10 ms·

Dolly Parton's Dollywood Express

176 points by FinnKuhn 1y ago

toomuchtodo 1y ago
It's a great time, highly recommend if you're in the area.
- moron4hire 1y ago
  I concur. We did a family trip a few years ago with my parents and my sister and her family. 5 adults (2 in their 60s) and 3 children aged 5 to 8. Pigeon Forge and Dollywood were a great experience for everyone. My mother has some mobility issues and the park was pretty well laid out for her to get around with an electric scooter. The park has lots of rides for different ages of children. And the surrounding Pigeon Forge area has lots of other attractions to make a jam-packed week of activities.
- crooked-v 1y ago
  For people who aren't theme park nerds: Dollywood consistently gets ranked as one of the best theme parks in the US. It's absolutely worth planning a vacation around if you generally like that sort of stuff but shudder at the current pricing of Disney/Universal. The city it's in is also right next door to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so it's very easy to make a day trip for various trails or tours.
flippyhead 1y ago
> Dollywood Express, the heritage steam train that operates within Dollywood, has a higher rail ridership than 27 states. I don't now if it's useful, but this way of putting quanties in context, would be neat to see about all kinds of things. Like how they seem to always do rare things compared to your chance of getting hit by lightning.
- benterix 1y ago
  I believe the point of the whole article is that the public transportation is broken if a train in a theme park has more users than regular trains in many states.
  - jandrese 1y ago
    More riders than the commuter trains in over half of the states.
  - pythonaut_16 1y ago
    I'm pro public transit and trains, but the stat has more shock value than actual logic. What's feasible for a theme park doesn't necessarily extrapolate to public transit.
xnx 1y ago
> The trains run all day during park hours and can burn through up to four tons of coal per day and 4000 gallons of water. Oof. That's a lot of coal. ~ 1000 tons of coal/year or the CO2 equivalent of 10 million miles of driving. Edit: corrected math
- disentanglement 1y ago
  I'd love to see the system of mathematics where 4 times 365 comes out to one million. Maybe I can get my bank to use the same system.
  - lo_zamoyski 1y ago
    They do: inflation + compound interest!
- lo_zamoyski 1y ago
  4 * 365 ~= 1500 tons
  - FinnKuhn 1y ago
    Just 98,500 tons off
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
jonah-archive 1y ago
I've ridden it before, it's really fun! The two locomotives are Baldwin 2-8-2 Mikados built in 1938/9, more details here: https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=Canada&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=wpy https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=Canada&... I think my favorite part is when the announcer explains the emergency stop system, and clarifies that getting a cinder in your face doesn't count as an emergency (IIRC they have safety goggles you can wear if you're concerned about it). EDIT: found a video I took of it going by where you can hear the whistle blow (I was there over the holidays which is why it's decked out for Christmas): https://www.instagram.com/p/B64mteDJUBl/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B64mteDJUBl/
- anonymars 1y ago
  I love steam trains in the abstract, but was appalled at how filthy it was. My skin and clothes were covered in soot and I pulled my shirt up to my mouth to try and avoid breathing it in and coughing. That said, Big Boy 4014 is traveling between Cheyenne and Denver next month (https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm)
cjj_swe 1y ago
In my Tennessee mountain home, life is as peaceful as a baby's side As an East Tennessee native, I love everything Dolly Parton!
- cjj_swe 1y ago
  It seems the music note emoji were stripped out. The first line is a quote from one of her songs.
  - lastofthemojito 1y ago
    In the same way that "hold me closer Tony Danza" is a quote from one of my favorite Elton John songs. You're looking for "Life is as peaceful as a baby's sigh": https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-my-tennessee-mountain-home-lyrics https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-my-tennessee-mountain-home-l...
    - kirubakaran 1y ago
      Elton John Confirms Tiny Dancer IS About Tony Danza https://www.madhousemagazine.com/elton-john-confirms-tiny-dancer-is-about-tony-danza/ https://www.madhousemagazine.com/elton-john-confirms-tiny-da...
    - cjj_swe 1y ago
      Yikes! I wish I could edit
- kirubakaran 1y ago
  Baby's sigh
  - bufordtwain 1y ago
    Thanks, was scratching my head and thinking that a baby's side isn't always peaceful.
    - 1y ago
lisper 1y ago
The comparison of the Dollywood Express ridership to statewide railways is pretty unfair. The Dollywood Express is not really transportation, it's an amusement park ride, more comparable to the Disney Railway than Amtrack, and I'm pretty sure more people ride the Disney Railway than the Dollywood Express. The economics of amusement park rides and actual transportation systems are radically different. (Actually, the Disney Monorail(s) would be a more apt comparison because it actually serves as transportation!)
- eesmith 1y ago
  The author both points that out, and links to his essay "How Disney Became One of the Largest Transit Agencies in North America' (What Does a Theme Park Operating the 10th Largest Transit Agency in the U.S. Say About Us?)" at https://thetransitguy.substack.com/p/how-disney-became-one-of-the-largest https://thetransitguy.substack.com/p/how-disney-became-one-o...
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- larusso 1y ago
  I think it doesn’t matter. The point is that more people drive daily with these trains than most people in other states their respected train lines. It’s just shows that the US has nearly no train infrastructure when a theme park train has more ridership than most states. Granted this is by design because the US over prioritized the highway system over a train transit system. There is a new video from Daniel Steiner who usually explains the origin of cities via maps did a take on the US highway system https://youtu.be/Sr2F4OZSETE?si=fh628Gb3RzhpLpYo https://youtu.be/Sr2F4OZSETE?si=fh628Gb3RzhpLpYo
deelowe 1y ago
Took the family to Dollywood this year and it was by far the best run theme park I've been to. I was amazed at the cleanliness, friendliness of the staff, and how well maintained everything was. The train was really cool too. One of only two times I've been able to see a real coal fired steam engine functioning.
- strictnein 1y ago
  It's a great park with some surprisingly enjoyable rides. Lightning Rod is one of the most intense coasters I've been on. Definitely a little rough at times, but man it does not hold back at all. And it's kind of hidden in the layout of the park, with a lot of the track over the top of a hill. A visit to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and the Smoky Mountains is great trip, especially with kids. Lots of quirky nonsense to enjoy, as well as some beautiful nature.
  - jdironman 1y ago
    Also some fair dining. Local Goat, The Trout House, the apple orchards for sweets. it makes for a nice weekend / week getaway. clingmans dome (Now called Kuwohi Observation Tower) is a not so strenuous hike with 360 degree views. Highly recommend the drive up to it in the fall when the trees are golden and the sun is shining.
  - madcaptenor 1y ago
    I live in Atlanta and have not been up there. I have kids. I should probably fix that. (That is, I should "fix that" by going up to the Smokies with them, not by getting rid of the kids!)
    - sarchertech 1y ago
      100% you should do that. I grew up in metro Atlanta and some of my favorite childhood memories are of family trips to the Smokies. Mingus mill is one of my favorite places in the world. I live in Chattanooga now and we take the kids every 6 months or so.
