ET&WNC - East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
In May, 1903, T. E. Goodin left Southern to work for the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad (SLSF, 1896-1916), a part of the Frisco Lines, which operated in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Goodin worked in Salpulpa, Oklahoma as a brakeman. Goodin returned to Southern for three or four months, but left again to work for the Illinois Central Railroad (IC, 1851-1999) on their St. Louis Division at East St. Louis.
In 1904, Goodin began working for the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC, 1866-1950). Because of financial woes, the narrow gauge (36") ET&WNC, while chartered in 1866, would not officially begin business until 1881, when the railroad was purchased by Ario Pardee and Associates, owners of the Cranberry Mine in Western North Carolina. The ET&WNC was built for the express purpose of importing iron ore from Cranberry, NC. Two Baldwin locomotives were purchased in 1881. Number 1 was given the name, Watauga, and Number 2, was named, Cranberry. These original locomotives would service ET&WNC for 30 years.
Troubled times were not over as in May of 1901, the "May Tide" flood took out most of the railroad bridges. Road bridges were destroyed as well, which hindered repairs. By 1902, temporary repairs enabled the ET&WNC to get back into business, however, full repairs of replacing wooden bridges with steel, and building retaining walls through Doe River Gorge, would take many more years. During this time, Cranberry Iron and Coal purchased the blast furnace in Johnson City (Cranberry Furnace), which was quite profitable, and therefore, financed the repairs.
According to Johnny Graybeal in his book, Along the ET&WNC, there was an "explosion in business" that prompted the ET&WNC to purchase five passenger cars. A third standard gauge rail was installed between Johnson City and Elizabethton, which would allow the ET&WNC to haul coal from Virginia to the South and Western Railroad. To adapt their engines, special swivel coupler mounts were applied (patented by ET&WNC), which allowed the ET&WNC to "remain exclusively narrow gauge." The advantage of narrow gauge was the ability to travel through smaller spaces than standard gauge. The sidings in Johnson City and Hampton were dual gauge. Graybeal states that "rail service was like changing from a gravel road to a modern Interstate Highway." Elizabethton grew rapidly as a result.
When Goodin joined the ET&WNC in 1904, business was booming due to ore and timber shipments. Goodin worked for ET&WNC for one year.
