I graduated HS at Watauga, attended 1 summer session for World History and a second Chem course at Happy Appy (Div AA Nat'l Champs - back to back) in-between semesters at NCSU. Was a Cowboy and Indian at Tweetsie for for 2 seasons in '74 & '75. Track boss my second season at 17 yrs. old and the youngest 'actor'...payroll, care for the horses used in the shows, hiring / firing 'the actors' was my main responsibilities.
Managed to get on a postcard as an Indian.
Back then it was Frank and Hardin Coffey, Ralph (train engineers) and Parks (conductor) along with Fred Kirby on the weekends. Spencer Robbins was general manager then and Ms. Green ran The Station Gift Shop and handled our payroll.
Was fortunate enough to run The Yukon Queen (#190 engine) around once. That was a blast.
No. 12 was a dog to 'drive' from what Hardin told me. She (The original Tweetsie) is the only survivor of the 'Eat Taters and Wear No Clothes Railroad.
We used real .45 cal single action Colt Peacemakers with plastic .44 cal blanks. They stopped that for a while tryin' to be all PC and crap, but finally realized that the Old West had guns and outlaws, etc.
I got a lot crazy stories from that place. Could set your watch between July 4 th and August 20th for a 4:30 - 5:00 pm thunderstorm in Blowing Rock back then. All for $1.50 / hr.
We (us Indians) ran down from above of 'The Cut' just before Fort Boone, jumped on top of the passenger cars while the train was slowing and hopped into the cars - 'bout got fired for that one. Another time, we drug a kid off the train we knew well that had a season pass during the Indian raid and 'killed' him right in front of the tourons.....fake blood on his throat from the Indian and screaming and all.....heard a bunch of kids on the train wet their pants on that run. Oh well....things we'd do to change it up.
Riding the track car at 7:30 am those 25ºF October weekend mornings would seriously wake anyone up.