    - 1y ago
johng 1y ago
I still believe that if Dolly ran for President, she would win. She's probably one of the most liked people in the country, percentage wise. I've actually asked quite a few random people what they think of her and I've never met someone that had anything bad to say.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- BizarroLand 1y ago
  I think if we elected people for their general track record of good deeds, then Dolly would win and be a good candidate, but I also think what we need is someone to come in and be a total jerk to the total jerks that are ruining the world for everyone else right now, someone who would ruthlessly focus on making the world as decent as it can be for as many people as possible even if it inconveniences a handful of people.
- jandrese 1y ago
  Many political pundits are still convinced that it's not possible to elect a woman as US president. Thus far the two that have tried have both managed to lose to Donald Trump.
  - triceratops 1y ago
    For all we know having a running mate named "Tim" is the actual campaign kryptonite.
  - bpt3 1y ago
    Maybe try running candidates that aren't highly unpopular? Or ones who don't call a significant percentage of the population "deplorables"? Or ones who don't refuse to state consistent policy objectives or provide coherent explanations for major swings in her stance on key political positions? Or... Trump is a reaction to large portions of the population being actively screwed over by decades of neoliberal policy that the Democrats are still trying to ram down their throats, and "anything other than more of that" is what is winning in most swing states. It's unfortunate the the Republican party is incapable of running someone who isn't a infantile, thin-skinned, nasty blowhard to govern responsibly while in power, but here we are, and we'll unfortunately stay here until either the Republican party grows a spine, the Democratic party figures out how to not intentionally alienate a good portion of the voting population while also preventing their base from destroying the party from within, or the whole thing blows up.
chrisco255 1y ago
Dollywood is great, but unfortunately the article gradually shifts into bashing Tennessee and America for not using enough passenger rail. That train left the station a long time ago. Car ownership is very high, sprawl is very high. We do not have urban cores with the same density or concentration of business districts as European or Asian cities. Most of the time buses make more sense for public transportation in America, but even those often get low ridership. It's likely we'll shift towards autonomous mini-buses and electric over the next couple of decades and unlikely that anything changes significantly wrt passenger rail. There are real structural and societal differences here. I say that and at the same time, I'd love it if Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga were all connected by a high speed rail line (and on down to Atlanta from there). I just don't see the will to get it done.
- conception 1y ago
  Best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, etc etc.
  - pizzathyme 1y ago
    Is the suggestion here to build more subways/rails? The problem is that more rails would not be useful because there is lower density in the US. Denmark is 141 persons/km^2, whereas the U.S. is about 36 person(census data). Even if you built train lines everywhere outside urban areas, any stop you step off at would still require a 20 minute drive to get to where you are going.
    - cycomanic 1y ago
      Tell that to Sweden with a density of 26 people/km^2 and a functioning rail system. Also why use Denmark of all places, their rail system isn't even that great compared to e.g. France or Germany.
      - NoGravitas 1y ago
        And the population density of Tennessee is much higher than that of Sweden (67 people/km^2). The states with population densities most comparable to Sweden are Mississippi, Arizona, Vermont, Minnesota, and West Virginia.
NoblePublius 1y ago
“ I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastructure in billion-dollar economies. Be serious.” Europe has lots of train infrastructure because it was very poor after WW2, and its people could afford nothing but train fare. America has lots of car infrastructure because it was very rich after WS2, and its people have the freedom to choose personal transportation. Over 90% of American households have at least one car. It’s not because American government doesn’t invest in public transit. It’s because Americans, even poor Americans, overwhelmingly choose personal transportation.
- breaker-kind 1y ago
  and we are severely worse off because of it
- richiebful1 1y ago
  Certainly there's an element of personal choice. I currently live in a town of 3,000 in a rural state that was previously served by trains. Once cars became accessible to the masses, that train service was no longer sustainable. But in actual US metro areas where much of the country lives, land use choices were made to enhance moving cars at the expense of other modes of transport. Urban areas were bulldozed to funnel cars into downtowns from far-flung suburbs. Amsterdam, on the other hand, was once a car-loving city, but has chosen to redevelop streets for transit and active transportation. Personal choice matters, but how much is driven by incentives?
  - NoblePublius 1y ago
    “Land use choices” are downstream of what residents want less what they can afford. You have it backwards.
- omegaworks 1y ago
  >its people have the freedom to choose personal transportation. A lot of American choice is an illusion. The national expressway network was created to serve national security purposes. Beloved trolley systems in medium density cities were unceremoniously ripped out. Car and tire companies pushed the bus-ification of public transport in order to kill any notion that it should offer comfort and reliability. The American government refuses to invest in density because its sees sprawl as a deterrant against nuclear threat. (A threat that it takes an active role in escalating, mind you.) >It’s because Americans, even poor Americans, overwhelmingly choose personal transportation. If you take notice, much of the most expensive and valuable property in this country is in dense regions where it is possible to live without a car. If Americans truly had a choice, they'd pick the kinds of walkable communities they can only experience now on university campuses and in theme parks.
sarchertech 1y ago
If you’re going to count the Dollywood Express, you’d better count the Tennessee Valley Railroad too haha. https://www.tvrail.com/ https://www.tvrail.com/ In addition to the longer scenic trips, there is regular 6 mile round trip “Missionary Ridge Local” route that could theoretically be used for commuting.
jancsika 1y ago
In real life freight trains have the right of way in the U.S. In other words, the Dollywood Express would be a lot less fun if it spent half the day waiting while trolls unload corndogs from two-person handcars randomly distributed along the track.
- rtkwe 1y ago
  Sadly true even though legally it's supposed to be the opposite. [0] It's just not enforced at all and as a result of that (and freight trains becoming massive monsters that can't even fit on the passing sidings designed for them) Amtrak service sucks. [0] https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance#:~:text=For%20over%2050%20years%2C%20freight,trains%20ahead%20of%20freight%20trains. https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance#:~:text=For%20ove...
  - ThunderSizzle 1y ago
    If Amtrak wants right of way, it can build its own rail network.
    - AlotOfReading 1y ago
      From what money? Amtrak has been wildly underfunded for years. To give one example, the Cascades line has exactly 1 running train because the rest succumbed to corrosion: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/amtrak-pulls-most-of-its-cascades-railcars-out-of-service/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/amt...
