport the locomotive and equipment from Virginia to Autry's Melody Ranch in California as well as the cost to lay the rails.","During the spring of 1955, singer, musical actor, and automobile enthusiast James Melton also expressed interest in Tweetsie for display in his antique automobile museum, James Melton Autorama, in Hypoluxo, Florida.","Grover C. Robbins Jr. of Lenoir, North Carolina ultimately purchased the Tweetsie locomotive and equipment on August 25, 1955 for $17,000. The Tweetsie Railroad is still in operation in Blowing Rock, North Carolina."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), SC 0327, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSpecial Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuplicate copies of magazines were not retained.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Special Collections staff provided the donor with archival folders prior to transferring materials. The collection was largely received in foldered groupings (correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings) by the donor. Much of the correspondence was received grouped together according to correspondent and bound with staples, likely an arrangement kept by C. Grattan Price Jr. These groupings as well as the staples were left intact to maintain original order.","Duplicate copies of magazines were not retained.","Photographs with affixed labels or extensive writing on the backs are interfiled with paper to prevent bleeding onto surrounding photographs. Photograph titles are based largely on the descriptions provided by C. Grattan Price Jr. All photographs (not including photograph negatives) and W. Graham Claytor Jr.'s video recording of his family's trips to the Shenandoah Central are digitized. Duplicate copies of photographs and postcards were not scanned."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003ePhotographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, printed articles, and promotional materials concerning the purchase of Tweetsie, narrow gauge locomotive #12, and related equipment by the Shenandoah Central Railroad in 1952; the opening of the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird, Virginia in 1953; and the eventual sale of Tweetsie and equipment in 1955.","Photographs primarily document Tweetsie and the Stonewall Jackson train on the Tweetsie Route in Penn Laird and include passengers and railroad workers."],"separatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eTwo books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026amp; Western North Carolina Railroad\u003c/emph\u003e (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eTweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains\u003c/emph\u003e (1975).\u003c/p\u003e"],"separatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Separated Materials"],"separatedmaterial_tesim":["Two books were removed from the collection and cataloged individually as part of Special Collections rare book holdings: Mallory Hope Ferrell's  Tweetsie Country: The East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad  (1976) and Clyde J. Dellinger's  Tweetsie and The Clinchfield Railroads: Crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains  (1975)."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_b6b9619e80b1268cd52dc20414033cac\"\u003eThe Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Charles Grattan Price Jr. Collection on Tweetsie and the Shenandoah Central Railroad, 1916-1997 (bulk 1948-1956), comprises correspondence, printed material, and photographs related to the Shenandoah Central Railroad's narrow gauge engine Tweetsie (locomotive #12) and the one-mile Tweetsie Route, a scenic museum line, in Penn Laird, Virginia that operated from 1953 to 1954."],"names_coll_ssim":["Tweetsie (Locomotive)","Price, Charles Grattan, III","Price, Charles Grattan, Jr., 1919-1996","Menefee, Wade W., Jr. (Wade Whitfield), 1924-2004","Hill, Paul S., Dr. (Paul Swanson), 1907-1986"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Tweetsie (Locomotive)","East Tennessee \u0026 Western North Carolina Railroad","Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company","East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company","Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company","Southern Railway System","Shenandoah Central Railroad (1952-1956)","Chesapeake Western Railway","Norfolk and Western Railway Company","North Carolina. 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