Written by C.L. Kunst, February 22, 2011
I had the very good fortune today to meet Rocky Hollifield, the president of Craggy Mountain Line, Inc., a non profit organization founded to preserve, restore and make the last 3+ miles of the Craggy Mountain Line available to the public. He’s been at it since 2001 but when Rocky starts talking about this labor of love, he’s full of enthusiam and intent on his vision. He’s assembled quite a fleet of vehicles too; several cabooses, a flat car, a box car and an original Asheville street car are all receiving restoration at the small Woodfin train yard just outside of Asheville’s city limits.
I’ve often driven along Riverside Drive into Woodfin and seen the old train cars parked along the rails just beyond Craggy Bridge. I’ve sighed and wondered if anyone could save these old things and hoped they weren’t just waiting for their turn to be towed away to the scap yard. Happily, those rusty hulks along Riverside are more of the fleet, awaiting their turn at restoration. Rocky offered me a behind the scenes tour of their work. All of these cars are being repaired and maintained by Rocky and a few other dedicated volunteers and enthusiasts, true railroad men to the core.
The freshly re-painted, yellow and green street car alone is an essential part of Asheville’s history. There was a time at the beginning of the last century, when these vehicles were the ultimate in public transportation and a main reason why Asheville was considered “The Paris of the South”. They helped to distinguish Asheville as more than just another little Blue Ridge Mountain ‘Burg but as an urban destination in the mountains.
There are big plans in the works for the Craggy Mountain Line including, a private party train available for special events and rides, a train museum you can explore up close, as well as the restoration of several associated railroad buildings, like the Woodfin Street Car Station. But none of these wonderful things are going to happen without the support of the community. Consider chipping in a little bit to help the Craggy Mountain Line become a reality even sooner!