    - rtkwe 1y ago
      Amtrak RoW is part of the deal for the land they received (and the help they get breaking potential labor strikes). They got to drop their intercity service to Amtrak for considerations like the Amtrak right of way too they didn't get nothing out of the deal.
- bell-cot 1y ago
  Back in the day, America's RR's ran their own passenger services (no Amtrak), on their own track, and generally gave right-of-way to the passengers. They got out of that business because it was losing ridership and money.
throwaway522482 1y ago
How funny, my wife and I were literally just talking about Dollywood right before I opened Hacker News. We live in Sevier County, and Dolly offers $5 tickets to her park to locals this week, which is really quite a charitable thing to do. The discount even applies for taking ~$100 off of a season pass. Never realized that train got so much usage, but I guess it makes sense. Although you do have to pay attention if you sit near the front as you’ll be slightly covered in soot after the ride.
shortformblog 1y ago
The irony being, of course, that it is surrounded by an area where it is basically impossible to get by without a car. My wife and I once left Gatlinburg after a week there and our tire blew out on the way out of town. It was a Sunday morning. Literally our only option to get it replaced that day was a Walmart location 15 miles away. So we had to wait for AAA for an hour and a half to tell us we were stuck using a donut to get there. There is a trolley system but it is anemic.
- pizzathyme 1y ago
  Exactly, more rails would not be useful because there is lower density in the US. Denmark is 141 persons/km^2, whereas the U.S. is about 36 persons/km^2 (census data). Even if you built train lines everywhere outside urban areas, any stop you step off at would still require a 20 minute drive to get to where you are going. (Or in your case 15!)
  - BiteCode_dev 1y ago
    With that logic airportd should not have been built everywhere and useless, yet they were and are not.
    - esseph 1y ago
      Most airports are privately owned.
    - stevage 1y ago
      By that logic, airports should only have been built in cities...which is exactly where they are.
    - esseph 1y ago
      "There are approximately 14,400 private-use and 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the US." Works out to about 288 private airports per state on average, and 100 public per state (on average).
  - 1y ago
Valien 1y ago
Riding the train at Dollywood is one of life's best experiences. Highly recommend it for sure! Also, if you're ever in Pennsylvania and go to the train museum in Strasburg you can ride that steam train as well and it is also a blast.
999900000999 1y ago
It's a dream, but I would love a small planned car free community. Bikes only, with a train station to a larger city. I think theirs a project like this in Arizona.
- toomuchtodo 1y ago
  https://culdesac.com/ https://culdesac.com/
PaulHoule 1y ago
Here you come again... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflkeWVTNk0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflkeWVTNk0
cleverwebble 1y ago
I grew up in a town called Seymour, which is in the same county as Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. It's Dolly country. She's a hero - she's done so much for her community. Much of the money you spend at Dollywood goes to help so many public causes. One of them is the Imagination Library, which gives out free books every month from birth to 5 years of age. I was one of the first families that got to take a part in it. I certainly don't remember much from when I was 5, but I do remember getting those books. I imagine it had a positive impact on my growth. We'd go to Dollywood a few times a year - she would give out free tickets to people who worked in Gatlinburg to go. It's really well run, and their water park is great too. Growing up, we'd ride the train when we visited. While I didn't appreciate it much as a kid, when I grew up I realized how awesome of an opportunity that was.. I moved away from Tennessee about 12 years ago, one of the biggest things I have missed is Dollywood and their big steam train.
- hirvi74 1y ago
  Fellow native Tennessean here, as well. Words cannot describe the love and admiration myself and the vast majority of Tennesseans have for Dolly Parton. She is the closest thing to a living Saint that many of us will ever witness.
  - BlackjackCF 1y ago
    Americans are divided on a lot of things, but Dolly is universally beloved.
- HenryBemis 1y ago
  I discovered her music 'recently'. The 'imagination library' is a thing she has been doing for years, and I read about this on CNN or BBC or something like that, and I was deeply moved. When I read more about it (if I remember well) she started this initiative because her father couldn't read, and she wanted to make sure every kid has books to read. When I read that last part I thought to myself "shit.. this is a KIND person" (like wow!! she is a great human being!).
  - 1y ago
shermantanktop 1y ago
I listened to a great podcast which helped explain her appeal. She is a fascinating combination of genuine friendliness, talent and achievement, and incredible toughness and resilience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton%27s_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton%27s_America
a_simple_man 1y ago
it's true, but we still move plenty of the economy on trains, just not people. flights are cheaper and faster.
danans 1y ago
> I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastructure in billion-dollar economies. Be serious Reducing public transit to an unserious/unreal thing is the point. People who live in car-bound places (most of America) visit theme parks like Disney's where a big part of the novelty is the make-believe urban walkability and transit (i.e. Disney's "Main Street"), creating the belief that such things are fantasy (tied to the rest of Disney's make-believe world) rather that something quite normal that people in much of the urban world experience (minus the dancing anthropomorphic mice). Essentially, what is pretty normal elsewhere is repackaged as fantasy in the US. Are Dollywood/Disney part of some great conspiracy to undermine walkability and transit in the US? No, but they sure as heck know that people feel better in that kind of human-scale environment, and they are fundamentally in the business of making people feel better via escapism.
- Exoristos 1y ago
  Main Street's "make-believe urban walkability and transit" represent all American towns of the pre–Henry Ford era. American families with roots here are well aware of this. Or people who browse classic American literature or film. In fact, I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary.
  - danans 1y ago
    > I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary We agree with each other. I know they were real in the pre-car era (and I have lived in some of the few remaining walkable US towns and cities), but note that my comment was speaking the present tense, not the past tense like yours. Walkability is not the average American's lived reality today. In fact, living in a walkable area tends to be a marker of heightened privilege nowadays, sadly.
- ethbr1 1y ago
  Related: Chaumont-Sur-Loire [0] and Chenonceau [1] are both absolutely gorgeous in person, especially when everything is in bloom, and less than 3 hours drive from Paris. (Or train, since it's a civilized country) Would highly recommend a château trip down the Loire valley over Disney. ;) And if you really need a faux fix, there's always Mini Castle Park [2] near Amboise... [0] https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en [1] https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ [2] https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ PS: Yes, I know Neuschwanstein, but haven't made it to Bavaria yet. On the list!
absurdo 1y ago
