<< Back 8/21/02 Train expands presence in Swain By Don Hendershot Great Smoky Mountains Railroad General Manager Jon Schlegel looked a little exasperated last Friday as he sat in his Dillsboro office, once again explaining the company’s expansion plans. “There are no plans for moving offices, and GSMRR will never pull out of Dillsboro,” said Schlegel. Rumors have been flying since GSMRR began to acquire property adjacent to its Bryson City depot that the company was going to abandon its Dillsboro headquarters. The old Carolina Building Supply Company in Bryson City was acquired in 2001 and it will house Smoky Mountain Trains, one of the country’s largest collection of Lionel model trains. Smoky Mountain Trains is scheduled to open during this year’s annual RailFest, Sept. 13-15. Since that time, GSMRR has also purchased the old Barclay complex of shops near the depot and plans to close on the old Bryson City Coal and Lumber facilities the first of September. There is a “Concept Master Plan” for Bryson City, but many of the details — like what shop will go in what building and what will be remodeled first — are flexible and will depend on funding and need, according to Schlegel. There are plans to move one aspect of the GSMRR’s operation from Dillsboro to Bryson City. Maintenance, which has been performed outside at the Dillsboro depot, will be moved to Bryson City, where GSMRR will construct a “car shop.” “It’s just not feasible to work outside 12 months out of the year and there is not enough room in Dillsboro to build a maintenance facility. Bryson City is a natural. We own enough property next to the depot,” Schlegel said. One master plan component that Schlegel is eager to get started on will include a “turn table” to turn the engines and cars around. “Our equipment has been pointed in one direction for 13 years. We’ve been pulling steam engines backwards,” Schlegel noted. Along with the turn table and car shop for maintenance will be a museum. “We want to make maintenance and the turn table part of the attraction,” Schlegel said. Linda Cable, Swain County administrator said, she was excited to see the railroad’s expansion in Bryson City. “It helps the tax base and economic development. It brings in jobs and creates another destination for tourists,” she said. Cable is also happy GSMRR plans to keep a strong presence in Dillsboro. “We’re all in this together. This is an opportunity to enhance the region, and that helps both communities,” Cable said. Larry Callicutt, Bryson City town manager said the city was “glad to work with the railroad.” Callicutt said GSMRR’s plans fit well with Bryson City’s Streetscapes project by renovating and occupying vacant buildings downtown. He said he felt the railroad’s expansion would draw larger crowds and benefit all of Bryson City. The Concept Master Plan calls for restaurants, retail shops, lodging and expanded parking in Bryson City. There are also future plans for turn tables in Dillsboro and Murphy. Schlegel points out that GSMRR is expanding and that options for new and improved service abound. One idea is one-way trips between Bryson City and Dillsboro with shuttles available to return passengers to their point of origin. Another idea is marketing Dillsboro as a destination. Anyone who visits Dillsboro during the season knows that parking spaces can be hard to come by. Schlegel thinks the increased parking in Bryson City and a long layover in Dillsboro would appeal to many travelers. “People could park in Bryson City, ride the train to Dillsboro and spend a couple of hours exploring the shops and downtown Dillsboro,” he said. The Nantahala Gorge is also seen as a destination, and the train already offers rail and whitewater packages. Schlegel said as the gorge becomes more and more bogged down with traffic, GSMRR could become a “transportation element in and out of the gorge.” Schlegel and other GSMRR officials will be traveling to Raleigh at the end of August to talk with Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce and the governor’s office. “We want to explore areas where the GSMRR might be able to partner with public funding to expand services,” Schlegel said. After the trip to Raleigh, Schlegel and GSMRR Marketing Director Kim Lyons say they plan to hold a media event to elaborate on the railroad’s future plans. Whatever the plans are, Schlegel said Dillsboro will remain an integral part of the railroad’s operations. “We have purchased the offices and property in Dillsboro we used to lease. We’re not going anywhere,” he said.