Boomtown Junction Railroad

The Boomtown Junction Railroad was a wild west themed Amusement Park where Tom, Dick, and Harry used to work.

History of the park
In 1962, Arnold P. Fairchild, a employee of the Southern Railway who worked as the roundhouse foreman at Chattanooga bought a group of three former Southern A-7 class 0-6-0s named Tom, Dick, and Harry who used to work at Terminal Station 13 years prior. An average railroad and steam enthusiast, Fairchild bought the three 0-6-0s to Chattanooga and stored them in a vacant lot near the Southern Railway mainline in hopes of restoring them to operation since he witnessed the successful excursions with Savannah (Savannah & Atlanta #750).

Fairchild was also a member of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and hoped to run his 0-6-0s as soon as the museum found a permanent location. By the late 1960s, he managed to get all three of his switchers running. In 1969, TVRM managed to find a new location and within time, the track was rebuilt and Fairchild's three switchers found some new running ground. Sometimes, for a fee, the Southern borrowed the switchers to work at the Terminal.

But Fairchild's switchers finest hour was on August 11th, 1970 when they witnessed the last train to leave Terminal Station. Shortly after the closure of the station, Fairchild retired, but found he couldn't afford to keep his engines at Chattanooga, luckily with his pension and a bank loan, he found another home for his locomotives.

He bought a large portion of land in the North Carolina mountains, built a long circle of track, and opened Boomtown Junction, a wild west themed amusement park. He also managed to buy a steam powered carousel and a ferris wheel to add to the park. His locomotives were dolled up as 19th century locomotives, complete with cowcatcher, old style headlamp, and diamond smokestack. In 1972, Boomtown Junction opened for business. He bought several retired cabooses from the big railroads and he converted them into open air passenger cars. He also decided to convert his 0-6-0s into 2-6-0s by extending the front of the engines' frames and adding a 2 wheeled pilot truck.

Not only did the park offer a train ride, a carousel, and a ferris wheel, but visitors could also find a stage where local and visiting country singers would perform; a water log ride; and a flooded mine ride, based on the same themed ride in Silver Dollar City. Only difference was that at Silver Dollar City, they used animatronics whilst Boomtown Junction used real live actors. Food vendors, carnaval games, and gift shops were also present.

When visitors climbed on board the train ride, the train would take them around the circle and sometimes stop when "robbers" are holding up the train and the passengers are 'rescued' by the local Sheriff and his deputies. The train also passes a native american village and a cavalry fort. It seemed like things were going well for once, but dark times loomed ahead.

In 1988, Arnold Fairchild passed away at the age of 94, and the park was left under the control of his grandson Gerald. But then in 1992, a forest fire broke out and most of the park's buildings, including the steam carousel and the ferris wheel, where destroyed, however the engine shed nor the engines were harmed. Sadly, the park wasn't insured for forest fires, and with no other choice, the park closed. Lucas Hartford then bought the locomotives and brought them back to Knoxville where they were converted back into 0-6-0s.

Now today, the park is a shadow of its former self. The tracks have rusted over and the buildings are derelect. It's also not surprising to find a hobo or two living there.

List of rides

 * The Boomtown Junction Railroad
 * Lumberjack Joe's Water Log Ride
 * Flooded Mine Ride
 * Zebidiah's Zipline
 * Steam Carousel
 * Ferris Wheel
 * Bells & Fergus Stagecoach ride

Theme song Jingle
The park's theme song is similar to the Gold Rush Junction Commercial from the 1960s.

Boooooomtown Junction

Dancing Girls in the Gold Saloon

A gunslingers duel at high noon

An Old Iron Horse on a mountain run

You'll never've had so much fun

Some crooked gunman so mean and bold

the Smoky Mountain Gang wants that gold

The indian village is a sight to see.

The Sheriff is gonna deputize you and me.

Caught the outlaws on the trail

now we're gonna haul 'em off to jail

picnics, rides and nature hikes too

At Boomtown Junction there's more to dooooo

At Boomtown Junciton there's more to dooooo.

Trivia

 * The park is heavily based on the Tombstone Junction Railroad in Kentucky, which was in service from the 1960s until two forest fires, from 1989 and 1991 respectively, destroyed the park and forced its closure.