> As I’ve written before, there are few institutions, or people, with a higher approval rating than Dolly Parton. While I love her for her music and the feeling of joy she gives us, I also love that Dollywood Express, the heritage steam train that operates within Dollywood, has a higher rail ridership than 27 states. Oh I’d ride that, alright!
bombcar 1y ago
Six million people ride “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland each year. That’s more than many transit systems. But it’s a useless comparison, really.
hirvi74 1y ago
I have met the man that was allegedly in charge of a lot of the operational management or something of the like for those trains at one time! He has a fully operational train track with various functioning trains in his front yard. He has quite the collection too. He has a little festival every year on his property: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuibCgyBqJM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuibCgyBqJM
serf 1y ago
Yes, steam locomotives are neat. Yes, Parton is a saint. Yes, Tennessee is better place because of her. Yes, she did good things with her money. BUT the fact that we're all still so impressed by steam engines that we decided that 1000 tons of coal a year ( 622 cars worth of co2, the annual energy use of ~250 US homes a year) was a good value just to see an antique demo at the US's 30th (!!) most popular theme park bodes pretty poorly for us and our priorities. Might not be nostalgic, but these things have huge steam stacks and exhaust output seemingly; is capture at all possible?
- stevage 1y ago
  Yeah, that was my thought. I'd love to see steam trains converted to electricity or even diesel in a way that basically they still look like steam trains to the casual observer, but without all the coal burning.
  - danans 1y ago
    What's the point of the look if they're electric? A few steam engines operating for historical tourism doesn't seem like a big issue for emissions compared to the millions of ICE cars. We should keep them operating on their original fuel.
    - stevage 1y ago
      Just like every car doesn't seem like a big deal compared to all the other millions of cars.
    - rsynnott 1y ago
      While it would be fabulously, fantastically inefficient, you _could_ in principle have an electric-heated steam engine. This has actually occasionally been done! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric–steam_locomotive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric–steam_locomotive > A few steam engines operating for historical tourism doesn't seem like a big issue for emissions compared to the millions of ICE cars. We should keep them operating on their original fuel. The CO2 emissions aren't the only issue; they are _seriously_ dirty. Probably fine in Dollywood where it's presumably quite open, but in some countries it's somewhat common to run 'heritage' engines on main lines as an event, and it can really be _pretty bad_ in enclosed stations.
eldaisfish 1y ago
[flagged]
- tomcam 1y ago
  [flagged]
  - stevage 1y ago
    Presumably if they were familiar with Tennessee culture, they wouldn't be asking?
    - tomcam 1y ago
      Now they know
- notgoodrobot 1y ago
  I know a lot of people in the area. I'd say yes.
- bigiain 1y ago
  Dunno why this is getting downvoted. It's a fair and important question. I've never been to Tennessee, but I spent a week in Atlanta once 15 or 20 years back, and as an Australian the segregation and underlying racism really surprised and disappointed me. (Not that Australia is really any better with respect to how we are institutionally and often socially and causally racist towards our indigenous people...)
  - bigstrat2003 1y ago
    > Dunno why this is getting downvoted. It's a fair and important question. It's getting downvoted because it's neither of those things. It's basically bigotry towards his outgroup ("ewww those rural hicks" drips from that comment) with a thin veneer of pretending to be concerned for minorities.
    - 1y ago
stevage 1y ago
>Dollywood moves about 5,000 people per day. That’s 92% of all rail riders in Tennessee, if you exclude Amtrak’s single daily train, the City of New Orleans. So...why do they exclude the "City of New Orleans"? They don't explain.
- sb057 1y ago
  City of New Orleans is functionally a through line with the only major stop in the state being Memphis. The only other bookable stop period in the state is in the middle of nowhere with the only trips departing at 11pm and 4am. I suspect the average ridership between the two stations is approximately zero.
Reason077 1y ago
> "U.S. States With Less Rail Transit Ridership Than Dollywood" I'm sure Nevada wouldn't be on this list if the Las Vegas Monorail were included. Average daily ridership was 11,780 in 2022, and it can reach around 40,000 daily riders on peak conference days.
quitit 1y ago
I heard an interesting (and certain to be inflammatory) take the other day: "When we visit the USA, we look at it the same way you might look at Fiji or some other underdeveloped country." While I can explain part of that view as differences in cultural priorities (i.e. US residents valuing extensive highways over high speed rail). What I can certainly agree with is that internally in the USA, some states rate of progress far exceeds that of others to the extent that without significant leadership at the federal level there will certainly be "two Americas".
- bpt3 1y ago
  What is interesting about a quote from someone who is obviously ignorant unless it came from a highly advanced life form from another planet?
sltr 1y ago
Blount county native here. (How native? Almost got married in the church her nephew preaches at). There was a joke that made its rounds here round about the time Queen Elizabeth died: > Bob: "The queen's dead" > Alice: "Dolly?!" If you ride the train, be prepared for soot to get in your eyes. I'm sure Dolly would be tickled silly to know a bunch of computer people were talking about her.
jacobjjacob 1y ago
Was just there a couple weeks ago and didn’t get to ride, they were doing engine repairs :(
jmartin2683 1y ago
The guy mentions that he’s never been to Tennessee and I believe him. Clearly he’s not aware of how low the population density is if he thinks trains make for sensible transport there.
- rsynnott 1y ago
  Tennessee’s pop density seems to be a little lower than Ireland’s. Now, Ireland is not known for its good public transport, but just Dublin’s commuter lines have something like 100x the peak capacity of the Dollywood train. And Ireland’s anemic rail network is more a result of no investment from the 50s til the 90s than a density thing, really; there is clearly demand for far more capacity and they currently can’t build it fast enough.
  - jhbadger 1y ago
    The DART (Dublin's commuter rail to and from its suburbs) is great (as are the Luas trams around the city). The inter-city trains going to Limerick, Cork etc. (which many Irish I've met don't even know still run) remind me of Amtrak and not in a good way.
    - rsynnott 1y ago
      Ah, the Cork one isn't _that_ bad. The Limerick one is very, very bad, granted. The Galway one is actually now slightly slower than the bus! (Though still far more pleasant than the bus.) AIUI nearly all rail travel volume is on the Dublin and Cork commuter lines these days; the intercity ones are kinda an afterthought (the only one to even manage hourly operation is Dublin to Cork at this point, I think).
- NoGravitas 1y ago
  I'm from Tennessee, and it could easily support light rail systems in the metro areas of each of Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, and a regular rail route between those cities. Maybe not a lot more than that, but just having that would make life a lot easier.
simple10 1y ago
I've been to Dollywood a few times while visiting relatives in Tennessee. It's a trip. The rides and shows are fine. The real attraction is the people watching. By far the best and weirdest slice of Americana in a theme park. Highly recommended.

176 points by FinnKuhn 1y ago

toomuchtodo 1y ago

It's a great time, highly recommend if you're in the area.

moron4hire 1y ago
I concur. We did a family trip a few years ago with my parents and my sister and her family. 5 adults (2 in their 60s) and 3 children aged 5 to 8. Pigeon Forge and Dollywood were a great experience for everyone. My mother has some mobility issues and the park was pretty well laid out for her to get around with an electric scooter. The park has lots of rides for different ages of children. And the surrounding Pigeon Forge area has lots of other attractions to make a jam-packed week of activities.
crooked-v 1y ago
For people who aren't theme park nerds: Dollywood consistently gets ranked as one of the best theme parks in the US. It's absolutely worth planning a vacation around if you generally like that sort of stuff but shudder at the current pricing of Disney/Universal. The city it's in is also right next door to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so it's very easy to make a day trip for various trails or tours.

flippyhead 1y ago

> Dollywood Express, the heritage steam train that operates within Dollywood, has a higher rail ridership than 27 states. I don't now if it's useful, but this way of putting quanties in context, would be neat to see about all kinds of things. Like how they seem to always do rare things compared to your chance of getting hit by lightning.

benterix 1y ago
I believe the point of the whole article is that the public transportation is broken if a train in a theme park has more users than regular trains in many states.
- jandrese 1y ago
  More riders than the commuter trains in over half of the states.
- pythonaut_16 1y ago
  I'm pro public transit and trains, but the stat has more shock value than actual logic. What's feasible for a theme park doesn't necessarily extrapolate to public transit.

xnx 1y ago

> The trains run all day during park hours and can burn through up to four tons of coal per day and 4000 gallons of water. Oof. That's a lot of coal. ~ 1000 tons of coal/year or the CO2 equivalent of 10 million miles of driving. Edit: corrected math

disentanglement 1y ago
I'd love to see the system of mathematics where 4 times 365 comes out to one million. Maybe I can get my bank to use the same system.
- lo_zamoyski 1y ago
  They do: inflation + compound interest!
lo_zamoyski 1y ago
4 * 365 ~= 1500 tons
- FinnKuhn 1y ago
  Just 98,500 tons off
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

jonah-archive 1y ago

I've ridden it before, it's really fun! The two locomotives are Baldwin 2-8-2 Mikados built in 1938/9, more details here: https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=Canada&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=wpy https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=Canada&... I think my favorite part is when the announcer explains the emergency stop system, and clarifies that getting a cinder in your face doesn't count as an emergency (IIRC they have safety goggles you can wear if you're concerned about it). EDIT: found a video I took of it going by where you can hear the whistle blow (I was there over the holidays which is why it's decked out for Christmas): https://www.instagram.com/p/B64mteDJUBl/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B64mteDJUBl/

anonymars 1y ago
I love steam trains in the abstract, but was appalled at how filthy it was. My skin and clothes were covered in soot and I pulled my shirt up to my mouth to try and avoid breathing it in and coughing. That said, Big Boy 4014 is traveling between Cheyenne and Denver next month (https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm)

cjj_swe 1y ago

In my Tennessee mountain home, life is as peaceful as a baby's side As an East Tennessee native, I love everything Dolly Parton!

cjj_swe 1y ago
It seems the music note emoji were stripped out. The first line is a quote from one of her songs.
- lastofthemojito 1y ago
  In the same way that "hold me closer Tony Danza" is a quote from one of my favorite Elton John songs. You're looking for "Life is as peaceful as a baby's sigh": https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-my-tennessee-mountain-home-lyrics https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-my-tennessee-mountain-home-l...
  - kirubakaran 1y ago
    Elton John Confirms Tiny Dancer IS About Tony Danza https://www.madhousemagazine.com/elton-john-confirms-tiny-dancer-is-about-tony-danza/ https://www.madhousemagazine.com/elton-john-confirms-tiny-da...
  - cjj_swe 1y ago
    Yikes! I wish I could edit
kirubakaran 1y ago
Baby's sigh
- bufordtwain 1y ago
  Thanks, was scratching my head and thinking that a baby's side isn't always peaceful.
  - 1y ago

lisper 1y ago

The comparison of the Dollywood Express ridership to statewide railways is pretty unfair. The Dollywood Express is not really transportation, it's an amusement park ride, more comparable to the Disney Railway than Amtrack, and I'm pretty sure more people ride the Disney Railway than the Dollywood Express. The economics of amusement park rides and actual transportation systems are radically different. (Actually, the Disney Monorail(s) would be a more apt comparison because it actually serves as transportation!)

eesmith 1y ago
The author both points that out, and links to his essay "How Disney Became One of the Largest Transit Agencies in North America' (What Does a Theme Park Operating the 10th Largest Transit Agency in the U.S. Say About Us?)" at https://thetransitguy.substack.com/p/how-disney-became-one-of-the-largest https://thetransitguy.substack.com/p/how-disney-became-one-o...
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
larusso 1y ago
I think it doesn’t matter. The point is that more people drive daily with these trains than most people in other states their respected train lines. It’s just shows that the US has nearly no train infrastructure when a theme park train has more ridership than most states. Granted this is by design because the US over prioritized the highway system over a train transit system. There is a new video from Daniel Steiner who usually explains the origin of cities via maps did a take on the US highway system https://youtu.be/Sr2F4OZSETE?si=fh628Gb3RzhpLpYo https://youtu.be/Sr2F4OZSETE?si=fh628Gb3RzhpLpYo

deelowe 1y ago

Took the family to Dollywood this year and it was by far the best run theme park I've been to. I was amazed at the cleanliness, friendliness of the staff, and how well maintained everything was. The train was really cool too. One of only two times I've been able to see a real coal fired steam engine functioning.

strictnein 1y ago
It's a great park with some surprisingly enjoyable rides. Lightning Rod is one of the most intense coasters I've been on. Definitely a little rough at times, but man it does not hold back at all. And it's kind of hidden in the layout of the park, with a lot of the track over the top of a hill. A visit to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and the Smoky Mountains is great trip, especially with kids. Lots of quirky nonsense to enjoy, as well as some beautiful nature.
- jdironman 1y ago
  Also some fair dining. Local Goat, The Trout House, the apple orchards for sweets. it makes for a nice weekend / week getaway. clingmans dome (Now called Kuwohi Observation Tower) is a not so strenuous hike with 360 degree views. Highly recommend the drive up to it in the fall when the trees are golden and the sun is shining.
- madcaptenor 1y ago
  I live in Atlanta and have not been up there. I have kids. I should probably fix that. (That is, I should "fix that" by going up to the Smokies with them, not by getting rid of the kids!)
  - sarchertech 1y ago
    100% you should do that. I grew up in metro Atlanta and some of my favorite childhood memories are of family trips to the Smokies. Mingus mill is one of my favorite places in the world. I live in Chattanooga now and we take the kids every 6 months or so.
  - 1y ago

johng 1y ago

I still believe that if Dolly ran for President, she would win. She's probably one of the most liked people in the country, percentage wise. I've actually asked quite a few random people what they think of her and I've never met someone that had anything bad to say.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
BizarroLand 1y ago
I think if we elected people for their general track record of good deeds, then Dolly would win and be a good candidate, but I also think what we need is someone to come in and be a total jerk to the total jerks that are ruining the world for everyone else right now, someone who would ruthlessly focus on making the world as decent as it can be for as many people as possible even if it inconveniences a handful of people.
jandrese 1y ago
Many political pundits are still convinced that it's not possible to elect a woman as US president. Thus far the two that have tried have both managed to lose to Donald Trump.
- triceratops 1y ago
  For all we know having a running mate named "Tim" is the actual campaign kryptonite.
- bpt3 1y ago
  Maybe try running candidates that aren't highly unpopular? Or ones who don't call a significant percentage of the population "deplorables"? Or ones who don't refuse to state consistent policy objectives or provide coherent explanations for major swings in her stance on key political positions? Or... Trump is a reaction to large portions of the population being actively screwed over by decades of neoliberal policy that the Democrats are still trying to ram down their throats, and "anything other than more of that" is what is winning in most swing states. It's unfortunate the the Republican party is incapable of running someone who isn't a infantile, thin-skinned, nasty blowhard to govern responsibly while in power, but here we are, and we'll unfortunately stay here until either the Republican party grows a spine, the Democratic party figures out how to not intentionally alienate a good portion of the voting population while also preventing their base from destroying the party from within, or the whole thing blows up.

chrisco255 1y ago

Dollywood is great, but unfortunately the article gradually shifts into bashing Tennessee and America for not using enough passenger rail. That train left the station a long time ago. Car ownership is very high, sprawl is very high. We do not have urban cores with the same density or concentration of business districts as European or Asian cities. Most of the time buses make more sense for public transportation in America, but even those often get low ridership. It's likely we'll shift towards autonomous mini-buses and electric over the next couple of decades and unlikely that anything changes significantly wrt passenger rail. There are real structural and societal differences here. I say that and at the same time, I'd love it if Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga were all connected by a high speed rail line (and on down to Atlanta from there). I just don't see the will to get it done.

conception 1y ago
Best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, etc etc.
- pizzathyme 1y ago
  Is the suggestion here to build more subways/rails? The problem is that more rails would not be useful because there is lower density in the US. Denmark is 141 persons/km^2, whereas the U.S. is about 36 person(census data). Even if you built train lines everywhere outside urban areas, any stop you step off at would still require a 20 minute drive to get to where you are going.
  - cycomanic 1y ago
    Tell that to Sweden with a density of 26 people/km^2 and a functioning rail system. Also why use Denmark of all places, their rail system isn't even that great compared to e.g. France or Germany.
    - NoGravitas 1y ago
      And the population density of Tennessee is much higher than that of Sweden (67 people/km^2). The states with population densities most comparable to Sweden are Mississippi, Arizona, Vermont, Minnesota, and West Virginia.

NoblePublius 1y ago

“ I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastructure in billion-dollar economies. Be serious.” Europe has lots of train infrastructure because it was very poor after WW2, and its people could afford nothing but train fare. America has lots of car infrastructure because it was very rich after WS2, and its people have the freedom to choose personal transportation. Over 90% of American households have at least one car. It’s not because American government doesn’t invest in public transit. It’s because Americans, even poor Americans, overwhelmingly choose personal transportation.

breaker-kind 1y ago
and we are severely worse off because of it
richiebful1 1y ago
Certainly there's an element of personal choice. I currently live in a town of 3,000 in a rural state that was previously served by trains. Once cars became accessible to the masses, that train service was no longer sustainable. But in actual US metro areas where much of the country lives, land use choices were made to enhance moving cars at the expense of other modes of transport. Urban areas were bulldozed to funnel cars into downtowns from far-flung suburbs. Amsterdam, on the other hand, was once a car-loving city, but has chosen to redevelop streets for transit and active transportation. Personal choice matters, but how much is driven by incentives?
- NoblePublius 1y ago
  “Land use choices” are downstream of what residents want less what they can afford. You have it backwards.
omegaworks 1y ago
>its people have the freedom to choose personal transportation. A lot of American choice is an illusion. The national expressway network was created to serve national security purposes. Beloved trolley systems in medium density cities were unceremoniously ripped out. Car and tire companies pushed the bus-ification of public transport in order to kill any notion that it should offer comfort and reliability. The American government refuses to invest in density because its sees sprawl as a deterrant against nuclear threat. (A threat that it takes an active role in escalating, mind you.) >It’s because Americans, even poor Americans, overwhelmingly choose personal transportation. If you take notice, much of the most expensive and valuable property in this country is in dense regions where it is possible to live without a car. If Americans truly had a choice, they'd pick the kinds of walkable communities they can only experience now on university campuses and in theme parks.

sarchertech 1y ago

If you’re going to count the Dollywood Express, you’d better count the Tennessee Valley Railroad too haha. https://www.tvrail.com/ https://www.tvrail.com/ In addition to the longer scenic trips, there is regular 6 mile round trip “Missionary Ridge Local” route that could theoretically be used for commuting.

jancsika 1y ago

In real life freight trains have the right of way in the U.S. In other words, the Dollywood Express would be a lot less fun if it spent half the day waiting while trolls unload corndogs from two-person handcars randomly distributed along the track.

rtkwe 1y ago
Sadly true even though legally it's supposed to be the opposite. [0] It's just not enforced at all and as a result of that (and freight trains becoming massive monsters that can't even fit on the passing sidings designed for them) Amtrak service sucks. [0] https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance#:~:text=For%20over%2050%20years%2C%20freight,trains%20ahead%20of%20freight%20trains. https://www.amtrak.com/on-time-performance#:~:text=For%20ove...
- ThunderSizzle 1y ago
  If Amtrak wants right of way, it can build its own rail network.
  - AlotOfReading 1y ago
    From what money? Amtrak has been wildly underfunded for years. To give one example, the Cascades line has exactly 1 running train because the rest succumbed to corrosion: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/amtrak-pulls-most-of-its-cascades-railcars-out-of-service/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/amt...
  - rtkwe 1y ago
    Amtrak RoW is part of the deal for the land they received (and the help they get breaking potential labor strikes). They got to drop their intercity service to Amtrak for considerations like the Amtrak right of way too they didn't get nothing out of the deal.
bell-cot 1y ago
Back in the day, America's RR's ran their own passenger services (no Amtrak), on their own track, and generally gave right-of-way to the passengers. They got out of that business because it was losing ridership and money.

throwaway522482 1y ago

How funny, my wife and I were literally just talking about Dollywood right before I opened Hacker News. We live in Sevier County, and Dolly offers $5 tickets to her park to locals this week, which is really quite a charitable thing to do. The discount even applies for taking ~$100 off of a season pass. Never realized that train got so much usage, but I guess it makes sense. Although you do have to pay attention if you sit near the front as you’ll be slightly covered in soot after the ride.

shortformblog 1y ago

The irony being, of course, that it is surrounded by an area where it is basically impossible to get by without a car. My wife and I once left Gatlinburg after a week there and our tire blew out on the way out of town. It was a Sunday morning. Literally our only option to get it replaced that day was a Walmart location 15 miles away. So we had to wait for AAA for an hour and a half to tell us we were stuck using a donut to get there. There is a trolley system but it is anemic.

pizzathyme 1y ago
Exactly, more rails would not be useful because there is lower density in the US. Denmark is 141 persons/km^2, whereas the U.S. is about 36 persons/km^2 (census data). Even if you built train lines everywhere outside urban areas, any stop you step off at would still require a 20 minute drive to get to where you are going. (Or in your case 15!)
- BiteCode_dev 1y ago
  With that logic airportd should not have been built everywhere and useless, yet they were and are not.
  - esseph 1y ago
    Most airports are privately owned.
  - stevage 1y ago
    By that logic, airports should only have been built in cities...which is exactly where they are.
  - esseph 1y ago
    "There are approximately 14,400 private-use and 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the US." Works out to about 288 private airports per state on average, and 100 public per state (on average).
- 1y ago

Valien 1y ago

Riding the train at Dollywood is one of life's best experiences. Highly recommend it for sure! Also, if you're ever in Pennsylvania and go to the train museum in Strasburg you can ride that steam train as well and it is also a blast.

999900000999 1y ago

It's a dream, but I would love a small planned car free community. Bikes only, with a train station to a larger city. I think theirs a project like this in Arizona.

toomuchtodo 1y ago
https://culdesac.com/ https://culdesac.com/

PaulHoule 1y ago

Here you come again... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflkeWVTNk0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflkeWVTNk0

cleverwebble 1y ago

I grew up in a town called Seymour, which is in the same county as Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. It's Dolly country. She's a hero - she's done so much for her community. Much of the money you spend at Dollywood goes to help so many public causes. One of them is the Imagination Library, which gives out free books every month from birth to 5 years of age. I was one of the first families that got to take a part in it. I certainly don't remember much from when I was 5, but I do remember getting those books. I imagine it had a positive impact on my growth. We'd go to Dollywood a few times a year - she would give out free tickets to people who worked in Gatlinburg to go. It's really well run, and their water park is great too. Growing up, we'd ride the train when we visited. While I didn't appreciate it much as a kid, when I grew up I realized how awesome of an opportunity that was.. I moved away from Tennessee about 12 years ago, one of the biggest things I have missed is Dollywood and their big steam train.

hirvi74 1y ago
Fellow native Tennessean here, as well. Words cannot describe the love and admiration myself and the vast majority of Tennesseans have for Dolly Parton. She is the closest thing to a living Saint that many of us will ever witness.
- BlackjackCF 1y ago
  Americans are divided on a lot of things, but Dolly is universally beloved.
HenryBemis 1y ago
I discovered her music 'recently'. The 'imagination library' is a thing she has been doing for years, and I read about this on CNN or BBC or something like that, and I was deeply moved. When I read more about it (if I remember well) she started this initiative because her father couldn't read, and she wanted to make sure every kid has books to read. When I read that last part I thought to myself "shit.. this is a KIND person" (like wow!! she is a great human being!).
- 1y ago

shermantanktop 1y ago

I listened to a great podcast which helped explain her appeal. She is a fascinating combination of genuine friendliness, talent and achievement, and incredible toughness and resilience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton%27s_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton%27s_America

a_simple_man 1y ago

it's true, but we still move plenty of the economy on trains, just not people. flights are cheaper and faster.

danans 1y ago

> I love Disney and I love Dolly Parton, but it says something deeply broken about our national priorities when their theme park trains outclass public infrastructure in billion-dollar economies. Be serious Reducing public transit to an unserious/unreal thing is the point. People who live in car-bound places (most of America) visit theme parks like Disney's where a big part of the novelty is the make-believe urban walkability and transit (i.e. Disney's "Main Street"), creating the belief that such things are fantasy (tied to the rest of Disney's make-believe world) rather that something quite normal that people in much of the urban world experience (minus the dancing anthropomorphic mice). Essentially, what is pretty normal elsewhere is repackaged as fantasy in the US. Are Dollywood/Disney part of some great conspiracy to undermine walkability and transit in the US? No, but they sure as heck know that people feel better in that kind of human-scale environment, and they are fundamentally in the business of making people feel better via escapism.

Exoristos 1y ago
Main Street's "make-believe urban walkability and transit" represent all American towns of the pre–Henry Ford era. American families with roots here are well aware of this. Or people who browse classic American literature or film. In fact, I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary.
- danans 1y ago
  > I'm straining to think who besides yourself might think ubiquitous American rail and walkways were imaginary We agree with each other. I know they were real in the pre-car era (and I have lived in some of the few remaining walkable US towns and cities), but note that my comment was speaking the present tense, not the past tense like yours. Walkability is not the average American's lived reality today. In fact, living in a walkable area tends to be a marker of heightened privilege nowadays, sadly.
ethbr1 1y ago
Related: Chaumont-Sur-Loire [0] and Chenonceau [1] are both absolutely gorgeous in person, especially when everything is in bloom, and less than 3 hours drive from Paris. (Or train, since it's a civilized country) Would highly recommend a château trip down the Loire valley over Disney. ;) And if you really need a faux fix, there's always Mini Castle Park [2] near Amboise... [0] https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en https://domaine-chaumont.fr/en [1] https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ https://www.chenonceau.com/en/ [2] https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ https://www.parcminichateaux.com/ PS: Yes, I know Neuschwanstein, but haven't made it to Bavaria yet. On the list!

absurdo 1y ago

> As I’ve written before, there are few institutions, or people, with a higher approval rating than Dolly Parton. While I love her for her music and the feeling of joy she gives us, I also love that Dollywood Express, the heritage steam train that operates within Dollywood, has a higher rail ridership than 27 states. Oh I’d ride that, alright!

bombcar 1y ago

Six million people ride “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland each year. That’s more than many transit systems. But it’s a useless comparison, really.

hirvi74 1y ago

I have met the man that was allegedly in charge of a lot of the operational management or something of the like for those trains at one time! He has a fully operational train track with various functioning trains in his front yard. He has quite the collection too. He has a little festival every year on his property: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuibCgyBqJM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuibCgyBqJM

serf 1y ago

Yes, steam locomotives are neat. Yes, Parton is a saint. Yes, Tennessee is better place because of her. Yes, she did good things with her money. BUT the fact that we're all still so impressed by steam engines that we decided that 1000 tons of coal a year ( 622 cars worth of co2, the annual energy use of ~250 US homes a year) was a good value just to see an antique demo at the US's 30th (!!) most popular theme park bodes pretty poorly for us and our priorities. Might not be nostalgic, but these things have huge steam stacks and exhaust output seemingly; is capture at all possible?

stevage 1y ago
Yeah, that was my thought. I'd love to see steam trains converted to electricity or even diesel in a way that basically they still look like steam trains to the casual observer, but without all the coal burning.
- danans 1y ago
  What's the point of the look if they're electric? A few steam engines operating for historical tourism doesn't seem like a big issue for emissions compared to the millions of ICE cars. We should keep them operating on their original fuel.
  - stevage 1y ago
    Just like every car doesn't seem like a big deal compared to all the other millions of cars.
  - rsynnott 1y ago
    While it would be fabulously, fantastically inefficient, you _could_ in principle have an electric-heated steam engine. This has actually occasionally been done! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric–steam_locomotive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric–steam_locomotive > A few steam engines operating for historical tourism doesn't seem like a big issue for emissions compared to the millions of ICE cars. We should keep them operating on their original fuel. The CO2 emissions aren't the only issue; they are _seriously_ dirty. Probably fine in Dollywood where it's presumably quite open, but in some countries it's somewhat common to run 'heritage' engines on main lines as an event, and it can really be _pretty bad_ in enclosed stations.

eldaisfish 1y ago

[flagged]

tomcam 1y ago
[flagged]
- stevage 1y ago
  Presumably if they were familiar with Tennessee culture, they wouldn't be asking?
  - tomcam 1y ago
    Now they know
notgoodrobot 1y ago
I know a lot of people in the area. I'd say yes.
bigiain 1y ago
Dunno why this is getting downvoted. It's a fair and important question. I've never been to Tennessee, but I spent a week in Atlanta once 15 or 20 years back, and as an Australian the segregation and underlying racism really surprised and disappointed me. (Not that Australia is really any better with respect to how we are institutionally and often socially and causally racist towards our indigenous people...)
- bigstrat2003 1y ago
  > Dunno why this is getting downvoted. It's a fair and important question. It's getting downvoted because it's neither of those things. It's basically bigotry towards his outgroup ("ewww those rural hicks" drips from that comment) with a thin veneer of pretending to be concerned for minorities.
  - 1y ago

stevage 1y ago

>Dollywood moves about 5,000 people per day. That’s 92% of all rail riders in Tennessee, if you exclude Amtrak’s single daily train, the City of New Orleans. So...why do they exclude the "City of New Orleans"? They don't explain.

sb057 1y ago
City of New Orleans is functionally a through line with the only major stop in the state being Memphis. The only other bookable stop period in the state is in the middle of nowhere with the only trips departing at 11pm and 4am. I suspect the average ridership between the two stations is approximately zero.

Reason077 1y ago

> "U.S. States With Less Rail Transit Ridership Than Dollywood" I'm sure Nevada wouldn't be on this list if the Las Vegas Monorail were included. Average daily ridership was 11,780 in 2022, and it can reach around 40,000 daily riders on peak conference days.

quitit 1y ago

I heard an interesting (and certain to be inflammatory) take the other day: "When we visit the USA, we look at it the same way you might look at Fiji or some other underdeveloped country." While I can explain part of that view as differences in cultural priorities (i.e. US residents valuing extensive highways over high speed rail). What I can certainly agree with is that internally in the USA, some states rate of progress far exceeds that of others to the extent that without significant leadership at the federal level there will certainly be "two Americas".

bpt3 1y ago
What is interesting about a quote from someone who is obviously ignorant unless it came from a highly advanced life form from another planet?

sltr 1y ago

Blount county native here. (How native? Almost got married in the church her nephew preaches at). There was a joke that made its rounds here round about the time Queen Elizabeth died: > Bob: "The queen's dead" > Alice: "Dolly?!" If you ride the train, be prepared for soot to get in your eyes. I'm sure Dolly would be tickled silly to know a bunch of computer people were talking about her.

jacobjjacob 1y ago

Was just there a couple weeks ago and didn’t get to ride, they were doing engine repairs :(

jmartin2683 1y ago

The guy mentions that he’s never been to Tennessee and I believe him. Clearly he’s not aware of how low the population density is if he thinks trains make for sensible transport there.

rsynnott 1y ago
Tennessee’s pop density seems to be a little lower than Ireland’s. Now, Ireland is not known for its good public transport, but just Dublin’s commuter lines have something like 100x the peak capacity of the Dollywood train. And Ireland’s anemic rail network is more a result of no investment from the 50s til the 90s than a density thing, really; there is clearly demand for far more capacity and they currently can’t build it fast enough.
- jhbadger 1y ago
  The DART (Dublin's commuter rail to and from its suburbs) is great (as are the Luas trams around the city). The inter-city trains going to Limerick, Cork etc. (which many Irish I've met don't even know still run) remind me of Amtrak and not in a good way.
  - rsynnott 1y ago
    Ah, the Cork one isn't _that_ bad. The Limerick one is very, very bad, granted. The Galway one is actually now slightly slower than the bus! (Though still far more pleasant than the bus.) AIUI nearly all rail travel volume is on the Dublin and Cork commuter lines these days; the intercity ones are kinda an afterthought (the only one to even manage hourly operation is Dublin to Cork at this point, I think).
NoGravitas 1y ago
I'm from Tennessee, and it could easily support light rail systems in the metro areas of each of Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, and a regular rail route between those cities. Maybe not a lot more than that, but just having that would make life a lot easier.

simple10 1y ago

I've been to Dollywood a few times while visiting relatives in Tennessee. It's a trip. The rides and shows are fine. The real attraction is the people watching. By far the best and weirdest slice of Americana in a theme park. Highly recommended.